AT&T and Apple Tightening Policies to Reduce iPhone Unlocking

Tosser said:
Yes, the "price" (read: Outlay) is lowered. However, since you cannot take it out the door without signing a contract (I'm sure the O2 unlocked, carrierfree is pure hope from their part), the actual price will be higher.
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This all seems a bit ridiculous. It isn't our right to have cheap, unlocked super-phones. For those of us who have no moral/legal/religious objection to actually taking out a contract with the carrier that apple has partnered with, you get a cheaper (initial outlay) phone with a tariff for exactly the same money and duration that you would have got with the 1st gen.

I've done a bit of looking around and taking into account the subsidy the O2 tariffs are hard to beat. Yes, with the 1st gen it definitely made sense to unlock it and get a cheaper contract, but now you have to find a plan with unlimited data for ~£10 less per month than the equivalent from O2 - not easy. The only assumption I made there was that the pay as you go iPhone will cost around £250.

Of course this is going to vary between countries, but if they've done it here (UK) they can do it in lots of other places too.
 
O2 Line Price plan terms

Monthly Charge £30
Cost of 8GB iPhone £99
Cost of 16GB iPhone £159
Minutes 75
Texts 125
Unlimited Data & Wi-Fi Yes
Visual Voicemail Yes
Reduced Roaming Rates Yes
Minimum contract length 18 months

Monthly Charge £35
Cost of 8GB iPhone £99
Cost of 16GB iPhone £159
Minutes 600
Texts 500
Unlimited Data & Wi-Fi Yes
Visual Voicemail Yes
Reduced Roaming Rates Yes
Minimum contract length 18 months

Monthly Charge £45
Cost of 8GB iPhone Free
Cost of 16GB iPhone £59
Minutes 1200
Texts 500
Unlimited Data & Wi-Fi Yes
Visual Voicemail Yes
Reduced Roaming Rates Yes
Minimum contract length 18 months

Monthly Charge £75
Cost of 8GB iPhone Free
Cost of 16GB iPhone Free
Minutes 3000
Texts 500
Unlimited Data & Wi-Fi Yes
Visual Voicemail Yes
Reduced Roaming Rates Yes
Minimum contract length 18 months
 
Jowl said:
I think you're right - the iPhone is NOT for you. One of the biggest and best thing about it....and IMO the thing you pay the contract for is the unlimited data for the web browsing e-mail.

You just need a phone, not a 'smartphone'

oh, and it's couldn't care less.
Click to expand...

Well, IMO he needs a phone with Wifi...IE an N95/96 or an unlocked iPhone ver 1. or possibly get a BB Curve/Bold and dump the data after few months.

College students always have wifi available so why should they have to pay for 3G data? Sure there is always the car but that isn't that much of the day.

Personally, I have omnipresent Wifi as many others do. At home, check, at work, check, at school, check, at starbucks, check, if I go on vacation in a hotel & airport check. McDonalds? Check. Why in the world would I or any one else like me pay $30 a month for data? Wifi is everywhere, even outside at my school and I'm sure it is that way at most major universities now.

A smartphone with Wifi (web browsing), a querty keyboard for texting, voice, & a video iPod built in is what I need. A 5 MP camera and 640x480 video capture would be a nice bonus.
 
With the o2 pricing structure they've got one new customer from me. I think the iPhone is a steal at £159. I wouldn't have been tempted if they had stuck with the £329 price point.

I'm on Orange at the moment with a couple of months left on a £30/month contract that doesn't include data. For £5/month more I get unlimited data and free WiFi. I've never paid money up front for a handset before but I willingly paid £269 for an iPod touch last year and this can do all that and more. Good work Apple and o2!
 
Monopoly Practices?

Here in New Zealand our communications industry watchdog, The Commerce Commission, has only just ruled that Vodafone (they who have been annointed, errr... chosen to resell the iPhone) is not allowed to lock them in.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4563519a26513.html
It strikes me that Apple and AT&T then would be using monopolistic practices to lock customers in.
 
