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I find it amusing how everyone here complains about a $30 hike in the US for an unlocked model, while Canadians here are getting screwed over with exchange rate by paying $70-$100 more and not even getting mmWave in our models. :mad:

This. This has become garbage. I have been a long-time Apple user... upgrading annually, etc. This is now crossing the line. You remove 2 accessories from the box, increase the price, remove features extra-USA... with what justification? You’re saving the environment?

Go straight to Helheim.

I sincerely hope this company begins a downward plummet soon as this is becoming a pattern that has no justification aside from increasing margins. And while I completely realize that Apple is a business, there is a line that needs to be drawn when daylight robbery is masked in the guise of a green initiative and shady practices.
 
Apple: We are removing two accessories from the iPhone box.

Buyer: So, are we paying little less this year?

Apple: We are increasing the base price by $100 than last year and an additional $30. Boom, roasted!
And that's how Apple lost my purchase for this year.
A difference of $130 between a base iPhone 11 ($699) and a base iPhone 12 ($829) is unacceptable to me.
Even more so with the removal of the charger and the EarPods.
The iPhone 11 sold very well because it had a more affordable base price, too bad they didn't stick to that strategy.
 
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This might have already been mentioned: my understanding is that Verizon models are unlocked out of the box anyway, because Verizon agreed to that condition when purchasing one of the bands it operates on. I've purchased a Verizon model outright in the store and stuck an ATT sim in it, and it worked no problem. Why would this be any different? Want to save $30, buy the Verizon model and stick a TMobile SIM into it.

This used to be true. As a condition to buying nationwide 700 MHz frequencies they had to promise not to lock phones. Then in 2018 or so the went to the FCC and said too many phones were being stolen before first sale & could they please
o’clock phones again only to prevent theft? They promised to unlock them after the first sale... When the customers asked.
 
Ok so looking through things a bit more.... The website now clearly states that every iPhone purchased outright will be unlocked. What is to stop me from purchasing the Verizon iPhone with the $30 discount and choosing the "activate later" option when purchasing? Seems a bit counterintuitive to have such an easy way out of the $30 price increase (assuming you can purchase the phone outright)? The website says "instant" discount which suggests it is applied at time of purchase instead of some rebate. I guess they could remove the "activate later" option to prevent this so I guess we shall see on pre-order day.
AFAI can tell, nothing is going to stop you. Honestly, I don’t know how more people haven’t figured it out. (I use Verizon so all that matters for me is that the phone is unlocked to use with other carriers when I travel.)
 
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AFAI can tell, nothing is going to stop you. Honestly, I don’t know how more people haven’t figured it out. (I use Verizon so all that matters for me is that the phone is unlocked to use with other carriers when I travel.)

I am Verizon as well but prepaid (no access to 5g) which usually doesn’t allow me to use any carrier deals... The mini is appealing to me because of the size but between this $30 difference and the sh*t they pulled with the App Store and game streaming (not to mention the whole Epic thing) is seriously giving me pause on ordering one and coming back to the ecosystem... The pixel 5 is the other choice but that device is overpriced because (wait for it.....) 5g mmwave support forced by Verizon... It’s literally $100 cheaper outside of North America because the international version lacks mmwave support (just like the iPhone but the iPhone is not discounted internationally).
 
This might have already been mentioned: my understanding is that Verizon models are unlocked out of the box anyway, because Verizon agreed to that condition when purchasing one of the bands it operates on. I've purchased a Verizon model outright in the store and stuck an ATT sim in it, and it worked no problem. Why would this be any different? Want to save $30, buy the Verizon model and stick a TMobile SIM into it.

Yeah, no difference in models - there's only one for each type.


But the $30 discount requires activation with Verizon so not sure that would work.
 
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Tim, the nickel and diming has gone beyond the pale. $19 for a USB-C charger, $19 more for earpods, and $30 more because I'm on T-Mobile? What's next, not including a charger with laptops, or a power cable with iMacs and Mac Pros?

