Jeez, "things could change"! You must be celebrating cliche day all year long. And you're not with AT&T so presumably don't have an iPhone. Have you even seen the AT&T CSS/TOS? And I'm telling you we don't need to wait at all.
If you are a US customer of the iPhone then your ability to use a carrier other than AT&T (legally, I assume) is remarkable, assuming you were originally subject to the AT&T CSS/TOS. In that case, perhaps you can tell others how.
If you are a non-US user of the iPhone, I for one am curious about how iPhone purchases and carrier contracts and lock-ins work in your country and hope you will share.
If you are a US customer of the iPhone then your ability to use a carrier other than AT&T (legally, I assume) is remarkable, assuming you were originally subject to the AT&T CSS/TOS. In that case, perhaps you can tell others how.
If you are a non-US user of the iPhone, I for one am curious about how iPhone purchases and carrier contracts and lock-ins work in your country and hope you will share.
I'm in the UK. I'm not even going to try to guess what will happen in the UK when the 18 month contracts we have come to an end. I do know that we can currently get a pay as you go card for old iPhones (from the original carrier - O2). Maybe they will allow unlocking, who knows?
Until the time comes I can't really complain about it.
I upgraded to a 3G iPhone and got a Pay as you Go card for my old 2G iPhone.
I know my original iPhone would be locked to O2 even past the 18 month contract, after all that is what we were told. So I'm not complaining about something I already knew. If they allow unlocking then that is a bonus.
I'm in the UK. I'm not even going to try to guess what will happen in the UK when the 18 month contracts we have come to an end. I do know that we can currently get a pay as you go card for old iPhones (from the original carrier - O2). Maybe they will allow unlocking, who knows?
Until the time comes I can't really complain about it.
I upgraded to a 3G iPhone and got a Pay as you Go card for my old 2G iPhone.
I know my original iPhone would be locked to O2 even past the 18 month contract, after all that is what we were told. So I'm not complaining about something I already knew. If they allow unlocking then that is a bonus.
Thx for the info. I signed a 2-year contract with AT&T and I assumed then and assume now that that was/is that. I'm not resigned to being forced to use AT&T past the 2-yr contract or even if I decide to cancel my contract (with the $175 penalty) before then. There is nothing in the AT&T CSS/TOS that says that the contract extends for the life of my iPhone. I don't know that I'd get any better rates/coverage by switching to an alternate carrier, but AT&T has no business restricting my choice if I terminate my contract, which is exactly the right that AT&T is asserting.
Thx for the info. I signed a 2-year contract with AT&T and I assumed then and assume now that that was/is that. I'm not resigned to being forced to use AT&T past the 2-yr contract or even if I decide to cancel my contract (with the $175 penalty) before then. There is nothing in the AT&T CSS/TOS that says that the contract extends for the life of my iPhone. I don't know that I'd get any better rates/coverage by switching to an alternate carrier, but AT&T has no business restricting my choice if I terminate my contract, which is exactly the right that AT&T is asserting.
The key word is "assume", if you assume then you are taking the risk, you should check before you buy.
Thx for the info. I signed a 2-year contract with AT&T and I assumed then and assume now that that was/is that.
You're totally correct; after the 2-year contract is up, AT&T will allow you to terminate your service agreement without penalty. You will not need to pay AT&T any more money if you don't want to.
You will even (gasp) be allowed to start up a new contract with a different carrier.
Heck, if you wanted to, you could open up a second account with one of AT&T's competitors at any time before your contract with AT&T is up, and as long as you continue to make your payments to AT&T, they won't care one little bit.
None of that amounts to a hill of beans with respect to your ability to take any specific piece of equipment that is designed with technological measures to only work on one network (eg the iPhone on AT&T) with you when you switch to any other network.
Quote:
I'm not resigned to being forced to use AT&T past the 2-yr contract or even if I decide to cancel my contract (with the $175 penalty) before then. There is nothing in the AT&T CSS/TOS that says that the contract extends for the life of my iPhone.
You're right again; your contract will not last longer than 2 years. It will be even shorter if you pay the ETF.
How does the life of your iPhone relate to the life of your contract? The iPhone is exclusive to AT&T in the USA; that was made crystal clear right from the start in all the promotional material. Why, now, should you be surprised when you find out that without AT&T, it is a paperweight?
Would it mean a better end-user experience if AT&T provided an unlocking service to iPhone users once they've fulfilled all the requirements of their contract? Absolutely. Might AT&T be shooting themselves in the foot commercially by not providing such a service? Quite probably. Given the current state of the law, should AT&T be forced to provide that unlocking service? I think not.
