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Verizon No Longer Plans to Sell Unlocked iPhones
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Exactly. Since phones are now being financed, what's to stop the carriers from collecting the monthly payments on phones, even if the customer ports out?
Coverage>speed.
What does the fastest mean?
- faster in every square inch
- faster in select cities
- faster by some weighted average of a crowd source speed test?
theft isn't the problem. It's when fraudulent customers come into stores signing up for a new verizon account with a fake ID so they can get the iPhone with the 24 month installment. They then cancel their account and sell the iPhone for full price. So Verizon ends up paying for an iPhone.
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They're not worried about customers that are porting out. They're concerned about fraudulent customers that set up accounts with fake ID's. So when they cancel their account, there is no way to charge that person anymore.
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Just to clarify, Verizon does not sell unlocked iPhones right out of the box. While the phone is unlocked in the sense that it is ready to take on any SIM card, it will be locked after activation. BUT in the case of activation with a Verizon SIM card, the phone stays unlocked because the frequency they use.
"Verizon plans to stop selling unlocked smartphones as a way to deter criminals from stealing the devices, the company told "
Sure they are worried about theft.
Does Verizon expect us to believe they are going to start locking iPhones sold by them because they are worried about theft?
That's an insult to their customer's intelligence.
Sure they are worried about theft.
Does Verizon expect us to believe they are going to start locking iPhones sold by them because they are worried about theft?
That's an insult to their customer's intelligence.
"Verizon plans to stop selling unlocked smartphones as a way to deter criminals from stealing the devices, the company told "
Sure they are worried about theft.
Does Verizon expect us to believe they are going to start locking iPhones sold by them because they are worried about theft?
That's an insult to their customer's intelligence.
They're not worried about customer's iPhones being stolen. They're concerned about scammers starting new accounts with fraudulent IDs and getting an iPhone on the installment billing, then cancelling the account and ending up with a free phone to sell.
A scammer can still start a fraudulent account, cancel it, use an unlocking service to unlock the phone and then resell it. Granted, their profit will take a bit of a hit, but it can still be done. Unless carriers start blacklisting IMEIs, locking the phone won't make a bit of difference.
I'm not referring to the "SIM-free" model that Apple sells. However Verizon iPhones used to work the same as the "SIM-free" version from Apple. What you're referring to is what Best Buy, Target, and possibly other retailers sell. This is referred to as the universal phone I believe. When you buy an iPhone from them they are unlocked and then follow the unlock policy of the carrier they are first activated on. Previously you could buy an iPhone from Best Buy, then activate it using a Verizon SIM first, this would keep it unlocked for use on any carrier as Verizon didn't lock their iPhones. However, it seems like Verizon will have a lock policy similar to what others have.
"Verizon plans to stop selling unlocked smartphones as a way to deter criminals from stealing the devices, the company told "
Sure they are worried about theft.
Does Verizon expect us to believe they are going to start locking iPhones sold by them because they are worried about theft?
That's an insult to their customer's intelligence.
Umm, they are. Verizon stores get robbed a lot, particularly this last year. I should know, I work for them. I'm glad they are locking them. Less incentive for criminals to steal. But hey, if you really want an unlocked one you can buy it from Apple.
Any idea when it will take effect? I may be upgrading at Best Buy or Target in the near future with a non-Verizon plan, and I'd ideally like to pop in an inactive, postpaid Verizon SIM at initial activation just to get the phone unlocked for when I travel abroad.
From articles that I've read it was pretty vague on when that will take effect. The CNET article says:
"But later in the spring, the company will begin the practice of keeping the phone locked for a period of time after the purchase -- in line with the rest of the industry."
https://www.cnet.com/news/verizon-will-lock-its-smartphones-to-combat-theft/
The FCC or consumer winning. That will happen when pigs fly in this current regime
It is never about whether we need it to be unlocked. We want to own, sell, or give the phone away to whoever we want. Verizon basically just wants to give less choices to customers as to how they can obtain a smartphone.
The above is definitely fake news
Fortunate for me and those who have and can afford Verizon as they are the best carrier network in the USA with the widest coverage in and out cities through out the US and inside any buildings.
The above is definitely fake news
Fortunate for me and those who have and can afford Verizon as they are the best carrier network in the USA with the widest coverage in and out cities through out the US and inside any buildings.
Is it? At times, I’m topping out at 0.5Mbps on their LTE network without throttling.
Simple , the carrier is in full control of which network the phone will work on , hence limiting its attractiveness for thieves. as well as those who take the phone to other carriers without authorization and without completing their contractual obligations.
My take on it is that there is no incentive now to keep them unlocked. Verizon gets to lock their customers to themselves with contracts that charges a premium to walk away to the competition. In addition, if deserting the carrier, the phone seizes to work and cannot be switched to the competition without unlocking first. Unlocking will have a method that likely requires calling customer service and seeing if they do it; they will want to make it look as a courtesy and not an obligation to the customer. Otherwise, a deserting customer will have to sell the phone back to Verizon or anyone Verizon approves at a price and terms they deem convenient for them.
In short, locking the phone gives a carrier all the power to themselves. It really is not about theft as much as it is control.
View attachment 756735
View attachment 756735
I posted a picture of some recent speeds previously. But I think this is the way it is with every carrier at times.
I posted a picture of some recent speeds previously. But I think this is the way it is with every carrier at times.
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