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Fully SIM Unlocked iPhones
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Either that or make you sign something that requires activation in XX number of days or they charge you the ETF. Who knows how they will handle pre-paid customers.
AT&T would be very stupid not to anticipate the full unlocking of the iPhone. They probably have several contingency plans in place for this specific situation. This combined with the fake activation will make AT&T put these plans into action.
If AT&T didn't think this would happen, some upper management needs to be fired.
I don't understand the true advantage of unlocking the phone. If you use it on the T-mobile network, aren't you going to be bitch-slapped by data charges if you use the internet (not using wi-fi)? All those people complaining about 50-page ATT phone bills underscores the amount of data being bandied about on the network. What's the incentive to bolt?
A plan for what? Suing someone for doing something that is 100% legal and not a violation of the DMCA or any other law?You don't think they predicted this happening from the get go? Apple and at&t already have a plan on how to handle this.
I also pay 20 bucks a month on T-Mobile. IIRC, Sprint is around 30 bucks (and 3G to boot)
T-Mobile has unlimited internet as well also. There is a way to get it at $19.99 unlimited, but the official price is $29 for unlimited, which includes the wifi hotspot access.
As few have said before, some people travel to other countries, and they'd rather have local SIM's. When I travel, I stay weeks at a time. When I make a friends in say, Brasil, I'd like to give them my local #, instead of making them fork out the $$$$$ just to tell me which Posto they are hanging out at.
Passive aggressive psycho-babble
Read a book on economics...there's no such thing as free.
Read a book on power generation...even solar panels are made with polluting technology.
Read a book on patent law...my comments are general but correct.
I'd really have to care first in order to be angry.
Read a book on economics...there's no such thing as free.
Read a book on power generation...even solar panels are made with polluting technology.
Read a book on patent law...my comments are general but correct.
I'd really have to care first in order to be angry.
There are two ways to stop this, but it must be done by Apple. One is to have Apple put out a patch via iTunes when someone synchronizes music to their iPhone and another is a patch to the iPhone itself. Apple may not do this on their own, but may be forced by AT&T to do so. When you register your iPhone, you must enter your location and based on this your iPhone would then be locked to the carrier for which Apple has an agreement with.
Nothing would please me more than to see unlocked iPhones and I'll be the first in line to get mine if this free software application works out.
Farmboy,
See how mobile phones are being used around the world. US laws are NOT binding on those outside of the US and please leave your American arrogance at the door. Mobile phones and mobile phone technology is not based on US dominance.
Nothing would please me more than to see unlocked iPhones and I'll be the first in line to get mine if this free software application works out.
Farmboy,
See how mobile phones are being used around the world. US laws are NOT binding on those outside of the US and please leave your American arrogance at the door. Mobile phones and mobile phone technology is not based on US dominance.
Either way...you're still going to pay an arm and a leg to make phone calls and use the internet on ANY provider.
The holy grail is phone.app having the ability to use Wifi to place calls. Until then....we're all going to be paying ~$60/month. Skype.app would be nice as well.
I can't wait until the day we're paying 39.95 per month for unlimited access to the tower Free text, unlimited calls, and unlimited internet all for 39.95. Your phone, however would be unsubsidized. No contracts.
The holy grail is phone.app having the ability to use Wifi to place calls. Until then....we're all going to be paying ~$60/month. Skype.app would be nice as well.
I can't wait until the day we're paying 39.95 per month for unlimited access to the tower
Free text, unlimited calls, and unlimited internet all for 39.95. Your phone, however would be unsubsidized. No contracts.+1
If I can just go to an apple store, buy the phone, buy the unlock software, I'd go for it. One of the main reasons I've been holding of from buying an iPhone is I'm about to buy a house. I'm a happy t-mobile customer, and I don't want to get an inquiry on my credit, get my mortgage jacked up, all because of a phone...
So, same question as above:
I can? ... Buy an iPhone from Apple store, buy unlock software, then use my current t-mobile SIM, without having to activate the phone with ATT first?
If I can just go to an apple store, buy the phone, buy the unlock software, I'd go for it. One of the main reasons I've been holding of from buying an iPhone is I'm about to buy a house. I'm a happy t-mobile customer, and I don't want to get an inquiry on my credit, get my mortgage jacked up, all because of a phone...
So, same question as above:
I can? ... Buy an iPhone from Apple store, buy unlock software, then use my current t-mobile SIM, without having to activate the phone with ATT first?
I agree whole-heartedly. I'm on Verizon at the moment. A rep called the other day giving me a schpeal about upgrading my phone and extending my contract. I asked if they had the iPhone. The reply was no they do not and I said then I don't need to upgrade my phone.
rocksAs been stated, the law prevents them from doing that. Legally, they can't stop you. Putting out a patch would be stopping you, and thus, illegal. If Apple or AT&T pulls that sort of crap, I hope someone sues them over it and gets them to stop.
The irony in my case is that Apple and AT&T may get my business because of this. I'm not a fan of AT&T, but I don't mind using them as the "legitimate" partner on the iPhone. Visual voicemail alone justifies it. But I wouldn't buy an iPhone if I couldn't travel with it (especially after reading the forum post here about the user who took their phone to Ireland or wherever and came home to a $3000 bill), and if this works then I can.