And spare me the "These are the best iPhones ever." You say that EVERY YEAR. I've been an Apple user since 1979, but I'll skip this set of hardware. And I'm not alone - there are a LOT of people who are completely fed up.
 
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This might have already been mentioned: my understanding is that Verizon models are unlocked out of the box anyway, because Verizon agreed to that condition when purchasing one of the bands it operates on. I've purchased a Verizon model outright in the store and stuck an ATT sim in it, and it worked no problem. Why would this be any different? Want to save $30, buy the Verizon model and stick a TMobile SIM into it.

When was the last time you purchased a Verizon version of the iPhone? Verizon phones used to come unlocked, but Verizon quietly updated their phone lock policy to 60 days from purchase sometime in the last year, I think. I have run into the issue where I purchased a Verizon iPhone I thought was unlocked, but a different carrier SIM wasn’t allowed.

 
The only thing I can think of that makes sense is that the $30 price increase for T-Mobile and SIM-Free is for the mmWave 5G support. It seems AT&T and Verizon paid Apple a subsidy to cover the cost of support and passes it on to customers as a discount. This also makes sense as there were rumors that claimed the lower end models weren’t getting mmWave support and would be exclusive to the Pro models.
 
The “uncarrier” thing to do is to at least match the price. I’m pretty sure T-mobile will end up doing so as to not be at a disadvantage in a small but fairly competitive marketplace. Time will tell.
 
I wonder when Red Pocket will have plans for 5G. Would be neat. They use AT&T’s network for my situation. I’ve read that they have plans for Verizon’s network. I also think either Sprint or T Mobile is covered by Red Pocket.

However, for the 5G service, Red Pocket will have to increase their data plan.
 
There’s some bs going on here. Apple didn’t do this with the Pro models because they knew making those models even more expensive would have meant the base iPhone 12 Pro would’ve gone over $1,000. I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple quietly lowers the price in a few weeks after some pressure from T-Mobile.
 
And that's how Apple lost my purchase for this year.
A difference of $130 between a base iPhone 11 ($699) and a base iPhone 12 ($829) is unacceptable to me.
Even more so with the removal of the charger and the EarPods.
The iPhone 11 sold very well because it had a more affordable base price, too bad they didn't stick to that strategy.
The 11 is only $599 now, and the XR at $499 is a steal—not much more than half the price of the iPhone 12.

Apple just blanketing the market above $400, with just three (barely) older models, and four new ones.
 
When I bought my wife her phone, I just walked into the Apple store and bought an unlocked phone, got home and swapped SIMs. I didn't mention Verizon, and to my knowledge Verizon never charged us.

I am on the iPhone Upgrade Program, so they make you activate it with that SIM right then and there. Ugh
 
This used to be true. As a condition to buying nationwide 700 MHz frequencies they had to promise not to lock phones. Then in 2018 or so the went to the FCC and said too many phones were being stolen before first sale & could they please
o’clock phones again only to prevent theft? They promised to unlock them after the first sale... When the customers asked.

Gotcha, yea they seem to be automatically unlocked after 60 days now. TIL.
 
Ok so looking through things a bit more.... The website now clearly states that every iPhone purchased outright will be unlocked. What is to stop me from purchasing the Verizon iPhone with the $30 discount and choosing the "activate later" option when purchasing? Seems a bit counterintuitive to have such an easy way out of the $30 price increase (assuming you can purchase the phone outright)? The website says "instant" discount which suggests it is applied at time of purchase instead of some rebate. I guess they could remove the "activate later" option to prevent this so I guess we shall see on pre-order day.

I like how they keep adding language to their site....The $30 discount now clearly states "Requires Activation" meaning that unless you activate with ATT or Verizon at time of purchase, no $30 discount for you (which actually won't be a discount considering ATT and Verizon will charge you a ~$30 activation fee with this process unlike if you chose the activate later option and swapped in your old sim to avoid the activation fee).

So.... These phones start at $729 and $829 Apple, not your false advertising $699 and $799.
 
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