Apple Now Selling Unlocked iPhone 4 in U.S.

[CalBoy]

ATleast it's a step in some direction for consumers though.

I see it as a big advantage bc you are not tied up with carriers and their bs. The problem i have with all the carriers is if you have a smartphone they force you to have data when not everyone needs it. buying an unlocked iphone doesn't require you to be connected with AT&T if u wanted to go to tmobile prepaid etc. You could do AT&T prepaid and not have to worry about contract pricing or data same with tmobile. Atleast it gives you atleast SOME options.

Except all of the options are worse than the thing they are options for.

Prepaid plans offer a decent price on minutes and texts, for example, but are pathetic for data plans ($25 buys you only 500MB). When you factor in the lack of hardware subsidies, it once again becomes a very grey area for the customer. If I pay $60/month for unlimited talk and text with a prepaid plan, it would be about $30 cheaper per month than I could get on a single contract plan. BUT, that's below the threshold of $37.50 I would need to save every month in order to make the unsubsidized price worthwhile.

I realize that some people want to use an iPhone without a data plan, but it just isn't practical. It's a smartphone, it's meant to always be connected. If you don't want that functionality, you're really after an iPod touch.

However, I do hope that smaller carriers compete with ATT once again. GSM can't be relegated to a single behemoth entity that is as incompetent as it is greedy. We NEED competition. As soon as that happens, the financials of an unlocked iPhone will make a lot more sense.

 

[barnetty]

Hello,

First of all i would like to say that i just bought an unlocked Iphone 4 16gb down in PTY (Panama) for $700 which at the time was pretty cheap down here as they sell for around $850. Funny how this is announced 3 days later but with shipping and everything it probably comes up the same.

I would like to add that the main benefit for unlocked phones in my opinion boils down to 3 separate things:

1. International TRavel: This has been discussed here so i wont even bother.

2. Carrier Flexibility/Plan Flexibility: So you want an iphone but dont want to pay $200 bucks a month for the next 2 years in an ATT plan that will include a bunch of Voice Minutes you don't really use because you TXT and use Data more often. Well perhaps you want to lower your plan to pay $50 a month, or $80 a month well you can if you have an unlocked phone (At least i think). The biggest thing here is the fact that you get to select how much you want to pay....perhaps you are used to forking out for the $200 bucks but it is still an advantage.

I personally wanted to get an iphone and i currently pay $30 a month in cell but if i changed carriers to an official iphone carrier i would have to pay $500 bucks for the "subsidized" iphone in order to keep my plan or start paying more on a monthly basis to get it cheaper. I decided to stay on my old carrier and buy an unlocked phone for the extra 200 and now i am not tied up (plus i have all the features active like personal hotspot which are usually blocked on the "official carriers").

3. IOS 5 GOAL:This is likely what apple is aiming for...i believe that in continuation of their strategy of having the iphone be a something that is basically independent of wires, pcs, etc. they want to open it up so you can basically if you want to fork out the cash gift the phone to a relative or family member and not have to worry about the plan, the carrier, etc.

 

[MAGNUStm]

How likely is it that AT&T will offer to unlock an existing phone? Perhaps for a fee?

 

[NikeTalk]

Aren't you still locked into a contract if you activate it with AT&T, even though you purchased it unlocked?

 

[BruiserB]

It would be nice if there was some sort of discount to the monthly plans if you bring your own phone. But it doesn't look like there is. I can understand that you are paying off your subsidy during the contract, but if you have your own phone, you pay the same amount....makes no sense!

 

[MacManTexas56]

Except all of the options are worse than the thing they are options for.

Prepaid plans offer a decent price on minutes and texts, for example, but are pathetic for data plans ($25 buys you only 500MB). When you factor in the lack of hardware subsidies, it once again becomes a very grey area for the customer. If I pay $60/month for unlimited talk and text with a prepaid plan, it would be about $30 cheaper per month than I could get on a single contract plan. BUT, that's below the threshold of $37.50 I would need to save every month in order to make the unsubsidized price worthwhile.

I realize that some people want to use an iPhone without a data plan, but it just isn't practical. It's a smartphone, it's meant to always be connected. If you don't want that functionality, you're really after an iPod touch.

However, I do hope that smaller carriers compete with ATT once again. GSM can't be relegated to a single behemoth entity that is as incompetent as it is greedy. We NEED competition. As soon as that happens, the financials of an unlocked iPhone will make a lot more sense.

Again, you don't need data that is tied DIRECTLY to the phone only. I have wifi at home and at work. When i'm not home or at work I have a Verizon 4G mifi that i carry around with us. Right now i barely use my gophone sim it's basically there for emergency or when i'm not connected on data for some reason. It costs me less than $30/month for voice/text on that.

And no, a smartphone does not need to be connected 100% of the time. You are brainwashed just like everyone else thinking you need data 100% of the time. 95% of the time i'm either connected to wifi or my mifi. the other 5% i could careless.

