T-Mobile USA now will enable this for you (their own VOIP network, but same idea) for $9.99 / month. They give you a router if you need one but you can hook it up with any open network and those with certain types of encryptions and you get unlimited calls to both mobile and landline of all operators when using the VOIP connexion. If you stray outside of the wireless network, it swaps over to the T-Mobile towers, and switches back when you head back into the wifi zone.
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Fully SIM Unlocked iPhones
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the irony.
i havent gone through the entire thread but am i right in understanding that one could buy an iphone in the states and move it to any country with a gsm service and use it there with a local provider?
A couple of things I thought I might add, this move is likely to put pressure on Apple to deploy the Iphone to other regions - otherwise they will be too late. People will have them and be running on a network that is not paying Apple kickbacks.
You may say only geeks and the like will apply this unlock so that affect could be small, but you have to be realistic about the target audience of this device. This is a US $599 device that really is targeted at that market. (The rumored Iphone nano might be a different story) The kind of people buying Iphones are the kind of people most likely to apply this patch.
It will also hurt Apple's abillity to negiotiate exclusive deals that involve revenue sharing.
If I was representing a carrier, I would be telling Apple to jam it - I am going to get added customers anyway without any revenue sharing - just from people buying, unlocking and using my network SIM in the Iphone.
You may say only geeks and the like will apply this unlock so that affect could be small, but you have to be realistic about the target audience of this device. This is a US $599 device that really is targeted at that market. (The rumored Iphone nano might be a different story) The kind of people buying Iphones are the kind of people most likely to apply this patch.
It will also hurt Apple's abillity to negiotiate exclusive deals that involve revenue sharing.
If I was representing a carrier, I would be telling Apple to jam it - I am going to get added customers anyway without any revenue sharing - just from people buying, unlocking and using my network SIM in the Iphone.
You guys know those clauses that the music industry has with the iTunes store contracts that say if DRM is ever circumvented Apple has a short time to issue a fix or they reserve the right to back out of the deal?
I imagine AT&T would have included some similar clause in their contract with Apple so I wouldn't be surprised to see a future update relock phones if technically possible of course.
I imagine AT&T would have included some similar clause in their contract with Apple so I wouldn't be surprised to see a future update relock phones if technically possible of course.
I doubt there's much Apple or AT&T legal can do. It is 100% legal to unlock your cell phone in the U.S.
http://www.copyright.gov/1201/
This is helpful for a person like me who has T-Mobile, but want an iPhone. Cingular service does not work well at my house, but T-Mobile service works great. Also, I get internet for $5 with T-Mobile right now.
I just hope that the software are for Macs, because I do not trust Parallels and how it handles USB devices.
I just hope that the software are for Macs, because I do not trust Parallels and how it handles USB devices.
I've flashed my phone (HTC Herald) several times from a Parallels VM and everything went well. I've yet to run into any issues with a VM and a USB device.
So, the idea was that the people who would go for this are those who want an iPhone but are unwilling to sign a contract with AT&T. Hence, they are selling iPhones that they would not have sold. Apple makes a large profit on each iPhone sold (probably around $250 to $300). Still, it depends on your theory. If you think this has more of a result that people who would have bought iPhones and AT&T plans now buy iPhones and go with AT&T, or if you think the effect is more that people who would not have bought iPhones will.
My opinion is that it would be the latter.
I doubt there's much Apple or AT&T legal can do. It is 100% legal to unlock your cell phone in the U.S.
http://www.copyright.gov/1201/
I wonder what would happen if someone offered T-Mobile USA similar terms to those Apple has offered AT&T - eg, they'll buy, unlock, and "relock" an iPhone to T-Mobile's network, selling the phone on, with T-Mobile kicking them back a $3-8 per month fee for doing so.
If that became a practical proposition, the sheer insanity of continuing with the locked phone model would become apparent even to those thinking they're benefiting from it right now.
If Apple made a phone that was desirable to me, I'd rather pay the $3x24 ($72) extra you would have gotten from AT&T so I can use it with T-Mobile normally, or an AT&T GoPhone PAYG SIM when I don't have coverage, and a PAYG SIM when I'm abroad, than use it only on AT&T. But the logic of charging slightly more for a much better product seems lost on some companies that supposedly have a reputation for doing just that.
