Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I remember this **** with Verizon in the 90's and 00's. They didn't have a sim card and had the phones locked. What's to prevent this from coming full circle?
In some countries, the law. Locked phones now illegal in at least the UK.
 
I remember this **** with Verizon in the 90's and 00's. They didn't have a sim card and had the phones locked. What's to prevent this from coming full circle?
Yeah, that was when there were cdma networks. Verizon didn’t actually lock its devices at that time, though (the MSL code was 000000, so they really weren’t locked). Sprint did lock all of its cdma devices and still does lock all its devices now.
 
I remember this **** with Verizon in the 90's and 00's. They didn't have a sim card and had the phones locked. What's to prevent this from coming full circle?
The same things that prevent anything from going too far: competition and law.

If your response to every change ever is "well, this COULD be used in <terrible way>" we'd never have started with fire or language (both of which, BTW, can be used in terrible ways).
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.