 

[CalBoy]

How likely is it that AT&T will offer to unlock an existing phone? Perhaps for a fee?

I'm sure that a class action will be filed on behalf of all of those who recently bought an unsubsidized phone but who really wanted an unlocked one.

Try pressing ATT on the issue and keep your eyes and ears open to such news.

 

[barnetty]

by the way... i believe that if Apple had decided to sell the Iphone to be unlocked from the beginning out of their stores/distributors like they do any Ipad, Ipod, Macs, etc. and people could just walk into the store and grab it off a shelf then at least globally almost everyone would have an iphone by now.

The major detriment to the iphone outside the US (us market is strange because major carriers all use diferent technologies so it is very hard to make just a single product...although they did it for ipad 3g) is that it takes a long time to get there and when they do they are not as cheap as they may be in the USA when subsidized. This means that a lot of people end up getting blackberrys and even Android phones as the same models are available for all carriers (so you dont have to be switching) and usually you can get for cheap.

But in turn ipads fly of the shelf and you have to sniff them out to get them because people can just go to a store and get them.

 

[Adidas Addict]

Surely this will prompt US networks to join the rest of the world in offering sim-only plans? Everywhere else you can have a sim-only contract at a drastically reduced rate (as there is no phone subsidy to account for). Here in the UK for example all the networks offer sim-only plans with either a rolling monthly charge with no time commitment along with cheaper 12month and longer sim-only plans (Many of these are iPhone specific).

 

[Gregintosh]

I'd love it if they offered a way for me to unlock my 3GS which I broke my contract on to go to T-Mobile and at least take advantage of official updates, even if I have to stay on EDGE.

Though hopefully iPhone 5 this fall will be compatible with T-Mobile's frequencies and I can finally get normal 3G speed and all. Though $649 is a tough pill to swallow, so I may just opt for a subsidized version from T-Mobile if they start offering it at $199.

The price really is a bummer. $649? $199 + $375 early termination fee = $575. And doesn't AT&T let you buy one that's locked for $599? It's an Apple Tax I guess!

 

[MacManTexas56]

I'd love it if they offered a way for me to unlock my 3GS which I broke my contract on to go to T-Mobile and at least take advantage of official updates, even if I have to stay on EDGE.

Though hopefully iPhone 5 this fall will be compatible with T-Mobile's frequencies and I can finally get normal 3G speed and all. Though $649 is a tough pill to swallow, so I may just opt for a subsidized version from T-Mobile if they start offering it at $199.

The price really is a bummer. $649? $199 + $375 early termination fee = $575. And doesn't AT&T let you buy one that's locked for $599? It's an Apple Tax I guess!

you have to pay for atleast 1 month of service....so it probably equals out.

 

[blackburn]

It's even cheaper than a locked one in here
A locked one here costs about 600€ 16GB an unlocked one costs 900€. Yet in the US it costs 450€ + taxes. So it's a good deal

 

[steadysignal]

Phone contracts are like abusive relationships.

i am all over this. i am tired of these 2 year commitments for a few bucks off on a phone.

 

[CalBoy]

Again, you don't need data that is tied DIRECTLY to the phone only. I have wifi at home and at work. When i'm not home or at work I have a Verizon 4G mifi that i carry around with us. Right now i barely use my gophone sim it's basically there for emergency or when i'm not connected on data for some reason. It costs me less than $30/month for voice/text on that.

While that might work well for you, I think a lot of people (like me) frequently go to places where they have no "base" to depend on Wifi or where carrying around an additional device makes no sense. I'm not going to take a mifi (where would I even put it??) when I go out for a night in the city or to the museum, or to go furniture shopping, or to go clothes shopping, or to go grocery shopping. Yet I will undoubtedly use data during these outings.

And no, a smartphone does not need to be connected 100% of the time. You are brainwashed just like everyone else thinking you need data 100% of the time. 95% of the time i'm either connected to wifi or my mifi. the other 5% i could careless.

I'm not brainwashed; I just hate device proliferation. I'd rather not carry around an additional piece of equipment, especially when I'll save, what, $5 a month? And does that factor in the cost of the mifi?

I especially gave up on the iPhone's wifi after about 2 months because it over-estimates it's ability to connect to networks. The iPhone would frequently think it could connect to a network that was really out of range. For my sanity, I just leave wifi off all the time (unless I must turn it on for some reason) and use 3G. Since I'm grandfathered into an unlimited plan, it doesn't make any sense for me to nickel and dime for those last $5 of savings.

 

[cvaldes]

the main benefit is YOUR opinion. My opinion is not the same as yours, same as the guy you replied to. time of the month?

No, the main benefit is not just my opinion.

It just so happens to be the opinion of the writer who penned the original MacRumors article.

Your reading comprehension needs work.

Go back and re-read the original article, not just my responses to you. It is utterly clear that you have not grasped the basic concepts of that short piece.

