Factory Unlocked iPhone 5

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I'm new to the world of smartphones, and have decided Apple is the best route in any case.

So...

Two questions:

1. Where the heck is the factory unlocked iPhone 5? I don't want to buy one off-contract from a stupid carrier. I want to go to the apple retail store or the apple website and BUY an unlocked iPhone 5 straight from them, so I can take it to whatever GSM carrier I want. When the hell is Apple planning to release it? Speculations, please... BEFORE the holiday rush? Mid November? After newyear's? After it's introduced the iPhone 5 to every other country on earth? Anyone have an approximation or an educated guess as to WHEN Apple might start selling them unlocked right from the store?


2. If I DID succumb to buying an unlocked iPhone 5 from, say, Verizon, would it work with the sim card (trimmed down) of basically any other network, CDMA and GSM? Big Carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile), Small Carriers (Boost, Cricket, Straight Talk, Simple Mobile), etc?

And when I say, "will it work," what I mean is: Will it make calls, send/receive texts, and allow me to use it to surf a few websites or use it as a GPS device. I don't give a **** about network speed.