Does seem curious, doesn't it? I wonder if those features got added to support Europe. Does the house of cards fall down if these features are removed?
Almost looks like Apple started planning for it with 1.0.1...You don't think they predicted this happening from the get go? Apple and at&t already have a plan on how to handle this.
From reading these pages, I'm guessing that most of you guys aren't that familiar/aware of how rampant unlocking tools are in the cellular industry. I knew this would happen - I'm kind of surprised it took this long.
Just a guess, but more than likely running the patch will require connecting the iPhone to a PC or Mac (and these programs are usually written for Windows) and the program will access the internal BIOS or other hardwired code to unlock the phone. By law, all GSM phones in the US/Europe HAVE to have an unlock option. The carriers are not required to unlock for you (though if you ask them to unlock the phone, they are supposed to do it -- AT&T usually gets away with either charging you or forcing you to wait 2 years to do it, T-Mobile will do it for free), but they cannot do anything about people who use unlocked phones.
I've had unlocking software/cables for my Sony-Ericson phone, one of my old Nokia phones (though those had codes you could enter in manually - no cable/software required) and my current Razr. I go to Europe once a year and like being able to take a phone with me. Plus, it really increases the re-sale value of a phone if it is unlocked.
Look for this to be expensive. Most of the unlocking programs or services for certain types of Motorola phones are $50 and up. I would imagine this will be no different.
Consumers aren't the people who will buy this - at least, not the main people. People that make boatloads of money selling unlocked phones at their own cellular shops or on eBay (very common) will gladly pay enmasse to be able to unlock a phone they can buy for $600 and then sell for $800. To me, that is the biggest reason AT&T/Apple should have re-thought the exclusivity thing (or at least the term of the agreement - exclusivity contracts are common, but they usually aren't as long-lasting as this AT&T deal - Motorola usually does no more than 6 months. Hence, getting a Razr on most GSM networks before Fall 2005 usually required buying an unlocked phone off the net or overseas - and at a premium) - because lots of people will profit off of this. Had an unlocked/unbranded version been available to independent dealers (like Motorola did with the Razr and most other phone companies do) for say, $800 - you wouldn't lose as much potential business because a) the resale price wouldn't be able to have as much mark-up b) The artificial demand created by the exclusivity thing would not exist, thus, customers wouldn't be willing to pay $$$$ for an unlocked phone.
Just a guess, but more than likely running the patch will require connecting the iPhone to a PC or Mac (and these programs are usually written for Windows) and the program will access the internal BIOS or other hardwired code to unlock the phone. By law, all GSM phones in the US/Europe HAVE to have an unlock option. The carriers are not required to unlock for you (though if you ask them to unlock the phone, they are supposed to do it -- AT&T usually gets away with either charging you or forcing you to wait 2 years to do it, T-Mobile will do it for free), but they cannot do anything about people who use unlocked phones.
I've had unlocking software/cables for my Sony-Ericson phone, one of my old Nokia phones (though those had codes you could enter in manually - no cable/software required) and my current Razr. I go to Europe once a year and like being able to take a phone with me. Plus, it really increases the re-sale value of a phone if it is unlocked.
Look for this to be expensive. Most of the unlocking programs or services for certain types of Motorola phones are $50 and up. I would imagine this will be no different.
Consumers aren't the people who will buy this - at least, not the main people. People that make boatloads of money selling unlocked phones at their own cellular shops or on eBay (very common) will gladly pay enmasse to be able to unlock a phone they can buy for $600 and then sell for $800. To me, that is the biggest reason AT&T/Apple should have re-thought the exclusivity thing (or at least the term of the agreement - exclusivity contracts are common, but they usually aren't as long-lasting as this AT&T deal - Motorola usually does no more than 6 months. Hence, getting a Razr on most GSM networks before Fall 2005 usually required buying an unlocked phone off the net or overseas - and at a premium) - because lots of people will profit off of this. Had an unlocked/unbranded version been available to independent dealers (like Motorola did with the Razr and most other phone companies do) for say, $800 - you wouldn't lose as much potential business because a) the resale price wouldn't be able to have as much mark-up b) The artificial demand created by the exclusivity thing would not exist, thus, customers wouldn't be willing to pay $$$$ for an unlocked phone.
Canada
This is cool
one step closer to me using an iPhone where I live.
problem is, in Canada, the Data rates are still so nutty that using the e-mail, web browser (non wi fi i guess) and other features would jack my phone bill into the stratosphere....
but it's progress for sure....
This is cool
one step closer to me using an iPhone where I live.
problem is, in Canada, the Data rates are still so nutty that using the e-mail, web browser (non wi fi i guess) and other features would jack my phone bill into the stratosphere....
but it's progress for sure....
I can't wait until the day we're paying 39.95 per month for unlimited access to the tower
That sounds good. Can we get rid of the federal, state, and local taxes and fees tariffs and service surcharges, too?