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FCC should force ATT to unlock iPhone after contract finish.
- Thread starter jmcgeejr
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If anything it's a favor that AT&T is doing by unlocking their other phones after the contact ends...
They have no obligation to do anything tbh...
They have no obligation to do anything tbh...
I disagree, I understand if you are still under contract as you get the subsidized price, however, you own the phone and after the fulfillment of the contract you should be freed of your ties to them.
i agree. the subsidy buys your obligation to the contract. your phone should never be locked.
This is in need of clarification.
What are you claiming regarding "their other phones"?
Why I would normally agree with you, as the FCC places such a big role in cell service in this country (by granting who and who can not provide service through spectrum licenses), the FCC should have a bigger role in helping level competition among such a fragmented cell market.
Not being able to take a device and move it among carriers is one of the biggest reasons cell service is so costly in this country. No one wants to buy a new phone to switch carriers. The carriers know this and use it to their advantage.
I know, its such a huge favor to let you use your own phone elsewhere after fulfilled your contract
You did your part they should do theirs and unlock the device like most carriers do.
If my contract for a particular phone ends or I pay full non-subsidized price for a phone and still remains locked to a specific carrier doesnt make any sense.
Hope the goverment finally looks out for the consumer and puts an end to these practices.
Before the iPhone, AT&T would unlock any phone after about 90 days to a customer in good standing who needed it for going overseas.
At the least, a phone should be unlocked after it's paid for, whcih AT&T says takes about 18-21 months for the iPhone.
For that matter, not only should a phone be unlocked after a customer has paid for it, but the contract should drop in price since they're no long paying back a subsidy.
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That said, about half the carriers in the world also sell locked iPhones.
Whenever people brag about the iPhone changing the smartphone business, they ignore how much of that change was for the worse: not only with permanently locked phones, but with data plans being required, and the end of truly unlimited data.
At the least, a phone should be unlocked after it's paid for, whcih AT&T says takes about 18-21 months for the iPhone.
For that matter, not only should a phone be unlocked after a customer has paid for it, but the contract should drop in price since they're no long paying back a subsidy.
--
That said, about half the carriers in the world also sell locked iPhones.
Whenever people brag about the iPhone changing the smartphone business, they ignore how much of that change was for the worse: not only with permanently locked phones, but with data plans being required, and the end of truly unlimited data.
Your also forgetting the before we had these "cursed smartphones" that unlimited data barely got used because phones couldn't stream netflix,surf the web and download a movie at the same time...They could barely get online and watch a youtube video. I thought 2gb would kill me and i would always go over. So far i can see myself being a-ok. Wifi at home,where i spend a lot of my time. I rarely steam movies,and if I did i would still prefer to be on wifi since 3g is not ideal.