Why Does Apple Lock Facetime?

I don't know if this has been discussed or not, I couldn't find it in the forums.

I bought a legally factory unlocked iPhone 4 in Hong Kong, at an Apple store. I'm now working in Thailand, and of course, can't use Facetime. Can anyone explain to me why Apple would create such a cool feature (which can only be used over wifi), and then lock it, allowing only people on certain carriers to use it? Shouldn't I be able to use it? I bought the phone, it's mine, and it's not something I should have to Jailbreak or Hack to get to work. (Yes, I know about MiTime and no, I can't get that to work either.)

Shouldn't I simply be able to connect to wifi, click on someone's email address and start a Facetime conversation with them? At least on a factory unlocked iPhone? I just don't get it. What is Apple at risk of losing by unlocking it? It's the same as Yahoo Video Chat, or iChat. It just pisses me off to no end that I can't use it to talk to my GF in another country, over wifi, because I'm not an AT&T customer. I mean, I could buy an iPod Touch and Facetime, why not on my iPhone though? Crazy, daddy-o.

No restrictions

EricNau said:

Just to rule out other possibilities, you may want to check:

Settings > General > Restrictions​

...to ensure that FaceTime wasn't disabled on your phone.

Click to expand...

Thanks, I just checked and don't have any restrictions on. I tried "jailbreaking" the phone and using MiTime, but that needs intl texts, etc, which I don't have access to here. Somewhere in the HinduKush mountains. But I have great wifi.

Applejuiced said:

I hear you on that.
It doesnt make any sense.
The ipod touch and soon ipad will be able to do facetime with just an email address without activation or sending text messages that some carriers dont support the feature.
The iphone should at least be able to do the same.
Maybe with the next major 5.0 iOS update hope they adress these things.

Click to expand...

Especially since I paid $850 for the damn thing. And I can't use one of the coolest features? And it isn't locked to a specific carrier? It almost sounds like lawsuit territory. Can you imagine buying a nice, expensive, top-of-the-line Ferrari and then finding out the make it where you can only go 75mph? WTF?