I wonder how this can be sold by Apple stores (both retail and online) and not be sold unlocked. Is it at all possible that Apple would sell them unlocked and just kind of encourage people to go with AT&T? Is it possible that AT&T has exclusive rights to sell the iPhone at their stores, but not necessarily be the exclusive carrier for it?
No. They're GSM phones. They've got locks that lock them to a specific providers SIM. I'd presume Apple will be selling them with a contract in store.
No. They're GSM phones. They've got locks that lock them to a specific providers SIM. I'd presume Apple will be selling them with a contract in store.
So you could buy the iPhone from Apple's online store, but then it wouldn't work until you also got the SIM card from AT&T? It's your last sentence that's the key - I just find it hard to believe that Apple will sell AT&T contracts, either from their retail stores or, especially, their online stores.
So you could buy the iPhone from Apple's online store, but then it wouldn't work until you also got the SIM card from AT&T? It's your last sentence that's the key - I just find it hard to believe that Apple will sell AT&T contracts, either from their retail stores or, especially, their online stores.
Why not?
That's how we buy phones in Europe. You can buy a SIM pack that contains just a SIM from almost anywhere - supermarkets, phone shops, online...
All Apple has to do in store is supply the phone, pick a SIM pack off the shelf behind the counter and as soon as the phone is powered up, it registers. Either Apple will be doing this in store or buyers will be going home with the phone and pack, connecting up and entering their details.
I'd guess you'll register through iTunes rather than typing in a code on the phone or phoning up the carrier. They were saying earlier that one of the requirements is an iTunes Store account.
I wonder how this can be sold by Apple stores (both retail and online) and not be sold unlocked. Is it at all possible that Apple would sell them unlocked and just kind of encourage people to go with AT&T? Is it possible that AT&T has exclusive rights to sell the iPhone at their stores, but not necessarily be the exclusive carrier for it?
No. They'll sell them locked to a specific carrier. The phone won't work unless you stick in a SIM card from that carrier.
Perhaps people should read up how GSM SIM locking works...
Well at least we now know that we wont have to have a 2 year contract in the UK. I read an article on stuff.tv that Pascal Cagnin fella said so at that WWDD or whatever it is.
Well at least we now know that we wont have to have a 2 year contract in the UK. I read an article on stuff.tv that Pascal Cagnin fella said so at that WWDD or whatever it is.
In Europe you can buy a heavily discounted phone with a specific operator and you're locked in with them for X months/years.
Once the time is done, you can request a code to insert via your keypad and it unlocks your phone. Voila'.
Also, at least with Orange in France, when I got my work GSMs which were always locked to only use Orange, our tech/phone division could call Orange directly and ask the unlock code at any time.
However, it's never a "universal unlock code". It's a combination of your IMEI number (kinda like a serial number) and some other algorithm. So, each handset has a unique unlock code.
FYI, there are hundreds of sites that offer apps/services to unlock just about any mobile phone from any operator.
If Apple keeps to 'standards' they'll also have some kind of unlock code system.
If they do, then it will be a simple question of time when someone will find out how to create them.
Comments
I wonder how this can be sold by Apple stores (both retail and online) and not be sold unlocked. Is it at all possible that Apple would sell them unlocked and just kind of encourage people to go with AT&T? Is it possible that AT&T has exclusive rights to sell the iPhone at their stores, but not necessarily be the exclusive carrier for it?
No. They're GSM phones. They've got locks that lock them to a specific providers SIM. I'd presume Apple will be selling them with a contract in store.
No. They're GSM phones. They've got locks that lock them to a specific providers SIM. I'd presume Apple will be selling them with a contract in store.
So you could buy the iPhone from Apple's online store, but then it wouldn't work until you also got the SIM card from AT&T? It's your last sentence that's the key - I just find it hard to believe that Apple will sell AT&T contracts, either from their retail stores or, especially, their online stores.
So you could buy the iPhone from Apple's online store, but then it wouldn't work until you also got the SIM card from AT&T? It's your last sentence that's the key - I just find it hard to believe that Apple will sell AT&T contracts, either from their retail stores or, especially, their online stores.
Why not?
That's how we buy phones in Europe. You can buy a SIM pack that contains just a SIM from almost anywhere - supermarkets, phone shops, online...
All Apple has to do in store is supply the phone, pick a SIM pack off the shelf behind the counter and as soon as the phone is powered up, it registers. Either Apple will be doing this in store or buyers will be going home with the phone and pack, connecting up and entering their details.
I'd guess you'll register through iTunes rather than typing in a code on the phone or phoning up the carrier. They were saying earlier that one of the requirements is an iTunes Store account.
I wonder how this can be sold by Apple stores (both retail and online) and not be sold unlocked. Is it at all possible that Apple would sell them unlocked and just kind of encourage people to go with AT&T? Is it possible that AT&T has exclusive rights to sell the iPhone at their stores, but not necessarily be the exclusive carrier for it?
No. They'll sell them locked to a specific carrier. The phone won't work unless you stick in a SIM card from that carrier.
Perhaps people should read up how GSM SIM locking works...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_lock
http://stuff.tv/news/id-6253/
Well at least we now know that we wont have to have a 2 year contract in the UK. I read an article on stuff.tv that Pascal Cagnin fella said so at that WWDD or whatever it is.
http://stuff.tv/news/id-6253/
None of the UK carriers offer 2 year contracts so that didn't take a rocket scientist to work that one out.
edit: except Vodafone. I don't remember them doing so before the data plan was added. Maybe there's a bit of positioning going on here.
Once the time is done, you can request a code to insert via your keypad and it unlocks your phone. Voila'.
Also, at least with Orange in France, when I got my work GSMs which were always locked to only use Orange, our tech/phone division could call Orange directly and ask the unlock code at any time.
However, it's never a "universal unlock code". It's a combination of your IMEI number (kinda like a serial number) and some other algorithm. So, each handset has a unique unlock code.
FYI, there are hundreds of sites that offer apps/services to unlock just about any mobile phone from any operator.
If Apple keeps to 'standards' they'll also have some kind of unlock code system.
If they do, then it will be a simple question of time when someone will find out how to create them.
In Europe you can buy a heavily discounted phone with a specific operator and you're locked in with them for X months/years.
Once the time is done, you can request a code to insert via your keypad and it unlocks your phone. Voila'.
That's not true all over Europe. In the UK you can get the phone unlocked any time. In Belgium they're sold unlocked only.