Will the Iphone 5 be available unlocked at launch?

[RocketRed]

Maybe Apple should just stop producing "locked" models in the first place (like they have in most parts of the world). Locking phones is so old fashioned.

Can someone explain to me why phones are locked in America? (as in I can use an iPhone I bought with AT&T with AT&T and not in Beijing or Australia, and yes I know AT&T has finally started unlocking locked iPhones)

In Hong Kong every phone (dumb phone, iPhone, Nokia, Android.. etc) are required to be factory unlocked by law.

Japan only started selling factory unlocked Android/Dumb phones starting Summer 2011. Locked phones can be unlocked for a small fee with DoCoMo (AT&T of Japan). Softbank (Sprint of Japan) sells very few unlocked phones while KDDI do not sell unlocked phones.