I am always curious when I hear about 'customer dealings' of one mobile provider being better then that of another. Maybe for those individuals that utilize their plan, both voice and/or data, to the maximum and may go over and therefore have a billing issue or the like... I have NEVER encountered a situation that required me to deal with a mobile provider's customer service with any regards other than to sign-up for my initial plan, get my phone and maybe make an in-store monthly bill payment.
I had been with Altell for about 5 years before moving on to T-Mobile for the past 4 years and outside of going to a local altell or t-mob shop to make a monthly bill payment that would have been late had I put it in the mail or to stop by the shop every 6 months or so to see the new phones that might be out, I have had virtually no contact with either company's customer service regarding any issues to be resovled in order to judge one way or the other how great or bad their customer service is. I'd image AT&T would be the same way, and that is, as long as I have no discrepancy with billing (ie. utilizing my plan both voice and/or data to the maximum and go over and therefore have a billing issue), I doubt if I'll ever need an AT&T customer service rep, especially now that billing is no longer 300 pages, except to see the iPhone 2 when it comes out or change to a higher rate $$$ plan with more minutes.
Complaining to customer service about coverage and EDGE is a non issue, by that I mean, I have read the posts and hear the news and read the articles concerning EDGE and phone coverage so I'm not walking into something blind. Sure I can call AT&T to tell them I wish phone coverage was better in my area or data transfer speeds were faster but with all respect, I could have done the same with Altell and T-Mobile regarding coverage and/or data plans.
As I said, I am curious about what problems cropped up for other people (such as the poster I quoted - bdj21ya or others with similar experiences) that required customer service and when they got bad customer service, what happened. I'd like to know, just so I know what may be in store for me if I get an iPhone and switch from T-Mobile to AT&T (not going to use a hack software just to maintain a T-Mobile account)? - thanks
I'd just like to say that on my local GSM carrier, I can get 200 minutes of voice (which is all I'll ever use) and unlimited data for $16.00 per month. If I was someone who would use text messaging, I could add that for an additional $5.00 per month. The concept of paying $60-100+ per month for (roughly) the same thing is mind-blowing to me. Oh, and I don't get AT&T or T-Mobile where I live, anyway.
But on the other hand, this will enlarge iPhone's market from 300 million people up to 6 billion
Think Different, Think Bigger.. ^^I dont see Apple caring about this. They even could have been given the software solution themselves.. Their margin on the iPhone sales are about 30-35%.. They already make good profit by selling iPhone alone.
Cdma
I wish that there was a way to switch it over to a CDMA network, I know its not physically possible but I love Alltel, they have excellent customer service, My RAZR was stolen in Time Square and Alltel was very friendly and disabled the phone and when I returned to Virgina they were very much willing to replace the phone, they didn't make me jump through any hoops. I've never had a dropped call, I always have lots of "bars," plus MyCircle is great, it has five more than T-Mobile's MyFavs.
I wish that there was a way to switch it over to a CDMA network, I know its not physically possible but I love Alltel, they have excellent customer service, My RAZR was stolen in Time Square and Alltel was very friendly and disabled the phone and when I returned to Virgina they were very much willing to replace the phone, they didn't make me jump through any hoops. I've never had a dropped call, I always have lots of "bars," plus MyCircle is great, it has five more than T-Mobile's MyFavs.
Well I inquired about your bad experience that has given you so much heartache that leads you to call AT&T Evil. Sorry you had to go through such a hassel that, fortunately, got resolved in the end. With regard to Verizon "at the top for U.S. cell company customer service ratings", I guess you didn't hear about this horror story about Verizon Customer Service and their math, I guess this individual can say Verizon if EVIL too!... http://media.putfile.com/Verizon-Bad-Math
"Availability" in Germany means being tied to T-Mobile (a German company btw). Early cancellation is not common over here, so I can't switch providers, even if I wanted to.
Given that my hacked phone will arrive next week, about 4 months before the official German releaseI think I won't look stupid at all.
There's also consumer freedom in that you don't have to buy an iPhone if you don't like Apple's way of doing things. They have a right to constrain their products however they want. You have a right to walk away from it. Nobody is forcing you to buy.
Having said that, I think Apple won't fight this. They still earn a lot of money off each iPhone sold, phone contract notwithstanding.
This has to be one of my favorite English sentences of all time. Three cheers for American education!
My favorite English sentences of all time is...
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?...
'wherefore art thou' - cracks me up all the time!
