Answers to all the questions in this thread
I've done a lot of research. Made a lot of calls to AT&T + Apple. My situation is that I'm leaving Australia on July 7 to be in Korea for 6 months on business. I want to get 2x iPhone 4's (one for my fiance as well). I need them unlocked. If I wait until late-July, I'll have to import 2x iPhone 4's at over $500 more per piece rather than buying them outright from AT&T right now.
So here's an FAQ for you all...
(1) Can I buy the iPhone 4 w/ No Commitment from AT&T? What do I need to do it?
Answer: You require a US Social Security Number, a US Credit Card, and to place your pre-order via Apple Online/Phone/In-Store or via AT&T online/dealers/in-store. Apple will NOT offer the Family Plan that AT&T will be. Family Plan means if you want 2x iPhone 4's like I do, you can use ONE person's SSN + credit card to place an order for 2 phones together on one plan. Read the next Q&A about why you'd want do that.
(2) Can I get around having a US SSN and US Credit Card to get the iPhone 4 in the US upon release or via pre-order?
Answer: NO! Absolutely not. If you don't have an SSH & US Credit Card you are not getting an iPhone in the US on launch unless you know a dealer that will sell a phone out-of-contract on special terms (good luck finding one because they have no reason to bend over with the demand of this device).
(3) How much will a No Commitment plan from AT&T cost me w/ iPhone 4 and how does it work if I want to get out of it?
Answer: Based on necessary MINIMUMS (other options are more expensive on AT&T plans), you will have to pay $599/$699 (16GB/32GB) outright for the iPhone 4 itself. You will pay $36 activation fee for phone #1, and $26 for each additional phone added to the family line. You'll be required to pay $15 per phone for data plans. The most basic family line voice subscription is $59.99 for 2 phones and $9.99 for each additional line. In other words, if you want 2x 32GB iPhone 4's like I do, you'll be paying:
($699x2) + ($60) + ($15x2) + ($36+$26) = $1,550 for TWO 32GB iPhone 4's. If you wanted just ONE you'd be paying $810 ($699+$60+$15+$36).
AFTER you sign-up to the No Commitment plan, you can sync the iPhone 4 with iTunes where it will activate via Apple's verification/registration. This will enable all iPhone 4 features except voice/3G data service. At this point, you can activate AT&T - or not. This would then give you service in the US. Otherwise it will read - "No Service Found".
(4) Do I get my $ back for the extras AT&T wanted?
Answer: YES! You will get back your activation fee provided you cancel within 3 days (see their contract it states this). You will get back your data/voice plan subscription fees based on the time you didn't use. So, if you used it for 2 days and then canceled, you'll get back (28/30)% of your fees back, refunded to your credit card.
(5) Will my AT&T iPhone work anywhere outside the USA?
Answer: Sure, as a glorified iPod Touch. But until iPhone Dev-Team verifies their intended iPhone 4 unlock + iOS4 jailbreak works properly, you will have an iPhone 4 outside the US that is incapable of getting voice/data service from ANY OTHER CARRIER.
(6) Will AT&T ever give unlock codes for their iPhone 4's?
Answer: NO. Under no circumstances will they.
(7) Will Apple sell an iPhone 4 at any point in the next few months in the US if it is not accompanied by an AT&T contract?
Answer: ABSOLUTELY NOT. Apple's contract with AT&T requires that all new iPhone 4's be activated with an AT&T contract. This is why the No Commitment Plan itself is a month-to-month agreement and that Apple needs to sign customers onto it. It means that Apple is acting as an AGENT for AT&T by transferring the OEM/Client relationship from Apple/Consumer to AT&T/Consumer. This makes AT&T liable for all service-related issues and limits Apple's liability. It also gives AT&T the power to force Apple to not sell their phones to anyone else until a cooling-off period passes.
* END OF FAQ *
In other words.. You are faced with one of two choices, if you even have the option of signing an AT&T plan in the US with an SSN/credit card (because that's how their transaction processing systems will approve new activations/phone purchases):
OPTION #1 - Use your US SSN/Credit Card & get a No Commitment plan. Cross your fingers for iPhone Dev-Team's iPhone 4/iOS4 unlock/jailbreak to work in late-June/early July, and if it doesn't, sell your locked/mainly useless phone on eBay BEFORE late-July, which leads to option #2...
OPTION #2 - Wait until Late-July when a short-list of countries receives iPhone 4's for unlocked sale. In Australia, where I am, in late July, you can walk into any number of retailers and simply buy the phone outright. No activation or contract whatsoever.
A Hint from my research: The cheapest place to buy an iPhone 4 is in Hong Kong. Chinese government is dumping have a $Billion into subsidizing phone costs and the iPhone 4 32GB will retail in Hong Kong for roughly $640 USD. Don't believe me? I've checked all of Apple's global sites for pricing and Hong Kong will sell unlocked iPhone 4's. Their 32GB 3GS equivalent right now sells unlocked for $4,988 Hong Kong Dollars. This is $640 USD right now. Pricing is going to be in line as before. The hardware pricing has not changed. So why would it go up in Hong Kong and nowhere else when Chinese government is spending $492 million to subsidize mobile phone networks and consumer purchases to equip their consumer population with cell phones?
Seriously, I should be an analyst. I know way too much.