AT&T and Apple Tightening Policies to Reduce iPhone Unlocking

[Tankgunk]

This has basically crushed my hopes. When I heard the iPhone would be sold for $199, I literally jumped out of my seat and yelled in excitement. I planned to sell my iPod touch and buy an iPhone as soon as they came out. "Perfect," I thought. "Now I'll be able to buy the iPhone to have, then when I get into college, I'll activate it since I won't have another phone anymore." Well, guess what, now I have to. There's gotta be some loophole, though...It doesn't make sense to me. So Apple is now getting none of the contract profits, so they're going to just allow AT&T to penalise people for just wanting to buy THEIR phone? Well, they've lost my purchase (not that that means much to me). Not because I don't want it, but because I can't afford a monthly plan in High School. Gocensoredmn. -.-

Pretty much my reaction exactly, but then I realized that I could pay for the phone and more than two years of either voice or data service (assuming you can pay for only data) off of one web design job...

And there's no way I'd get something without GPS, because I get completely lost on roads and want it, so no iPod touch.

 

[SchneiderMan]

Don't forget the $39.99 for voice and $30 for the data for 1 month. Cancellation before 30 days = Return equipment

if apple wont change that policy, then i will not buy a new iphone..
im good with mine, also we dont know %100 untill july 11

 

[ZiggyPastorius]

Pretty much my reaction exactly, but then I realized that I could pay for the phone and more than two years of either voice or data service (assuming you can pay for only data) off of one web design job...

And there's no way I'd get something without GPS, because I get completely lost on roads and want it, so no iPod touch.

Well, I work, but I'm also going to college. Insurance + gas + Phone plan + data plan (why the hell do you need a data plan anyways? The goddamn iPod touch gets it for free, so why make it more expensive just because it's the iPhone?) = like $20 into the bank a month for me. Hardly enough to save a hefty portion for college. It just depresses me...But I want it so bad...I may decide to be an irresponsible teenager and just do it. Maybe my mom will cancel my current phone with Sprint and help me *shrug*.

 

[icanhasiphone?]

AT&t = Death

I guess i wont has an iPhone after all

 

[Tankgunk]

I guess i wont has an iPhone after all

Not to laugh at your misfortune, but that's pretty funny.

 

[Digital Skunk]

........

What are you talking about? I don't think much of this makes sense, but then again, it's your opinion... so... yeah.

.....

Don't worry about it, you're in high school. Either ask your parents/guardians to buy one for you, like the other high school kids that have iPhones. Or get a job, like the other high school kids that get jobs, learn about the real world, then realize the iPhone was a toy that didn't do a thing previously, and is now a toy that does some professional things that you may not need.

 

[bloosqr]

3g for $20

I didn't have time to scan through all the messages but let me say $20 3G used to exist for att.. it was a hidden feature on the old cingular website that finally disappeared recently. I have it now for my 3G phone (grandfathered in apparantly). Its unfortunate as normally technology gets cheaper with time, this is a case where things are going the other way...

 

[KaiMac]

Major Step Backwards...

If customers of ATTpple are no longer able to buy this product online via the Apple Store, then ATTpple has taken a major step backwards. Not only is this not a "green" solution, because I have to drive 40 miles to find an ATTpple store, it reminds me of the 1990's when online buying didn't even exist. To find this in 2008 as a strategy unveiled by ATTpple for a new product buying experience is really shocking. I guess if we do buy it online it will have to be through the ATT store. I thought iTunes was going to end global warming, oh well.......

 

[Tankgunk]

Well, I work, but I'm also going to college. Insurance + gas + Phone plan + data plan (why the hll do you need a data plan anyways? The goamn iPod touch gets it for free, so why make it more expensive just because it's the iPhone?) = like $20 into the bank a month for me. Hardly enough to save a hefty portion for college. It just depresses me...But I want it so bad...I may decide to be an irresponsible teenager and just do it. Maybe my mom will cancel my current phone with Sprint and help me *shrug*.

There's a difference between data and wi-fi. You could get a plan for the new iPhone without data, and if you have AT&T service, it's not that bad of a price for just voice.

 

[ZiggyPastorius]

Don't worry about it, you're in high school. Either ask your parents/guardians to buy one for you, like the other high school kids that have iPhones. Or get a job, like the other high school kids that get jobs, learn about the real world, then realize the iPhone was a toy that didn't do a thing previously, and is now a toy that does some professional things that you may not need.

Did you read my post at all? I do have a job, and I paid for my Macbook, Duet, iPod touch, and soon my iPhone, all by myself. I also pay for my own insurance and gas. I don't want to come off as rude, but if you're going to try to be the lecturer, please don't make the assumption that I'm lazy and get everything bought for me. I do realise it's not a toy, which is why I settled for an iPod touch originally.

EDIT:

There's a difference between data and wi-fi. You could get a plan for the new iPhone without data, and if you have AT&T service, it's not that bad of a price for just voice.

