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

Why still no factory unlocked iPhone in the USA?

ThomasJL

ThomasJL

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Oct 16, 2008
2,051
4,966
In Apple Stores in Canada, the iPhone 4 is sold factory unlocked. The 16GB one costs 659 CAD (680.22 USD) and the 32GB one costs 779 CAD (801.98 USD).

In the USA, Apple does not sell a factory unlocked iPhone 4. Apple Stores in the USA do sell a full-priced contract-free iPhone 4 (599 USD for the 16GB and 699 USD for the 32GB), but those iPhones are still locked to AT&T and Verizon.

In the USA, at least since February 10, 2011, Apple does not have an exclusivity agreement with AT&T. So why is Apple still not selling a factory unlocked iPhone in the USA? :confused:
 
One of my guesses is for service/user experience reasons. Since T-Mo 3G uses a different band than what is already in the iPhone, they would see no reason to do so. It is my estimation that we will finally get factory unlocked iPhones with iPhone 5, if we get them at all.
 
In Canada it wasn't until the iPhone 4 came out that Apple started selling them unlocked. The 3G and 3GS weren't sold unlocked, and there was a 7-8 month period when the 3GS was available on several different carriers.

SomeDudeAsking said:
There's a simple answer: Apple gets a big kickback from AT&T.
Click to expand...

Do we know this for sure or is it just speculation?
 
theonekcrow said:
One of my guesses is for service/user experience reasons. Since T-Mo 3G uses a different band than what is already in the iPhone, they would see no reason to do so. It is my estimation that we will finally get factory unlocked iPhones with iPhone 5, if we get them at all.
Click to expand...

One big reason is for traveling internationally. It's redicilous that if you pay the unsubsidized price, they still force you to use only ATT.
 
Apple does get a percentage from the carriers. There won't be an unlocked iPhone unless the government steps in, which is nigh impossible given the political power of the carriers.
 
profets said:
In Canada it wasn't until the iPhone 4 came out that Apple started selling them unlocked. The 3G and 3GS weren't sold unlocked, and there was a 7-8 month period when the 3GS was available on several different carriers.
Click to expand...

The 3GS was in fact sold unlocked and still is to my knowledge. It wasn't immediately available upon launch, but was made available a few months later.
 
darkside flow said:
The 3GS was in fact sold unlocked and still is to my knowledge. It wasn't immediately available upon launch, but was made available a few months later.
Click to expand...

Didn't realize.. I guess the 8GB 3GS in June 2010 went unlocked but was it previously available unlocked as well? I remember it being bit of surprise to see iPhones coming unlocked last summer.
 
old-wiz said:
Apple does get a percentage from the carriers. There won't be an unlocked iPhone unless the government steps in, which is nigh impossible given the political power of the carriers.
Click to expand...

Apple only got a percentage during the sale of the original iPhone no? That changed when the 3G launched in 2008..

What does the government have to do with it? Other non-subsidized phones are sold unlocked in the US. Maybe that's part of the issue right now.. Can you even get a non-subsidized iPhone 4 (GSM) from Apple directly in the US?
 
profets said:
Apple only got a percentage during the sale of the original iPhone no? That changed when the 3G launched in 2008..

What does the government have to do with it? Other non-subsidized phones are sold unlocked in the US. Maybe that's part of the issue right now.. Can you even get a non-subsidized iPhone 4 (GSM) from Apple directly in the US?
Click to expand...

ATT refuses to unlock the phone. The government could tell them to do it. In other countries all phones are sold unlocked, but that's not the case here.
 
profets said:
Can you even get a non-subsidized iPhone 4 (GSM) from Apple directly in the US?
Click to expand...

Yes, you can get an unsubsidized iPhone 4 from any Apple Store in the USA, but the phones will still be locked to AT&T or Verizon.

You cannot get an unlocked iPhone from Apple in the USA. Even when your two-year contract with AT&T is finished, AT&T will not unlock your iPhone. It will be locked to AT&T forever.
 
Last edited:
HXGuy said:
One big reason is for traveling internationally. It's redicilous that if you pay the unsubsidized price, they still force you to use only ATT.
Click to expand...

Precisely. This is a huge problem for iPhone owners who travel internationally. Apple boasts about the fact that the iPhone is quad-band. What is the point of having a quad-band phone if it's locked? :confused: The whole point of having a quad-band phone is so you can use a cheap local prepaid SIM card in every country you visit.
 
ThomasJL said:
Precisely. This is a huge problem for iPhone owners who travel internationally. Apple boasts about the fact that the iPhone is quad-band. What is the point of having a quad-band phone if it's locked? :confused: The whole point of having a quad-band phone is so you can use a cheap local prepaid SIM card in every country you visit.
Click to expand...

Actually, the whole point of having a quad-band phone is so that you can get charged roaming fees in more places. If you can't get onto a network, then they can't make big fat profits.
 
I think O2 and Three in the UK do the most reasonable thing: since you're still bound by the terms of your contract and have to pay the subscription fees until the contract ends, they'll unlock your phone even when it's still under contract At least they don't try to stop you from using your phone with other sims when you're out travelling.

I don't mind a locked phone when at home, but not being able to use local sim cards while traveling abroad is a real deal breaker for me. Not only does it cost tremendous amounts of money if you use your home sim, but it means that you don't have a a local number in the country your'e visiting -- nobody local will call you on your foreign number!
 
SomeDudeAsking said:
There's a simple answer: Apple gets a big kickback from AT&T.
Click to expand...

Not since the first year.

ATT iPhone 3G Launch press note:

The new agreement between Apple and AT&T eliminates the revenue-sharing model under which AT&T shared a portion of monthly service revenue with Apple.

Under the revised agreement, which is consistent with traditional equipment manufacturer-carrier arrangements, there is no revenue sharing ...
Click to expand...
 
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