Maybe they will do the activation in store but give you the code to actually activate it through itunes at home? I really hope I dont have to open the box in store for activation that is so ghetto. Also I guess the Apple store is gonna start doing the activation too?
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AT&T and Apple Tightening Policies to Reduce iPhone Unlocking
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At present, there doesn't seem to be a way to get it without a contract in the US.
Maybe you could get an unlocked 3g iPhone from one of the countries that don't allow phones to be locked. Time will tell.
Unlocking is for using other carriers. Jailbreaking is for installing apps. Now let alone that there are already apps on many of our iPhones that do things not possible via the SDK, why would the app store make people lose all desire to use carriers other than the chosen national standard banner (e.g. AT&T in the US)? Not to mention users who want to be able to switch back and forth between multiple smartphones or otherwise want to use AT&T without being locked to a new AT&T iPhone plan....
I guess it's not surprising, but I do think that both AT&T and Apple sold a number of iPhones online. Closing that channel takes it all the way back to ... ~2000. At least, that's the last time I bought a phone in a physical store.
I'll be curious to see what pans out. Given that AT&T was ~$15/mo more for me than T-Mobile on 2G before the price hike, I'm not super inclined to pay $30 a month to get 3G... so I may well just stick with my current iPhone for a while.
As for the availability of the new iPhone, assuming that 2.0 official release will be easily unlockable, as past revisions including the 2.0 betas have been, I'm sure that used ones will continue to be plentifully available. Contracts don't stop people from selling all their other subsidized smartphones on the used market. They'll just probably be more expensive than the new price to offset the contract costs the original purchaser incurred....
I really don't understand why so many people want to use this phone on T-Mobile in the US. The 3G one will be basically useless on their network as far as using the higher speeds? Also no visual voicemail, app store. Man just sign up for ATT and be owned already. lol
We have the unauthorized unlockers on iPhone 1.0 to thank for this change in activation process. Not Apple and not AT&T. It doesn't take a genius to figure out this is what would happen. I am surprised this in-store contact/activation did not happen sooner.
Clear things up...
Just for clarification...there are NO SUBSIDIZED PRICES! this is the base price... no rebate..nothing..it's just that..
anyways..i'm with AT&T already and i'm in a family plan..so it's not that bad.
Just for clarification...there are NO SUBSIDIZED PRICES! this is the base price... no rebate..nothing..it's just that..
anyways..i'm with AT&T already and i'm in a family plan..so it's not that bad.
Outside the US there are actually many different HSPA providers in many different countries omg lol wtf.
What they are saying is it that it will work like every other phone they sell with would being subsidized. You will be able to buy from AT&T or Apple online but when you receive the phone you will either have to take it to your AT&T store to be activated or you will have to call the service rep. This will lock you into a 2 year contract starting the day you activate the phone. This has nothing to do with being able to upgrade.
Outside the US there are actually many different HSPA providers in many different countries omg lol wtf.
Yeah thats why I said T-Mobile in the US.
Why would Apple insist on limiting their puchasing base to just AT&T? Ah... probably some kickbacks from the company, huh? Whatever the reason, I can't see how they stand to benefit from cutting their customer base substantially. Maybe I'm just not informed on the business model here.
free on some tariffs: https://www.o2.co.uk/iphone/paymonthly
and it will be available on pay and go: https://www.o2.co.uk/iphone/paygo
I use mine with T-mobile (prepaid) and it is heaven. No, I do not need 3G but more certainly I do need to pay 60 bucks per month either.
Best PDA ever (with phone capability
).The only thing I would hate worse than sending a monthly check to AT&T is setting foot in one of their abominations of a store.
No thanks. If iPhone isn't getting the "special, hold your nose and pretend AT&T isn't involved" treatment any more, the likelihood of me getting one just went from 75% and rising to 10% and dropping.
Unbundle from that horrendous company, and treat me like an Apple customer instead of a [crappy cell network] customer, and you'll have my money back. Until then, I'm going to limp along with my years-old Treo and good-so-long-as-I-never-go-into-the-store Verizon service.
No thanks. If iPhone isn't getting the "special, hold your nose and pretend AT&T isn't involved" treatment any more, the likelihood of me getting one just went from 75% and rising to 10% and dropping.
Unbundle from that horrendous company, and treat me like an Apple customer instead of a [crappy cell network] customer, and you'll have my money back. Until then, I'm going to limp along with my years-old Treo and good-so-long-as-I-never-go-into-the-store Verizon service.
Well, i would have been glad to buy an official iPhone. Now I can't even unlock Finnish one. Thank you, Apple! For some very interesting reason I can buy iPhone in some third-world country like Niger, but can't in Russia. Very good job, even better than my rotten macbook. (it was actually rotten when I bought it).
Maybe Apple will finally think about customers?
Maybe Apple will finally think about customers?
Well, orignally it was to get a cut of the monthly fees, but if they don't get that from ATT, I too have to wonder why Apple would stay exclusive with ATT now.
Notice online!
Notice there is no longer an option to buy online. In fact if there was we could order it now! It just is a "where to buy" button.
You will have to buy at an Apple Store or at an AT&T store and it will be activated in the location.
That will eliminate people buying iPhones and shipping them to other markets. It will also force people to pay At&t for two years even if the jail break it.
The iTunes experiment is dead!
Notice there is no longer an option to buy online. In fact if there was we could order it now! It just is a "where to buy" button.
You will have to buy at an Apple Store or at an AT&T store and it will be activated in the location.
That will eliminate people buying iPhones and shipping them to other markets. It will also force people to pay At&t for two years even if the jail break it.
The iTunes experiment is dead!
It'll be interesting to see what happens here in NZ. Phones aren't locked here, and when Vodafone tried it last month they got a very stern "that is not appropriate behaviour" from the Commerce Commission (and then they quickly backtracked and unlocked all the phones for free). I don't see them trying to lock iPhones after that.
You star! These links deserves their own thread.
ironically i was staring at this page, waiting for an update:
http://shop.o2.co.uk/iPhone
Well, if the current price of the phone includes the AT&T subsidy in the purchase price.
I can see how AT&T is going to want their $'s back if the customers don't use AT&T.
However, it might be easier for Apple to pull the phones from the Apple Store at that point and let AT&T sell them to their customers -- especially when the phones are locked to AT&T anyhow.
I can see how AT&T is going to want their $'s back if the customers don't use AT&T.
However, it might be easier for Apple to pull the phones from the Apple Store at that point and let AT&T sell them to their customers -- especially when the phones are locked to AT&T anyhow.