No off contract iphones.

[minik]

Then you would get a AT&T iPhone that doesn't do LTE overseas as the AT&T iPhone isn't the same phone Apple sells unlocked so spend more get less? Is that the plan?

I must be half awake earlier. I highly doubt that Apple will sell the GSM model A1429 in U.S. since it doesn't run any U.S. network. If I really want to use LTE overseas, I'll just get a LTE mobile hotspot locally and share it to my iPhone and iPad.

 

[CyBeRino]

Then you would get a AT&T iPhone that doesn't do LTE overseas as the AT&T iPhone isn't the same phone Apple sells unlocked so spend more get less? Is that the plan?

The phone sold depends on the country, not its lockedness.

A1428 is sold exclusively in the US (because only AT&T uses the LTE bands it supports). A1429 CDMA is sold there too for Sprint and Verizon.

A1429 GSM is sold in the rest of the world. Its hardware is identical to the A1429 CDMA (thus the identical model number; same deal with the 4S) but the baseband software is different, disabling CDMA operation.

If you want LTE service outside the US, get on Verizon or Sprint. Unless you also want simultaneous voice and data.

In my opionion though, LTE deployment is nowhere near the point where non-geeks should care about it. So just get what you want to use at home; whatever you pick will do voice and data based on UMTS all over the world.

 

[patrick92260]

You will most likely be able to just buy the at&t iPhone off contract at Apple from day one which is automatically unlocked and the same as the factory unlocked one but with a different part number. When the sales person asks for your at&t account info tell them to hit back on their iPod Touch and select "Device Only" and ring it up that way. You sign the Apple T&C's on the iPod Touch, pay, and that's it. Unlocked automatically.

 

[minik]

You will most likely be able to just buy the at&t iPhone off contract at Apple from day one which is automatically unlocked and the same as the factory unlocked one but with a different part number. When the sales person asks for your at&t account info tell them to hit back on their iPod Touch and select "Device Only" and ring it up that way. You sign the Apple T&C's on the iPod Touch, pay, and that's it. Unlocked automatically.

I hope it's that easy and straightforward.

 

[sikachu]

Yep, I would second what patrick92260 said. I did something closely to that last year, and got my iPhone off-contract on 2 days after the launch date.

What I did was I just walked into the store, grab the queue card, not really mention about off-contract or anything until the phone was out from the back door and he started to scanning my phone. Then I said I'd like to buy this phone off contract, is that possible? He said yes, then he was amazed by the full price (it was over $1,000 w/ Apple Care+) Then I gave him the CC, and done. It's that simple.

I'm planning to do this again this year as well — I don't really want to be in the contract (with the potential that I could bring this phone w/ me when I'm aboard)

Remember, don't ask about the unlock — just don't. State that you want to buy it off-contract, then they'll sell you. If you said you want an unlocked one, they will not sell you one.

(BTW, kudos to MacRumors news that said people got the unlocked iPhone from off-contract phone last year though. That gave me a courage to go and stand in line for the phone. )