Ah, so I can use all the features via wifi and just have the voice plan? That's good, if so. What happens, though, if my wifi goes out or something, and I try to access something, and it lets me via my network, then just charges me the next month? Other phones tend to be sneaky about that, not telling you and such. I just don't want to accidentally access a service via the network if my wifi goes off, or I don't realise I don't have any, or something like that.

 

[Anuba]

Because Im a business owner and understand business' are in business to make money not to give you everything you want for free.

Yeah, so am I... but in business there's ideally some competition that serves to maintain a healthy balance between buyer greed and seller greed. In the European mobile market this balance is maintained because there are many carriers, they all have pretty much total coverage and they're all throwing great deals after you. The push and pull ensures to keep businesses on their toes, without forcing them to become charities.

With the iPhone, however, there's the de-facto monopoly on the iPhone in each country (the equivalent of blackmail if you happen to be a diehard Apple fan), and on top of that you've got the situation in the U.S. where carrier coverage seems to be a patchwork where some suck in certain areas and some suck in others. And on top of that the rates are draconian despite crappy services so there must be something lacking in the competition department, or else the prices would be much much lower, and the incentive to strive for total coverage stronger.

So while I'm all for capitalism I gotta say the balance between AT&T's greed and iPhone buyer greed is all shot to hell.

 

[5630745]

What a complete scam. I was so excited with the new updates. This might even drive me from my G1 iPhone.

Why even bother to make the phones GSM? Unbelievable! And it just torks me off that no major media is following up on this story.

 

[diamond.g]

My method could be done without a chip, using only a small switch positioned where a notch in the AppleT&T SIM would be, that would disconnect the SIM if it was depressed. Not expensive.

Why couldn't that be duplicated on any other SIM?

Why even bother to make the phones GSM?

I was going to ask that myself. CDMA would have gotten Apple an un-unlockable phone for the US.

 

[Tosser]

500+ posts in this now Off-Topic thread, chatting about capitalism v. socialism, and I'm AMAZED that no one has mentioned the SIM Ejector Tool included in the box with the phone. I don't have any more details other than what's on the iPhone Specs page. But come on, you mac zealots usually have that page memorized by now. That tells me that you should be able to put in $YourFavoriteCellProviders SIM card and activate it.

It just tells me that Apple made a design-woops, in that you apparently _need_ a tool to remove the SIM-card.
Btw. Some people pop their sim card into their car. Well, I don't, but some do.

Plus, if you notice, it has Tri-Band 3G, which includes both American and European bands. Nokia hasn't even done that yet. Only the THIRD version of the N95 supports American 3G. And even then, you have to set it up yourself, and it only runs on ATTs 3G network, no T-Mobile (US) support. Granted, the iPhone doesn't support T-Mobile's 1700Mhz 3G band either, but there's only what, 3 1700Mhz towers out there? And a handset or two with 1700Mhz chips in it?

Well, seeing that most phones will be sold in the iPhone's homemarket, that is actually a little disappointing. Not to me, as I don't live over there, but still I'm surprised it doesn't support 1700 MHz.

I don't understand all the people that complain about the locked phones, blah blah blah. Apple and AT&T and any other business is in it FOR THE MONEY not to make everyone and their mom happy.

What a weird - yet widespread - notion. All in an effort to defend any behaviour from any corporation.

The thing is, ou can take that to the extreme. Some chemistry corporation is also out to make money, not please their workers and so on. But that does not entitle them to, say, underpay their workers, skimp on safety equipment (such as suction) and so on in order to save money. Or a corporation that choose to, say, bullying people by way of lawyers into paying their wrong bills (i.e. bills that "by mistake" are too high). I could go on, but you get the picture.
The thing is, even if any company/corporation is in it for the money, doesn't mean that in order to maximise that parameter, they can forego any and all other parameters. And it certainly does not mean that "since they're in it for the money, it's their right to do whatever they please. So noone should "badmouth" them", if you see my point.

 

[Tankgunk]

Why couldn't that be duplicated on any other SIM?

It could be, but only in a physical manner. You couldn't fool any software to work around it. It could be made harder by putting the notch where a critical part of a normal SIM is.

 

[Anuba]

Why even bother to make the phones GSM? Unbelievable! And it just torks me off that no major media is following up on this story.

Huh? It was all over the media yesterday. On every news site I visited there was some Gartner analyst or other who was underwhelmed by the iPhone due to camera specs that stopped being impressive ten years ago, and there was plenty of coverage of the lukewarm reception and the drop in stock price...

 

[GregorBehr]

I guess i wont has an iPhone after all

Why not?

 

[Tankgunk]

If this is going to be fair, you should be able to have a $199 iPhone through AT&T and an unlocked one for $399, just like normal phones. But I'm sure that the AT&T is paying Apple for part of the price of the iPhone, so you can't get a $399 iPhone, and so you're tied to AT&T for at least two years because they bought the majority of your phone. I really might be willing to pay a cancellation fee...

