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Why purchase an unlocked iPhone 5...?

Z

zuckuss00

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 23, 2012
137
43
I'm trying to get a better understanding on what causes a person to choose buying a factory unlocked iPhone verses a locked in 2 year contract iPhone. Basically a new iPhone 5 (32GB) model for me is a $2030 investment over 2 years. With AT&T I pay exactly $70 each month for unlimited data, and enough minutes + text for my needs: $70.00x 24 + $350 = $2030.

So, for the people who buy an unlocked phone (+/- $800? for a 32GB with tax). What is the incentive to do so? I assume it would be to save money with a different carrier such as T-Mobile etc... However, how much are these people actually saving with an unlocked phone over 2 year... If any at all?

This is for people in the U.S. I understand why people outside the states do it because of coverage.

Thanks.
 
zuckuss00 said:
I'm trying to get a better understanding on what causes a person to choose buying a factory unlocked iPhone verses a locked in 2 year contract iPhone. Basically a new iPhone 5 (32GB) model for me is a $2030 investment over 2 years. With AT&T I pay exactly $70 each month for unlimited data, and enough minutes + text for my needs: $70.00x 24 + $350 = $2030.

So, for the people who buy an unlocked phone (+/- $800? for a 32GB with tax). What is the incentive to do so? I assume it would be to save money with a different carrier such as T-Mobile etc... However, how much are these people actually saving with an unlocked phone over 2 year... If any at all?

This is for people in the U.S. I understand why people outside the states do it because of coverage.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Pretty much Tmobile.
 
Its not always about money.

I buy mine for convenience, when travelling abroad I can use whatever Sim need to from the country I am in, and also for freedom, I don't like to be locked into a contract.

They are more important to me than getting the phone for a subsidised rate.
 
Also, if you travel outside the US, if you want to use your iphone there, you want it unlocked; just insert a SIM card from that country and you can use it with their networks.
 
Beanoir said:
Its not always about money.

I buy mine for convenience, when travelling abroad I can use whatever Sim need to from the country I am in, and also for freedom, I don't like to be locked into a contract.

They are more important to me than getting the phone for a subsidised rate.
Click to expand...

this
 
Beanoir said:
Its not always about money.

I buy mine for convenience, when travelling abroad I can use whatever Sim need to from the country I am in, and also for freedom, I don't like to be locked into a contract.

They are more important to me than getting the phone for a subsidised rate.
Click to expand...


I get the travel part.

For the life of me, I can not understand the contract part. After all, are you really going to be changing companies that often?
 
This is the first phone i've bought sim-free.

Just signed a 12-month sim only deal in the UK, so I now have the freedom to flog my iPhone 5 when the 5S hits the market sometime next year.
 
travel mostly, but also for resale.
Selling a used iphone 4s unlocked you can get a much better return.
I'll be selling my 4s and I expect to get around $450. (32gb)

So buying a $750 32gb iphone 5 unlocked and selling it in a year for just over half that and keeping the flexibility works for me.
 
I know in countries like the UK people actually save money on their monthly bill by buying unlocked phones. In the US, if you plan to stay with the same carrier anyways, contract phones are the best option.
 
Some people just hate signing contracts. I personally rather pay the premium because I know that I won't have to extend or sign a new contract and that I can travel with the phone.

A lot of my family is from Europe so I can even sell them the device when I want to upgrade. It helps with resale value tremendously in my experience.
 
I am on contract for another 11 months, but wanted a subsidized phone, and only pay $199.00 instead of full price. Don't care if they gave me another phone number to do so, but I saved a good amount with the subsidized price over un-subsidized. I will always keep Verizon, and I don't go overseas, but if I did, I guarantee I won't be bringing a cell phone with me, and rake up the data cost. If need be, I would use one of the overseas phones.
 
the reason I do it is that I am still on my old O2 UK staff tariff where I get unlimited data and sms with 1000 inc mins per month for £14.50.

If I was to upgrade I would lose that tariff and have to sign up for a new 18 month one for £35 per month with a 500mb cap on data and 350 mins, plus have to pay £299 for the phone.

So, £35 x 18 months = £630 + £299 for 16gb handset premium = £929

Current tariff ove the same term. £14.50 x 18 months = £261 + £599 for 32gb from Apple = £860

And I'm not locked in to a contract, I can take my phone when I travel and use any country sim in it.

The freedom is worth more to me than signing to a new contract. I've had my current handset for 3 years so I save even more money.

Horses for courses though as I have a larger initial outlay than someone signing into a contract.
 
Some people don't like obligations.

For example: I didn't buy my car using a loan. I paid in cash.
 
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