Buying iPhone without Phone

[phungy]

There's no guarantee the phone is locked at all. Cingular has exclusive distribution and service agreements with Apple, but that doesn't mean that the device itself is SIM locked. My first instinct would be that it isn't, because why should Apple bend to cell phone games? It won't be able to make these fast enough, period, and when they branch out to the rest of the world, it probably won't be locked.

Instead, they'll probably just make you sign up with Cingular as part of the checkout process (like when you buy phones at Best Buy or Amazon.com), and then you can cancel your individual contract for $200, thereby getting your own iPhone for T-Mobile or Orange or whatever GSM operator you choose. Cingular gets paid, Apple gets paid, you don't suffer any worse than usual with a cell phone. It's win-win-win.

Hope this may be true but seems like non-Cingular customers will have to pay a high premium for the iPhone.

 

[SimonTheSoundMa]

I doubt it. I'm willing to bet that the exclusivity contract between the iPhone and Cingular will only last for 1 year. Cingular will be the only provider that will be able to provide internet access etc. And, $600 later, after the masses have signed on to Cingular for 2 years, Apple will announce that its 'ageing' iPhone is now available without network contract, at a greatly reduced price. But, what most people won't see, is that they're just clearing stocks to make room for the next iPhone installment.

Of course you could use it for bluetooth and iPod, but why would you?

Most operators in the UK give 3G access now. Also, I get wi-fi for free from my ISP and it isn't hard for me not to stumble upon an area that has wi-fi hotspot where I live. At home and at university wi-fi is everywhere also. I would have thought that Apple include something that will wait to send data when it gets to a wi-fi hotspot or if you get no signal.

I do not use my phone much, but I would find the rest of the phone very useful. My old Dell Axim X50 is falling apart.

The UK is very competitive - when it is released by Q4, competitors will catch up. The phone will need to be offered for free on contract, or buy the device for the equivalent to what it is in the USA, double the price after conversion to include ripoff Britain charges and tax.

 

[dalvin200]

i'm assuming that: iphone - phone = ipod

coming soon i hope.. altho the iphone only has a 3.5 in screen whereas the samsung view has a 4inch screen.. hmmmmm...

 

[b0x]

I really want one of these because of the connectivity. It's like a PDA but better. The phone stuff is cool and all, but I'd much rather it as a portable internet device!

 

[Cuckoo]

I think the operator free iphone is a bit of a pipe-dream.

Since the SIM card usually goes under the battery; and the battery is not user replacable, i wouldn't be surprised if the sim-card is solderd in the device, or at least not user replaceable...

 

[maxterpiece]

I think the operator free iphone is a bit of a pipe-dream.

Since the SIM card usually goes under the battery; and the battery is not user replacable, i wouldn't be surprised if the sim-card is solderd in the device, or at least not user replaceable...

maybe not easily user accessible, but to solder it on seems like overkill. SIM cards break pretty easily. Would be an awful waste. Also, people are used to being able to pop in the sim from their old phones and automatically have their new contacts. Apple and US cellular providers are both control freaks, but I don't think they'd go that far.

 

[Cuckoo]

maybe not easily user accessible, but to solder it on seems like overkill. SIM cards break pretty easily. Would be an awful waste. Also, people are used to being able to pop in the sim from their old phones and automatically have their new contacts. Apple and US cellular providers are both control freaks, but I don't think they'd go that far.

I hope you're right, but since the battery is not user replacable (read that somewhere) and i don't see an opening for a SIM card, i doubt it'll be easy... but we'll see

<on the side, i think i would buy one... >

 

[illegalprelude]

There's no guarantee the phone is locked at all. Cingular has exclusive distribution and service agreements with Apple, but that doesn't mean that the device itself is SIM locked. My first instinct would be that it isn't, because why should Apple bend to cell phone games? It won't be able to make these fast enough, period, and when they branch out to the rest of the world, it probably won't be locked.

Instead, they'll probably just make you sign up with Cingular as part of the checkout process (like when you buy phones at Best Buy or Amazon.com), and then you can cancel your individual contract for $200, thereby getting your own iPhone for T-Mobile or Orange or whatever GSM operator you choose. Cingular gets paid, Apple gets paid, you don't suffer any worse than usual with a cell phone. It's win-win-win.

that will not work because its been stated that the Voice Mail feature that allows you to pick the voice mail you wish to listen to and not listen to all is both the phone and the provider so more then likely, a feature like that wouldnt then work if you somehow were able to get it on Verizon lets say or maybe the confrence call will also not work etc.

Again, I hope it does cause im with Verizon and so is everybody else I know so me switching to Cingular would just kill my phone bill with no unlimited calling and text and pictures so me going to Cingular dosent make sense but I loveeee this phone

 

[CubeHacker]

that will not work because its been stated that the Voice Mail feature that allows you to pick the voice mail you wish to listen to and not listen to all is both the phone and the provider so more then likely, a feature like that wouldnt then work if you somehow were able to get it on Verizon lets say or maybe the confrence call will also not work etc.

Again, I hope it does cause im with Verizon and so is everybody else I know so me switching to Cingular would just kill my phone bill with no unlimited calling and text and pictures so me going to Cingular dosent make sense but I loveeee this phone

You won't be able to use the iPhone on Verizon because they use CDMA technology, not GSM like the iPhone uses. Only Cingular and T-Mobile use GSM here in the US.

 

[Anuba]

You won't be able to use the iPhone on Verizon because they use CDMA technology, not GSM like the iPhone uses. Only Cingular and T-Mobile use GSM here in the US.

If Verizon doesn't use GSM, I say get the hell out. Anywhere in the world, you get a SIM card and stick it in your phone, and get 3G if the phone allows, if not you get standard GSM. End of story.

CDMA vs GSM is like Betamax VCR vs VHS VCR. VHS won, OK? It's over. No Betamax rentals in this video store, sorry.

 

[matticus008]

that will not work because its been stated that the Voice Mail feature that allows you to pick the voice mail you wish to listen to and not listen to all is both the phone and the provider

Yes, that is a unique feature to Cingular. That doesn't mean that normal voicemail doesn't work. Carriers send special SMS messages to indicate voicemail, and when you retrieve your messages, all you're doing is calling a phone number with a particular ID code (your phone number and password). That would work on any carrier.

Since they've already announced planned availability in other parts of the world, this selective voicemail is probably something that's coming to most major operators in the future anyway, and Apple just hoped on the wave from the beginning.

Again, I hope it does cause im with Verizon and so is everybody else I know so me switching to Cingular would just kill my phone bill with no unlimited calling and text and pictures so me going to Cingular dosent make sense but I loveeee this phone

This iPhone will never work with Verizon, Sprint, or Alltel. As pointed out, the iPhone only works with GSM providers. Although some Sprint users have SIM cards, their network is not GSM-compatible. So whether it's locked or not, you personally can't use this phone unless you switch to another provider.

 

[Don't panic]

I hope you're right, but since the battery is not user replacable (read that somewhere) and i don't see an opening for a SIM card, i doubt it'll be easy... but we'll see

is it an officially confirmed fact?
why would be the reason for it?
what has apple to gain (form any perspective, technical, economic, perfromance) from making the battery non-repleaceable?

also, i think it was said that the SIM card goes in from the top

 

[mrcelery]

cingular?

 

[Excluse]

Three year old thread?

 

[jfyrfytr25]

cingular?

do you realize you"ve awoken a 3 year old thread????

and yes, Cingular. that is what AT&T was called in January of 2007!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!