Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Obama Signs Cell Phone Unlocking Bill Into Law, iPhone Unlocking No Longer Illegal

Chupa Chupa said:
Really a lot of election year smoke and mirrors. The law really only will help a slim minority of cell phone users because it only makes unlocking legal once a contract is 100% completed. So if you are traveling overseas but still on contract... sorry. But when you are at the end of an ATT contract ATT will unlock your phone anyway. T-Mobile's phones are unlocked anyway.

And the funny thing is this legislation is temporary. At the next DMCA review period the LOC can make unlocking illegal again.

The only people this helps are people that bought a locked phone via a 3rd party and ATT wouldn't unlock that phone. You now can for the time being.

So again, lots of smoke and mirror. Sorry you got excited for nothing.
Click to expand...

This law is a lot like the Do Not Call registry. Congress passes it to make them feel good about themselves, and to give us the impression that they really care about consumer protection, but in reality it does nothing because the ability to enforce the law is virtually nonexistent.
 
OverSpun said:
Will AT&T unlock phones under contract so we can use abroad sim cards for travel?
Click to expand...

AT&T did not unlock my iPhone 5, claiming it's still in contract. I had to buy a $30 120MB roaming plan, which isn't an issue by itself. However, it is now permanently added to my plan as a recurring monthly payment. I'll have to remember to remove it a month later, since I only needed it temporarily. If I remove it too soon, the roaming becomes astronomically expensive, retroactively. If I remove it too late, I'm paying for a service I don't use. They're intentionally making it confusing and hard to manage.
 
H2SO4 said:
Don’t be so ridiculous, If you sign up to a contract then abide by it!
Within that 12-24 month period if they say you’re locked you’re locked. You’re one of those people who says I bought those CDs I can do what I like woth them.
No. You may have bought the plastic but you licensed the data on it.
That kind of attitude makes me sick.

The government should force license agreements/contracts to be in plain english and fair. After that you should be hammered if you break them.
Click to expand...

Your response made me LOL. Back in the day, I was ripping CDs like crazy. You should have hit me up lol.

Perhaps your one of those corporate ******** who sits in his nice sized office twittling his thumbs trying to impress the boss on how we can continue to enforce BS laws.

This cell phone unlocking crap never meant squat to me. Wanna know why? Because they're my devices and I'll do what I damn well please with them.
 
truettray said:
He wasn't criticizing the Affordable Healthcare Act. He was criticizing people who think President Obama is the chosen one. Since you mentioned it, that's wonderful for your nephew.. but as someone born was a heart defect, my treatment and care have gotten much more difficult since my fantastic healthcare plan was phased out in response to the AFA. It hasn't been great for all of us. I'm not spewing any sort of partisan dogma, just sharing my own experience. It's a step in the right direction, but we've still got a long ways to go.
Click to expand...

He didn't specifically mention the ACA but he said it's the only thing Obama has done that's positive... I agree it has a long way to go but a step forward is better than no steps in any direction. Most people cry about Obama because of the ACA, which is why I brought it up. The primary reason for them crying is that their insurance has gone up a little... BIG DEAL! There will be many healthier people who will help add more to the economy because of better healthcare, hence your costs eventually going back down a bit (either directly or indirectly).

Also, I'm sorry to hear about your insurance. Unfortunately it is really the insurance providers being stingy because they have to legally cover other things they didn't have to and often times employers deciding to cover less of the cost of the insurance due to the rising costs for them. My wife's employer went from covering almost 50% of the insurance costs to covering something like 10% (they actually lowered their $ amount coverage). Thankfully I happen to change employers last year that cover about 90% of the coverage, regardless of the plan and it's costs.
 
FloatingBones said:
This has been dealt with administratively through the Copyright Office in the past. From this article:



Why did the Copyright Office reverse their earlier exceptions for smartphones?
Click to expand...

It's simple: While Obama was distracted at a fundraiser, the politicians needed something to do in order to avoid having to create an immigration reform bill. This time, what they were "wasting" time on actually helps us.
 
In Brazil, device unlocking is free of charge even when in a contract. After some years, carriers aren't locking phones anymore because it's more expensive than delivering them unlocked right after purchasing.

On the other hand, carriers can customize the phone's GUI, although it doesn't prevent the owner to adopt another carrier during and after the contract.
 
Can someone explain this to me?

I tried last week to get AT&T to unlock my 5s because I'm travelling internationally more and their international package prices are insane.

They said I can't unlock because I'm under contract for another year, and suggested I unlock my old iPhone 4S - the one in my desk drawer with a cracked screen and a battery that won't hold a charge. WTF? :mad:

Unlocking my phone wouldn't get me out of my contract. That's why it's called a CONTRACT! So I don't see why it should be restricted in this way.

