Verizon No Longer Plans to Sell Unlocked iPhones

[Chupa Chupa]

Wow. It looks like it went over everyone’s head. Change Verizon in his posts to Apple. Sound familiar? I’m guessing he’s having a good laugh.

It’s familiar for around here, sure. But nothing I’ve ever said. I’m pretty hard on Apple as I am every other company that wants my dollars. Frankly if OP was being satirical it was too realistic for a MR post. There ARE, believe it or not, cellco partisans here too, I’ve found.

 

[IG88]

They are just doing this because Apple doesn't sell carrier unlocked phones on day 1

Incorrect. I bought a Verizon 6S+ from the Apple store on launch day and I was an AT&T customer at the time.

 

[dennis laska]

I thought Verizon had to sell their phones with an unlocked GSM slot as per their agreement with the FCC when they were allowed to purchase a certain band with spectrum???

 

[aristobrat]

I thought Verizon had to sell their phones with an unlocked GSM slot as per their agreement with the FCC when they were allowed to purchase a certain band with spectrum???

Sounds like Verizon’s stance is that since this is only a 40-60 day temporary lock, it doesn’t violate the intent of that FCC agreement.

 

[jent]

Is there any hard info on when this actually starts? The article says it was announced today, but that doesn't necessarily mean it started today.

 

[iGeek2014]

Obviously a difference in culture. In the UK, all iPhones sold by Apple (from day 1) are unlocked. If I’m not mistaken, buy one on any network and it will also be unlocked.

I’m with o2 and my iPhone 8 Plus was locked to their network; had paid four months’ worth of bills and still couldn’t get it unlocked with their online form before I traded it in for my X.

If you purchase iPhone from Carphone Warehouse that automatically locks it to the first network SIM that’s inserted too.

 

[rufwork]

I thought Verizon was required to unlock as part of the deal licensing that spectrum. Guess I was mistaken...

 

[vipergts2207]

Wow. It looks like it went over everyone’s head. Change Verizon in his posts to Apple. Sound familiar? I’m guessing he’s having a good laugh.

Maybe, but my guess is he was actually serious. I've seen that strange attitude before. "You don't like something, so of course you must be jealous." I'd be jealous over a lot of things, but one would certainly not be over a goddamn wireless carrier.

 

[msp3]

Verizon did nothing wrong. They're just tightening the noose around reseller scum that regularly defraud retailers like Best Buy and Target. It instantly unlocks for anyone with a valid VZW account and SIM so no legit buyer would even notice. If anything, this is cutting out the thieves and reseller parasites out of the loop. And nothing too earth-shattering either if you think of this as a creative re-interpretation of license terms...

I would speculate this is aimed at the iPhone US retailer flex activation policy, where reseller scum typically buy large amounts of iPhones from Best Buy, Target, etc. and use a VZW SIM to trick the phone into unlocking and they go off on their merry way scamming people for near MSRP prices, financed/blacklisted or otherwise.

The other source of butthurt is of course entitled T-Mobile subscribers, because T-Mobile is cheap as **** and won't let any retailer make money off them (Costco seems to be an exception at times) so their customers never get any national retailer promos. Instead they go around signing up for ATT/Sprint/VZW service for a new phone and then cancelling/unlocking after the fact.

If anyone really wanted an unlocked phone they can easily buy direct from Apple but of course that means paying MSRP (or even when there's promo w/ some freebie), and of course no one is honest enough to do that...

 

[benguild]

This basically just tries to ensure that Verizon will earn at least two months of service costs for every device purchase, when all people want is an unlocked device that also supports CDMA worst-case.

In other words, the carriers are not only creating the problem but also aggravating everyone at the same time.

 

[HarrisonTaylor]

Verizon's use of the 700 MHz LTE band makes SIM locking illegal. I hope to see a class action lawsuit.

Verizon and their MVNOs cannot continue to get away with this.
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Sounds like Verizon’s stance is that since this is only a 40-60 day temporary lock, it doesn’t violate the intent of that FCC agreement.

Any lock regardless of duration violates FCC regulations, if you guys don't like what's going on, do something about it.

Tracfone and xfinity are both Verizon MVNOs and they have been locking devices to the Verizon network for the past 2 years, nothing will happen if you guys just continue to complain about it on the forums.

 

[Lemonsoon]

When they bougt the range they agreed specificaly not to do this. Get ready for some big lawsuit...oh and f verizon

 

[naturalstar]

Maybe it’s because I’m a Verizon customer, but this doesn’t bother me. This move doesn’t affect my service or my monthly bill, so I’m good. Travel isn’t an issue either.