Jowl said:
I think you're right - the iPhone is NOT for you. One of the biggest and best thing about it....and IMO the thing you pay the contract for is the unlimited data for the web browsing e-mail.

You just need a phone, not a 'smartphone'

oh, and it's couldn't care less.
Click to expand...

Sorry for that spelling error, but I don't agree: I do need my calender and contacts synced with my Mac, and I would like my iPod and GPS integrated in my phone (two pieces less to carry).

ddrueckhammer said:
Well, IMO he needs a phone with Wifi...IE an N95/96 or an unlocked iPhone ver 1. or possibly get a BB Curve/Bold and dump the data after few months.

College students always have wifi available so why should they have to pay for 3G data? Sure there is always the car but that isn't that much of the day.

Personally, I have omnipresent Wifi as many others do. At home, check, at work, check, at school, check, at starbucks, check, if I go on vacation in a hotel & airport check. McDonalds? Check. Why in the world would I or any one else like me pay $30 a month for data? Wifi is everywhere, even outside at my school and I'm sure it is that way at most major universities now.

A smartphone with Wifi (web browsing), a querty keyboard for texting, voice, & a video iPod built in is what I need. A 5 MP camera and 640x480 video capture would be a nice bonus.
Click to expand...

Amen!
 
ts1973 said:
I do need my calender and contacts synced with my Mac, and I would like my iPod and GPS integrated in my phone (two pieces less to carry).
Click to expand...

I was right then - you don't need an iPhone :D

perhaps an N95? I wonder of they'll put GPS in the Touch? That would suit your needs then....without a data contract. With the right software it would be a decent Satnav (er....if it has a speaker! Does it ?)

Of course, you'd still need to carry a phone around with you.
 
Ah, we have a lack of (free) wi-fi over here. At least in my area. The o2 data tarrif is pretty good value.
 
ts1973 said:
I just don't understand you people who are "fine" with phones locked to contracts, especially with the iphone. Don't you see that in the end you just pay more ?

I for one just want an iphone for using as a phone, an iPod (video), and a business tool (calender, contacts) and now as a GPS, but without the expensive data packages which I could care less about.

I don't need to have my e-mail standing by, or harassing me in the middle of my day, or surf the web when I'm in the middle of the street. I'm fine with using wi-fi hotspots (or just using my laptop instead of a phone !) - I don't really see the benefit of the internet on my phone except in (for me) very rare occasions.

It's clear that for anyone like me (and I have quite a few people around me that feel the same way), the iPhone is just a no go !
Click to expand...

You are wrong because you will need the data from the phone network to download the google map data to use with the GPS functionality. Unless you are sitting in the coffeeshop and then you dont really need GPS to tell you where you are do you.

Anyway, over here we are getting the iphone with no contract in the uk as a pay as you go phone (no doubt for a £300+ premium), so i dont see what you're moaning about.
 
What would you think if we would make a petition about iPhone and it's policy? We want normal prices and no contracts. What do you think? Apple would ignore it, even if it would gather ~100 K signatures?
 
davidlt said:
What would you think if we would make a petition about iPhone and it's policy? We want normal prices and no contracts. What do you think? Apple would ignore it, even if it would gather ~100 K signatures?
Click to expand...

I would sign a petition for a SIM free iPhone - but it won't happen. People will rack up huge data bills and also lose visual voicemail.
 
lordgaino said:
You are wrong because you will need the data from the phone network to download the google map data to use with the GPS functionality. Unless you are sitting in the coffeeshop and then you dont really need GPS to tell you where you are do you.

Anyway, over here we are getting the iphone with no contract in the uk as a pay as you go phone (no doubt for a £300+ premium), so i dont see what you're moaning about.
Click to expand...