If you are normally better at reading comprehension, then I will posit that it is probably your time of the month.

 

[diamond.g]

It would be nice if there was some sort of discount to the monthly plans if you bring your own phone. But it doesn't look like there is. I can understand that you are paying off your subsidy during the contract, but if you have your own phone, you pay the same amount....makes no sense!

Yeah it is annoying. In the US it seem like only T-Mobile has a bring your own phone plans which are cheaper than the buy a phone from us plans.

 

[MacManTexas56]

No, the main benefit is not just my opinion.

It just so happens to be the opinion of the writer who penned the original MacRumors article.

Your reading comprehension needs work.

Go back and re-read the original article, not just my responses to you. It is utterly clear that you have not grasped the basic concepts of that short piece.

If you are normally better at reading comprehension, then I will posit that it is probably your time of the month.

here is your exact quote...

"I said it's the main benefit, not the only benefit."

hmmm yeah. "I" definitely means the writer huh?

 

[dontwalkhand]

T-Mobile, Simple Mobile, and regional GSM carriers (such as the rare Cellular One etc), start offering Micro SIMs!

 

[celo48]

AWESOME news!

 

[dontwalkhand]

Surely this will prompt US networks to join the rest of the world in offering sim-only plans? Everywhere else you can have a sim-only contract at a drastically reduced rate (as there is no phone subsidy to account for). Here in the UK for example all the networks offer sim-only plans with either a rolling monthly charge with no time commitment along with cheaper 12month and longer sim-only plans (Many of these are iPhone specific).

Technically you can get a SIM only plan with both T-Mobile or AT&T if you buy a phone outright. I've always been able to take an unlocked phone, tell the T-Mobile/AT&T guy I already had a phone, and they just set me up with a rate plan, gave me a SIM card, and I was good to go.

However, we do not get "drastically reduced rates" we would stay at the same rates as if the phone was subsidized...with AT&T. I know T-Mobile has those Even More Plus deals etc that gives you a reduced rate if you have a phone already.

 

[MacManTexas56]

While that might work well for you, I think a lot of people (like me) frequently go to places where they have no "base" to depend on Wifi or where carrying around an additional device makes no sense. I'm not going to take a mifi (where would I even put it??) when I go out for a night in the city or to the museum, or to go furniture shopping, or to go clothes shopping, or to go grocery shopping. Yet I will undoubtedly use data during these outings.



I'm not brainwashed; I just hate device proliferation. I'd rather not carry around an additional piece of equipment, especially when I'll save, what, $5 a month? And does that factor in the cost of the mifi?

I especially gave up on the iPhone's wifi after about 2 months because it over-estimates it's ability to connect to networks. The iPhone would frequently think it could connect to a network that was really out of range. For my sanity, I just leave wifi off all the time (unless I must turn it on for some reason) and use 3G. Since I'm grandfathered into an unlimited plan, it doesn't make any sense for me to nickel and dime for those last $5 of savings.

you were suggesting to me that i didn't need iphone functionality i needed an ipod touch. So i'm going to carry around an ipod touch, a cell phone and a mifi device to connect to the internet if i MUST? Ridiculous.

There is a reason they sell unlocked phones...so people have a choice. Not everyone needs 100% data strapped to their iphones at ALL times.

My mifi device costs me $38/month with tax after my 25% discount through my work. I can use it on my iphone, my wifes iphone, my ipad, and our macbook air and i could connect 1 more device if i really wanted to.

I pay $8 more a month and i can connect up to 5 devices at once and you are stuck paying $30/month for ONE phone.

Factor the mifi out of the equation. Not everyone needs data 100% of the time. Again, my work and home both have wifi. It doesn't make sense to pay $15-$30 per phone to data when i'm going to be using it 5% of the time?

If you don't want/need it, then it shouldn't be a requirement just to use a cell phone.

 

[toddybody]

i am all over this. i am tired of these 2 year commitments for a few bucks off on a phone.

I'd love to ditch the contract...but 199.99 (with 2 years of service which Ill be paying for anyway) or 649.00 with the ability to hop GSM providers at will. I just dont have any reason to justify the cost.

Honestly, my next phone may just be a "dumb one"...$120 a month is just too costly

 

[gpat]

I'd love to ditch the contract...but 199.99 (with 2 years of service which Ill be paying for anyway) or 649.00 with the ability to hop GSM providers at will. I just dont have any reason to justify the cost.

Honestly, my next phone may just be a "dumb one"...$120 a month is just too costly

Check out Virgin Mobile.

 

[toddybody]

Check out Virgin Mobile.

Yeah, they seem priced rather well.


All I really need is a phone. The iPad 2 fulfills most of my iOS lust.

 

[MacManTexas56]

Yeah, they seem priced rather well.


All I really need is a phone. The iPad 2 fulfills most of my iOS lust.

yeah $25/month is insane.