iPhone 13 IMEI Check: Which Build, Which Lock
The iPhone 13 comes in five regional builds, and one in four US-build units we checked was still carrier locked. Here is how to tell which one you hold.
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Five builds of one phone, and why the A-number matters
The iPhone 13 launched in 2021 in 128, 256 and 512 GB with a 6.1-inch display, and Apple ships it in more than one hardware variant. The variant is printed as an A-number, and it changes which networks the phone was designed for and what the SIM tray looks like. Apple's "Identify your iPhone model" page (read 10 November 2026) lists them like this:
| A-number | Sold in | Checked on FullIMEI (90 days) |
|---|---|---|
| A2482 | United States | 524 devices |
| A2633 | Rest of the world | 36 devices |
| A2631 | Canada, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia | 12 devices |
| A2634 | Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao | under 10 |
| A2635 | Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia | under 10 |
Counts are different phones, not repeat lookups: one IMEI counts once no matter how many times it was checked. Any row under ten is left out on purpose, so a small number never points at one person's phone.
What the US-build checks looked like
A2482 is the build that carries a lock, because it is the one sold through US carriers. Of the 524 A2482 phones, the free lookup returned a lock reading on 143. It read 124 as locked and 19 as unlocked. The other 381 came back as unknown, which does not mean clean: it means the phone was not tied to a carrier whose lock we read, so the answer has to come from the phone's own Settings screen or from the seller.
| A2482 result | Devices | Share of 524 |
|---|---|---|
| Locked to a carrier we read | 124 | 24 % |
| Unlocked | 19 | 4 % |
| Unknown (lock not readable for free) | 381 | 73 % |
The share that came back locked is the number to take away. Roughly one in four US-build iPhone 13 units we were asked about was still tied to a carrier. For a buyer that is the difference between a phone that takes any SIM and one that only works where it started.
Where these iPhone 13 checks come from
Of the A2482 checks, 204 came from Pakistan, 103 from the United States, 51 from Indonesia, 30 from Mexico, and 14 each from Ghana and Nigeria. The US-built phone is therefore mostly being checked outside the country it was built for, by people buying second-hand imports. That is the exact situation where a US carrier lock bites, because the buyer is looking for a local SIM and the phone is waiting for an American one.
We read this as a buying pattern, not as proof that any phone was smuggled or misrepresented: the country is where the check was made, which is not always where the phone is.
A buyer's checklist for a used iPhone 13
- Ask the seller to open Settings, General, About and show the Model Number. Compare the A-number with the table above.
- On the same screen, read the Carrier Lock line. "No SIM restrictions" means unlocked; anything else means a carrier still has a claim.
- Read both IMEI numbers aloud or photograph them, and run the first one above before any money moves.
- Compare the IMEI on the screen with the one etched on the SIM tray (left side of the phone). A tray from another phone is a common sign of a repair or a swap.
- Go to Settings, your name: if an Apple Account is still signed in, the phone has Activation Lock on. Do not pay until the seller removes it.
The iCloud step has its own page: what we can and cannot tell you about Find My lock.
What this page does not claim
Specs and model numbers come from Apple. The lock and country numbers are our own counts over 12 August to 10 November 2026 and will move. A blank or unknown lock result is not a clean bill of health, and a clean blacklist result is not a guarantee the owner paid the phone off. For the second part, the blacklist check explains what each registry covers.
Questions people ask
Where is the IMEI on an iPhone 13?
Two places work without a tool. Open Settings, General, About and scroll to IMEI, or dial *#06#. Apple also etches the IMEI on the SIM tray of the iPhone 13, on the left side of the phone, which is the fallback when the screen is dead or the phone has been reset and you cannot get past setup.
Why does my iPhone 13 show two IMEI numbers?
It carries a nano-SIM slot and an eSIM, and each line has its own IMEI. Settings, General, About lists both. For a lock or blacklist check, use the first one (the physical SIM line) unless a seller tells you the phone is eSIM-only.
What does the A-number on the back of an iPhone 13 tell me?
It names the regional build. Apple lists A2482 for the United States, A2631 for Canada, Japan, Mexico and Saudi Arabia, A2634 for mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao, A2635 for Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, and A2633 for the rest of the world. Find it in Settings, General, About, under Model Number, where it shows as a part number first and as the A-number once you tap it.
Does a US iPhone 13 work outside the United States?
The radio hardware does, because A2482 supports a wide set of LTE and 5G bands. What decides it in practice is the lock: a phone still tied to a US carrier will refuse a foreign SIM, so check the lock before you pay, not after you land.
Can the free check tell me an iPhone 13 is carrier locked?
For phones tied to T-Mobile or Metro, yes: it says locked or unlocked. For other carriers the answer reads unknown, because that lookup is not part of the free check. The About screen on the phone, a line called Carrier Lock, is the authoritative second source.
Is a locked iPhone 13 worth buying cheap?
Only if you plan to stay on the carrier it is locked to and the account owes nothing. A locked phone with an unpaid balance can be blocked later, and a block follows the IMEI, not the owner. Ask for the unlock status in writing before you pay.