Apple hasn’t stopped selling unlocked phones.

 

[1rottenapple]

That’s fine and dandy unless you need cellular service nation wide.

Ya I wish I can go to tmobile but i wont have signal at work

 

[Steve.P.JobsFan]

That’s fine and dandy unless you need cellular service nation wide.

In my experience, most people dogging on T-Mobile and riding the "they don't have coverage!!!" train haven't used them in the last six months with a modern device (read: supports Bands 12 [and 71 if in an area with it deployed]), rather are basing their opinions off of marketing from other carriers and what they read online from users with outdated devices that don't fully support the network...

I've been throughout 12 states + DC and had zero issues, except for West Virginia. But they've finally got that Band 71 spectrum to solve the coverage issue in areas like WV. I can use data to my heart's content on my frequent trips to Canada and not spend a dime on it. I even had free Wi-Fi on my last Delta flight that was subsidized by T-Mobile.

Perfect? Nah. Nobody is. At least I'm not spending $240 a month just to have a shiny red checkmark on my bill.

 

[mi7chy]

Verizon is using theft deterrence as a guise when it's actually lock-in to make it more difficult for customers to leave for another carrier and reuse their phone. Same scheme as Apple abusing iCloud lock to push new device sales. There should be no lock down unless the device has been reported stolen from the previous owner.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Glad to hear this. It is about time to limit Verizon phone to only their legit customers like I am. Too many fraudulent activities from other carriers’ customers to get their hand on their phone. Verizon is the best on everything in the US including their phone. The high price is totally worth it. Fortunate for those including myself to be able to afford the cost.

Says the Verizon propaganda outreach department.

 

[AppleMark]

This entire thread is a nonsense. I have been buying unlocked iPhones (as pre-order) on day one since the 4s in the UK. So there is no reason other than 'commercial handcuffs' for this practice (in whatever other country) of only selling locked to network phones. You just need to legislate to prevent this type of cooperate greed.

 

[bigchrisfgb]

Obviously a difference in culture. In the UK, all iPhones sold by Apple (from day 1) are unlocked. If I’m not mistaken, buy one on any network and it will also be unlocked.

I believe all phones on a contract over here have to be able to be unlocked without a penalty to the customer, and pay as you go to be unlockable for a fee.

 

[Lerxt]

It’s really amazing how backward the US is sometimes. What sort of system allows a phone to be locked to one carrier??

 

[laz232]

Wow, Canada took one huge step forward this past year (finally) mandating all phones being sold be unlocked while the USA continues the tradition of lock it down...

It's because the US public are used to subsidised phones. In Europe the the carriers were required to show total cost of ownership - and the public realised that buying unlocked phones is cheaper in the long run (pricing transparency).

Again, I think the European model is way better here... buy you know, money, congress, telecomms (makes no difference if R or D)...

 

[michaelsviews]

As a Verizon customer that is happy with the service, and getting an excellent discount through work, I am glad to see this. I am hopeful that the waiting period will be 90 days or less, and this should accomplish exactly what they're stating. When I worked at the Apple Store a few years back, scalpers lined up every day to buy as many Verizon models as we would sell, just to ship them overseas. This should help a lot more Verizon customers get the phones they want, and not have so many non-verizon users trying to take them to other networks.

Apple got there money and you got your paycheck, whats the problem? Horizon is greedy and could careless about its consumer customers, business customers are there main bread and butter.

 

[laz232]

I believe all phones on a contract over here have to be able to be unlocked without a penalty to the customer, and pay as you go to be unlockable for a fee.

Yep - IIRC that was consumer legislation pushed through at the EU level.

 

[michaelsviews]

It gives carriers the ability to make it difficult for customers to switch to a different carrier before the customer's commitment to the old carrier has been satisfied.

For example, you sign up with AT&T and agree to pay monthly for $1100 iPhone X, but decide after two payments you're just going to stop paying and switch your phone over to another carrier... since your iPhone X is locked to AT&T's network, you can't do that.

And this is the reason I have NOT changed or renewed my plan with AT&T since the first iPhone. Grandfathered unlimited data plan, never been throttled at least that I can tell and it works. Have Horizon on my tablet for tethering it was cheaper at the time and there signal is horrible, one day 5 bars, next day 3 bars same location and same weather pattern.

 

[2979382]

I am pretty sure they have insurance on the phones so their "reasons" are bogus, anyone with half a functioning brain-cell can see that. I have an even better solution to criminal activity. Stop selling phones altogether!