Comments
Jeez, "things could change"! You must be celebrating cliche day all year long. And you're not with AT&T so presumably don't have an iPhone. Have you even seen the AT&T CSS/TOS? And I'm telling you we don't need to wait at all.
I do have an iPhone. In fact I have 2.
I do have an iPhone. In fact I have 2.
Would you care to provide more details?
If you are a US customer of the iPhone then your ability to use a carrier other than AT&T (legally, I assume) is remarkable, assuming you were originally subject to the AT&T CSS/TOS. In that case, perhaps you can tell others how.
If you are a non-US user of the iPhone, I for one am curious about how iPhone purchases and carrier contracts and lock-ins work in your country and hope you will share.
Would you care to provide more details?
If you are a US customer of the iPhone then your ability to use a carrier other than AT&T (legally, I assume) is remarkable, assuming you were originally subject to the AT&T CSS/TOS. In that case, perhaps you can tell others how.
If you are a non-US user of the iPhone, I for one am curious about how iPhone purchases and carrier contracts and lock-ins work in your country and hope you will share.
I'm in the UK. I'm not even going to try to guess what will happen in the UK when the 18 month contracts we have come to an end. I do know that we can currently get a pay as you go card for old iPhones (from the original carrier - O2). Maybe they will allow unlocking, who knows?
Until the time comes I can't really complain about it.
I upgraded to a 3G iPhone and got a Pay as you Go card for my old 2G iPhone.
I know my original iPhone would be locked to O2 even past the 18 month contract, after all that is what we were told. So I'm not complaining about something I already knew. If they allow unlocking then that is a bonus.
I'm in the UK. I'm not even going to try to guess what will happen in the UK when the 18 month contracts we have come to an end. I do know that we can currently get a pay as you go card for old iPhones (from the original carrier - O2). Maybe they will allow unlocking, who knows?
Until the time comes I can't really complain about it.
I upgraded to a 3G iPhone and got a Pay as you Go card for my old 2G iPhone.
I know my original iPhone would be locked to O2 even past the 18 month contract, after all that is what we were told. So I'm not complaining about something I already knew. If they allow unlocking then that is a bonus.
Thx for the info. I signed a 2-year contract with AT&T and I assumed then and assume now that that was/is that. I'm not resigned to being forced to use AT&T past the 2-yr contract or even if I decide to cancel my contract (with the $175 penalty) before then. There is nothing in the AT&T CSS/TOS that says that the contract extends for the life of my iPhone. I don't know that I'd get any better rates/coverage by switching to an alternate carrier, but AT&T has no business restricting my choice if I terminate my contract, which is exactly the right that AT&T is asserting.
Thx for the info. I signed a 2-year contract with AT&T and I assumed then and assume now that that was/is that. I'm not resigned to being forced to use AT&T past the 2-yr contract or even if I decide to cancel my contract (with the $175 penalty) before then. There is nothing in the AT&T CSS/TOS that says that the contract extends for the life of my iPhone. I don't know that I'd get any better rates/coverage by switching to an alternate carrier, but AT&T has no business restricting my choice if I terminate my contract, which is exactly the right that AT&T is asserting.
The key word is "assume", if you assume then you are taking the risk, you should check before you buy.
Thx for the info. I signed a 2-year contract with AT&T and I assumed then and assume now that that was/is that.
You're totally correct; after the 2-year contract is up, AT&T will allow you to terminate your service agreement without penalty. You will not need to pay AT&T any more money if you don't want to.
You will even (gasp) be allowed to start up a new contract with a different carrier.
Heck, if you wanted to, you could open up a second account with one of AT&T's competitors at any time before your contract with AT&T is up, and as long as you continue to make your payments to AT&T, they won't care one little bit.
None of that amounts to a hill of beans with respect to your ability to take any specific piece of equipment that is designed with technological measures to only work on one network (eg the iPhone on AT&T) with you when you switch to any other network.
I'm not resigned to being forced to use AT&T past the 2-yr contract or even if I decide to cancel my contract (with the $175 penalty) before then. There is nothing in the AT&T CSS/TOS that says that the contract extends for the life of my iPhone.
You're right again; your contract will not last longer than 2 years. It will be even shorter if you pay the ETF.
How does the life of your iPhone relate to the life of your contract? The iPhone is exclusive to AT&T in the USA; that was made crystal clear right from the start in all the promotional material. Why, now, should you be surprised when you find out that without AT&T, it is a paperweight?
Would it mean a better end-user experience if AT&T provided an unlocking service to iPhone users once they've fulfilled all the requirements of their contract? Absolutely. Might AT&T be shooting themselves in the foot commercially by not providing such a service? Quite probably. Given the current state of the law, should AT&T be forced to provide that unlocking service? I think not.