So if I need to operate unlocked, I must carry a 2+year old phone, or pay full price for unlocked phone from now on???

Do they really not want me to upgrade phones and lock me into my contract each time I upgrade?
 
MattMJB0188 said:
The freaking phone should not have to be paid off to be unlocked. The consumer should be able to unlock it when he damn well feels like it. It's HIS phone.
Click to expand...

If you haven't finished paying for it then it's not your phone. Just like if you lose it, you still have an obligation to pay it off.

If you want your own phone unlocked right away then buy it outright at full price and it'll be unlocked.
 
MattMJB0188 said:
Hell yea!!! I agree 110%. But others sadly believe he's God.
Click to expand...
I voted for Mr. Obama in both Presidential elections, and I don't regret my vote. I never thought he was God, or anything other than a politician with a platform that I liked.

You can't make me think he's God. You don't have that power. You can believe that I think he's God, but you'd be simply wrong in your belief.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
And the funny thing is this legislation is temporary. At the next DMCA review period the LOC can make unlocking illegal again.
Click to expand...

The Librarian of Congress tends not to go against established legislation, even if it has an expiration date.
 
sviato said:
If you haven't finished paying for it then it's not your phone. Just like if you lose it, you still have an obligation to pay it off.

If you want your own phone unlocked right away then buy it outright at full price and it'll be unlocked.
Click to expand...

Do you know if you buy an unlocked phone outright is your monthly bill with AT&T lower?
 
harley3k said:
I tried last week to get AT&T to unlock my 5s because I'm travelling internationally more and their international package prices are insane.

They said I can't unlock because I'm under contract for another year, and suggested I unlock my old iPhone 4S - the one in my desk drawer with a cracked screen and a battery that won't hold a charge. WTF? :mad:

Unlocking my phone wouldn't get me out of my contract. That's why it's called a CONTRACT! So I don't see why it should be restricted in this way.

So if I need to operate unlocked, I must carry a 2+year old phone, or pay full price for unlocked phone from now on???

Do they really not want me to upgrade phones and lock me into my contract each time I upgrade?
Click to expand...

Totally agree this part doesnt make any sense to me... If you leave to another carrier and break your contract they are going to charge you the ETF anyway, so why not just unlock the phone?
 
so instead of complaining about politics how about some resources on how we can go about unlocking our phones now that it's okay...
 
Señor said:
Only thing I support Obama on so far, remember guys, HE didn't kill Bin Laden, Seal Team 6 did.
Click to expand...

Thats like saying Steve Jobs never did anything in Apple, the employees under him did.

he's the commander in chief and a high level operation like that never happens without his authorization. I bet if the operation had failed then it would have been his fault right? but since it was succesful it wasnt him it was the seal team :rolleyes:
 
harley3k said:
Do they really not want me to upgrade phones and lock me into my contract each time I upgrade?
Click to expand...

I agree. I consider not upgrading, because I want to be able to travel. I would be able to buy a new phone and start a brand new contract with them, but they're losing me. It's ridiculous that I have to carry a 2-5-year old phone every time I travel. It may be legal to unlock now, but unless phone companies change their policy very soon, they don't deserve their customers.
 
bigjnyc said:
Totally agree this part doesnt make any sense to me... If you leave to another carrier and break your contract they are going to charge you the ETF anyway, so why not just unlock the phone?
Click to expand...

Exactly my point...and I just don't get it. They must be betting on the money they will make on overages and roaming, by locking people in.

The thing is that their international package for just a 2 week trip abroad just cost me more than my ETF would have been, so I have no incentive to stay with them. Seriously 800mb data was $120, 100minutes of voice was $120, plus 50 text messages was $10 - that's $250, and my ETF is $225 (with 1 year left). And T-Mobile is offering to pay up to $300 of it if I switch to them. So if they don't fix this before my next business trip, guess what?
 
MattMJB0188 said:
Hell yea!!! I agree 110%. But others sadly believe he's God.

On the side note, this restores things exactly how they were prior to Jan. 2013, correct? The freaking phone should not have to be paid off to be unlocked. The consumer should be able to unlock it when he damn well feels like it. It's HIS phone.
Click to expand...

The difference between Obama and God is that Obama actually exists.

He has also done stuff unlike the mythical flying man in the sky.
 
harley3k said:
Do you know if you buy an unlocked phone outright is your monthly bill with AT&T lower?
Click to expand...

Not sure about ATT, but Canadian carriers give you 10% off of your bill for bringing your own phone and you may be able to negotiate a cheaper plan altogether if not using an upgrade.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back