Buying the 3G iPhone

[matthew858]

Here's something - Because the phone is unlocked, the carriers would sell the iPhone at a cheaper price than what Apple would as Apple would sell an unlocked phone and the carriers would sell a locked phone but at a cheaper price. Any ideas on what Apple would do to get people to but the iPhone from them?

 

[aethelbert]

Who says that it'll be unlocked? Even if it were, it wouldn't matter because Apple would still get the money. It just wouldn't come from their retail stores.

 

[matthew858]

Who says that it'll be unlocked? Even if it were, it wouldn't matter because Apple would still get the money. It just wouldn't come from their retail stores.

But Apple would be losing money. In the end, you will be locked to a carrier's contract anyway.

 

[aethelbert]

But Apple would be losing money. In the end, you will be locked to a carrier's contract anyway.

First of all, I highly doubt that they'll unlock it. Secondly, even if they did unlock it, the cell carriers would still have to buy the phones very close to retail value from Apple regardless of a subsidy. They wouldn't lose that much even if this did happen.

 

[skubish]

Here's something - Because the phone is unlocked, the carriers would sell the iPhone at a cheaper price than what Apple would as Apple would sell an unlocked phone and the carriers would sell a locked phone but at a cheaper price. Any ideas on what Apple would do to get people to but the iPhone from them?

Apple won't unlock it because they get a cut of the monthly ATT contract fee.