The latest edition of the Apple’s iPhone, iPhone 5, comes with one secret feature that has managed to surprise the experts. The feature is limited to those handsets of the product only that are limited to the US carrier, Verizon Wireless. Handsets available from Verizon Wireless are also capable of being used on the network of another carrier, AT&T.

Endorsing blog reports, The Associated Press established that the Verizon iPhone 5 is capable of admitting an AT&T “SIM card” – a tiny chip that identifies a phone to a wireless network. The phone can then be active on AT&T’s network.

Overseas Users can Use Other Networks Instead of Roaming

iPhones from one carrier have, previously, been made to work successfully on other carriers but that has only been accomplished by complicated hacking methods. The use of the feature may be limited as users have to sign a contract with Verizon for two years, however, it does allow them switch over to another carrier’s network once the contract expires and they’re unhappy with the service. It also means that when travelling overseas, users can readily access other GSM networks instead of using the more expensive option of international roaming.

Version Wireless Spokeswoman Confirms This Feature

It’s uncertain whether the feature has been incorporated intentionally and whether the handsets will work with other carriers besides the AT&T, such as T-Mobile USA. But Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Brenda Raney confirmed Saturday that the iPhone 5 models it’s selling are “unlocked.”

Last year, the initial consignments of the Sprint iPhone 4S were unlocked and operated on AT&T’s network, but Sprint later released software upgrades that disabled that particular capability of the smartphone. Possibly this is a bit of experimentation on Verizon’s part to see if selling a phone that comes GSM unlocked eventually leads to more sales? If it is, the try-out seems to be working, at least as far as consumer mood towards Verizon goes.