Although I wouldn't argue that this isn't unfair, because you DON'T HAVE TO BUY ONE, if you don't like it, don't buy an iPhone. Simple.

Also, did anybody else notice that Jobs said that the iPhone would be available in X countries for no more than $199? So I'm imagining that carriers are free to subsidize how they wish (with a price under $199), which means some countries might see a "free" or at least a super ultra cheap iPhone.

 

[diamond.g]

The thing is, even if any company/corporation is in it for the money, doesn't mean that in order to maximise that parameter, they can forego any and all other parameters. And it certainly does not mean that "since they're in it for the money, it's their right to do whatever they please. So noone should "badmouth" them", if you see my point.

In America if your a rich company you can pay lobbyist to make those parameters a non-issue.

It could be, but only in a physical manner. You couldn't fool any software to work around it. It could be made harder by putting the notch where a critical part of a normal SIM is.

Hmm. To go through all this trouble to keep people from unlocking a phone. Wouldn't it be easier to just make the phone CDMA for the US??

Does GSM allow for modification to the SIM (physically)?

 

[gugy]

I think many of you are jumping mad for nothing. In the end it was said here the final tab after two year contract with AT&T will be only $40 more than the current iPhones. For a gadget that has 3g and GPS, I don't think this is overkill.

As for the folks that hate AT&T and want to have it unlock, then I feel for you. But since I am using AT&T anyway. I don't care.

Also regarding the activation, I think Apple will figure out a quick way for people to buy the phone at the store, get the personal info and send people home to activate it. The last thing they want is a gigantic line and upset people dealing with activation issues. Apple needs to sell the goods fast in order to make more money. Bet on it.

 

[Tankgunk]

Hmm. To go through all this trouble to keep people from unlocking a phone. Wouldn't it be easier to just make the phone CDMA for the US??

Does GSM allow for modification to the SIM (physically)?

I really think this is going to far, I was only trying to prove with a hypothetical situation that it is possible to prevent software based unlocking.

And also, the ultimate easier way would be to not renew that blasted AT&T contract and offer the iPhone to everybody on every carrier. I'm just wondering why Apple is doing exclusive carriers anyway...

 

[Plutonius]

If customers of ATTpple are no longer able to buy this product online via the Apple Store, then ATTpple has taken a major step backwards. Not only is this not a "green" solution, because I have to drive 40 miles to find an ATTpple store, it reminds me of the 1990's when online buying didn't even exist. To find this in 2008 as a strategy unveiled by ATTpple for a new product buying experience is really shocking. I guess if we do buy it online it will have to be through the ATT store. I thought iTunes was going to end global warming, oh well.......

If people didn't unlock and instead used the iPhone on AT&T (US only), this wouldn't have happened. As with most things in life, the honest people are being hurt because of the actions of dishonest people.

 

[ZiggyPastorius]

Although I wouldn't argue that this isn't unfair, because you DON'T HAVE TO BUY ONE, if you don't like it, don't buy an iPhone. Simple.

I should probably clarify, even though you're not talking to me specifically (as my statement may have been confusing). I agree with you 100% on this. While I'm upset and wish it was otherwise, I think they're entitled to do it and I don't think it's unfair at all.

 

[GregorBehr]

It just tells me that Apple made a design-woops, in that you apparently _need_ a tool to remove the SIM-card.
Btw. Some people pop their sim card into their car. Well, I don't, but some do.




Well, seeing that most phones will be sold in the iPhone's homemarket, that is actually a little disappointing. Not to me, as I don't live over there, but still I'm surprised it doesn't support 1700 MHz.


What a weird - yet widespread - notion. All in an effort to defend any behaviour from any corporation.

The thing is, ou can take that to the extreme. Some chemistry corporation is also out to make money, not please their workers and so on. But that does not entitle them to, say, underpay their workers, skimp on safety equipment (such as suction) and so on in order to save money. Or a corporation that choose to, say, bullying people by way of lawyers into paying their wrong bills (i.e. bills that "by mistake" are too high). I could go on, but you get the picture.
The thing is, even if any company/corporation is in it for the money, doesn't mean that in order to maximise that parameter, they can forego any and all other parameters. And it certainly does not mean that "since they're in it for the money, it's their right to do whatever they please. So noone should "badmouth" them", if you see my point.

You're comparing human safety in the work place over the cost of what your cell runs you each month?

 

[matttrick]

what i would like to know is why everyone thinks "haha, if you dont like it dont buy it, your loss", when in reality this is not just our loss. realistically, apple should want as many people on the iphone as possible. along with the ipod the iphone is a great penetration tool for apple. it gets the apple experience in peoples' hands and will make them more likely to switch their personal computer to an apple.