This will happen a few years after the universal sim becomes ubiquitous. That's where Apple wants to go for design and convenience reasons.
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Apple Multi-SIM is revolutionary...when coming to iPhone
- Thread starter 100thMonkey
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This will happen a few years after the universal sim becomes ubiquitous. That's where Apple wants to go for design and convenience reasons.
This was first reported in 2010 by GigaOm, apparently all the European carriers freaked out and complained about it to the European Commission
https://gigaom.com/2010/10/27/is-apple-about-to-cut-out-the-carriers/
https://gigaom.com/2010/10/27/is-apple-about-to-cut-out-the-carriers/
rui no onna
Contributor
Take note, they're only required to unlock phones released on/after Feb 2015. They could easily choose not to unlock the iPhone for domestic use citing "technical" reasons. Pretty stupid excuse but it's worked for them so far.
DerekRod
macrumors 6502a
I think they've said this already that they're refusing to unlock any iPhones being sold
I think this will complicate things, the carriers always want to control access. AT&T was the only true punch and play in the iPad. Tmo always wants to charge for sims, Verizon - forget it. Plus I get special deals, special promos on tmo. For more complicated users I think it will not so easy.
Remember the wonderful stop and go unlimited at&t plan for the magical iPad1. That was used to sell iPad and AT&T stopped it month in, (I did just get a $45 check from the lawsuit over that)..
I don't trust the carriers but if this takes some of their over control away, ok.
Remember the wonderful stop and go unlimited at&t plan for the magical iPad1. That was used to sell iPad and AT&T stopped it month in, (I did just get a $45 check from the lawsuit over that)..
I don't trust the carriers but if this takes some of their over control away, ok.
Apple has a chance of what no other company has ever done. That is to take carriers and put up right against the wall. In Europe they sold unlocked phones for a very long time and without contracts, but personally i think it was more because of other financial reasons. Especially in eastern europe where I'm originally from. People would pay 1000$ for a phone and then not have a proper plan to use it and enjoy the full potential of the device, but they needed to have that amazing phone just to show off.
Demand for iPhones is only increasing at this point and as we can see people are buying the phones outright and not going on contracts. Carriers have responded with their payment plans (next) just to keep the customer somewhat tied to a contract. Apple is now selling all phones unlocked if bought at a full price from the store (only Sprint is semi unlocked, meaning unlocked for international sim cards and not domestic). Apple can easily introduce their own interest free financing and then carriers are completely out of the equation. Then whatever technology Apple introduces (one sim card for all) carriers will have to make sure its supported.
Good to see Apple step up and take on the carriers.
Demand for iPhones is only increasing at this point and as we can see people are buying the phones outright and not going on contracts. Carriers have responded with their payment plans (next) just to keep the customer somewhat tied to a contract. Apple is now selling all phones unlocked if bought at a full price from the store (only Sprint is semi unlocked, meaning unlocked for international sim cards and not domestic). Apple can easily introduce their own interest free financing and then carriers are completely out of the equation. Then whatever technology Apple introduces (one sim card for all) carriers will have to make sure its supported.
Good to see Apple step up and take on the carriers.
I wish they were forced to demonstrate the technical reasons. Because we all know there are no real technical reasons they can't unlock the phones
rui no onna
Contributor
They can do that with iPhones released before 2015 because the full requirements for the voluntary unlock agreement with the FCC don't take effect until next year. Starting with the iPhone 6s/6s+, Sprint will be required to unlock.
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So true. The same freakin' phone model is released internationally unlocked and that version works just fine on AT&T and T-Mobile (Verizon, too, quite likely if you're fine jumping through some hoops).