Using google maps as a gps system looks like a bad idea to me : they are hardly specialists, I'd go for tomtom who've announced their soft on iphone. However, if they also rely on streamed data instead of internal maps it will be a no go for me (I've tried these streamed systems (wayfinder) on a cell phone before, doesn't cut it for me).

By the way, I'm far from moaning thank you very much ! If iphone sells for a premium without contract, I'll go for it (even at a price point of €500 or slightly above), but so far there's no evidence that it will be sold unlocked... do you know more ?
 
iPhone will be available in the UK without a contract

O2 are releasing the iPhone as a 'pay and go' option, so no contract.
http://www.o2.co.uk/iphone/paygo

This, combined with Steve Jobs announcement that the iPhone will retail for no more than $199 worldwide means that this should be a good option if you're wanting to unlock it.

I'm guessing O2 may go back on this and charge more than $199 (£100) for the non contract version as it isn't subsidised by a contract (which would make Jobs a liar! ;)).
 
penx said:
O2 are releasing the iPhone as a 'pay and go' option, so no contract.
http://www.o2.co.uk/iphone/paygo

This, combined with Steve Jobs announcement that the iPhone will retail for no more than $199 worldwide means that this should be a good option if you're wanting to unlock it.

I'm guessing O2 may go back on this and charge more than $199 (£100) for the non contract version as it isn't subsidised by a contract (which would make Jobs a liar! ;)).
Click to expand...

Go back and listen to the keynote properly. Jobs has already come up with a disclaimer if you listen. He does not say it will be cheaper than £100 everywhere. He says "mostly".
 
koobcamuk said:
Go back and listen to the keynote properly. Jobs has already come up with a disclaimer if you listen. He does not say it will be cheaper than £100 everywhere. He says "mostly".
Click to expand...

Sorry was going on MacRumors coverage "The maximum price around the world is $199 USD"
 
aamaczz said:
Monthly Charge £30
Cost of 8GB iPhone £99
Cost of 16GB iPhone £159
Minutes 75
Texts 125
Unlimited Data & Wi-Fi Yes
Visual Voicemail Yes
Reduced Roaming Rates Yes
Minimum contract length 18 months

Monthly Charge £35
Cost of 8GB iPhone £99
Cost of 16GB iPhone £159
Minutes 600
Texts 500
Unlimited Data & Wi-Fi Yes
Visual Voicemail Yes
Reduced Roaming Rates Yes
Minimum contract length 18 months

Monthly Charge £45
Cost of 8GB iPhone Free
Cost of 16GB iPhone £59
Minutes 1200
Texts 500
Unlimited Data & Wi-Fi Yes
Visual Voicemail Yes
Reduced Roaming Rates Yes
Minimum contract length 18 months

Monthly Charge £75
Cost of 8GB iPhone Free
Cost of 16GB iPhone Free
Minutes 3000
Texts 500
Unlimited Data & Wi-Fi Yes
Visual Voicemail Yes
Reduced Roaming Rates Yes
Minimum contract length 18 months
Click to expand...

has anyone noticed that starting from 11/7, they O2 has included the BTOpenZone as a free Wi-Fi...

that's huge!
 
penx said:
Sorry was going on MacRumors coverage "The maximum price around the world is $199 USD"
Click to expand...

Ah, no problem. MacRumors need to update/correct this.

Jobs says something like "most countries" so it's just how it all works out in the end. I can't remember what he said and I can't be assed going back and watching the boring keynote again so I will wait for someone else :)
 
I think this is BS, why would Apple want to restrict their users? Its not like the lose anything on unlocked phones.

What happens if I'd like to buy an iphone as a gift to my son? Will I have to drag him to a frikkin store then?

BS all the way.
 
un3creation said:
has anyone noticed that starting from 11/7, they O2 has included the BTOpenZone as a free Wi-Fi...

that's huge!
Click to expand...

I noticed that but wasn't sure whether it was something new or not - I always thought all the BTOpenZone hotspots were already included with The Cloud.
 
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