Alleged factory unlocked iPhone 5 prices appear on Apple's website
With the U.S. Online Apple Store still showing carrier-specific iPhone 5 delivery dates of three to four weeks, a quick search on Apple's website may have revealed the pricing of factory unlocked units expected to hit stores later this year.
First discovered by AppleInsider reader Dhaval Dinani and confirmed independently, the alleged unlocked units are anything but official and could merely be placeholders in Apple's database, however the prices are consistent with identical models being sold in Canada where all iPhones are unlocked.
While not listed anywhere else on the site, a query for "iPhone 5 factory unlocked" in the Apple.com search bar reveals "Apple Store Results" as seen above. The units are priced at $649 for the 16GB version, $749 for the 32GB model, and $849 for the 64GB iteration. While not present in the screenshot, all prices for both GSM and CDMA models can be found by adding the storage size to the search. For example, the price of unlocked 32GB GSM and CDMA iPhone 5s are found by searching for "iPhone 5 factory unlocked 32GB."
It is unclear how long the purported iPhone 5 search results have been on Apple's website, but a report in September showed an Online Apple Store iPhone comparison page that revealed the prices of unlocked versions bound for the U.S. and Canada. The prices quoted in that report are in line with the search results found on Apple's U.S. website.
Currently, Apple does not offer factory unlocked versions of its latest handset in the U.S., however the CDMA version sold by Verizon was found to be compatible with the GSM networks of AT&T and T-Mobile. A subsequent report noted that the AT&T version can be unlocked to operate on T-Mobile's network via an iTunes reset and nano-SIM card replacement.
Apple is expected to introduce unlocked versions of the iPhone 5 when its worldwide rollout is completed and supply of the handset normalizes.
First discovered by AppleInsider reader Dhaval Dinani and confirmed independently, the alleged unlocked units are anything but official and could merely be placeholders in Apple's database, however the prices are consistent with identical models being sold in Canada where all iPhones are unlocked.
While not listed anywhere else on the site, a query for "iPhone 5 factory unlocked" in the Apple.com search bar reveals "Apple Store Results" as seen above. The units are priced at $649 for the 16GB version, $749 for the 32GB model, and $849 for the 64GB iteration. While not present in the screenshot, all prices for both GSM and CDMA models can be found by adding the storage size to the search. For example, the price of unlocked 32GB GSM and CDMA iPhone 5s are found by searching for "iPhone 5 factory unlocked 32GB."
It is unclear how long the purported iPhone 5 search results have been on Apple's website, but a report in September showed an Online Apple Store iPhone comparison page that revealed the prices of unlocked versions bound for the U.S. and Canada. The prices quoted in that report are in line with the search results found on Apple's U.S. website.
Currently, Apple does not offer factory unlocked versions of its latest handset in the U.S., however the CDMA version sold by Verizon was found to be compatible with the GSM networks of AT&T and T-Mobile. A subsequent report noted that the AT&T version can be unlocked to operate on T-Mobile's network via an iTunes reset and nano-SIM card replacement.
Apple is expected to introduce unlocked versions of the iPhone 5 when its worldwide rollout is completed and supply of the handset normalizes.
Comments
You mean the Nexus 4 with no LTE?
http://store.apple.com/us/search?find=iphone 5 factory unlocked
It says it will be available in 3-4 weeks if true then early December or right after black friday.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dasanman69
Ok Tallest Skil now we can compare the full retail price of 2 new phones, the Nexus 4 is $399 andthe iPhone is $649.
Why would you attempt a direct comparison of the Nexus 4, which has a glass back and no LTE with the iPhone 5?
Quote:
Originally Posted by dasanman69
Ok Tallest Skil now we can compare the full retail price of 2 new phones, the Nexus 4 is $399 andthe iPhone is $649.
In addition to the other comments about different materials and lack of LTE, see this:
http://9to5google.com/2012/11/03/is-google-subsidizing-the-price-of-the-299-lg-nexus-4/
Only in the US is the Nexus 4 this cheap. In other countries it's only slightly cheaper than iPhone 5, leading some to believe Google is subsidizing the price in the States (NOT the same as a carrier subsidy).
Unlocked is good but it doesn't affect me in the slightest. I need a US iPhone number when I'm in Latin America so my US associates can still call the same number that is in their contact list, and I also need a local number at the same time, hence I have to carry two phones. So now that I unlocked my old iPhone, that will be my local sim device instead of the old feature phone I used to carry when abroad.
Can't you do that as one phone with the Verizon or Sprint iPhone 5?
PS: After 5 weeks with my Verizon iPhone 5 after being with AT&T since 2007 I can say that my dropped or non-connecting calls on Verizon are about as frequent but when they do connect the call quality is much better.
There is one area that AT&T worked but Verizon doesn't and one that AT&T didn't but Verizon now does in two areas I travel frequently.
My rates are higher with Verizon (even with a 22% employee discount from work that didn't have with AT&T) and they are less transparent with their billing than with AT&T which I find very annoying. They charged by a late fee of $5 for not paying by October 17th for a bill ending October 21st because I have to pre-pay a month despite being a postpaid customer for a monthly bill that was only 2 days from Sept 21-22nd (don't ask me to explain that or try to explain it to me because it's all bollocks. I'd much prefer we discuss quantum physics instead).
Disclaimer: I own the Verizon iPhone5.
If the Verizon iPhone5's SIM card slot is unlocked, what's the big deal. I understand that these phones are "officially" unlocked.. but it seems they are no different than buying a Verizon iPhone5 or paying full price for a AT&T version (in which case AT&T will unlock the phone).
Someone looking for an unlocked iPhone5, has already had plenty of opportunities to purchase one.
I see your point but it could make a difference if the LTE operating bands you want are only on the version that doesn't include the CDMA radios.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Unlocked is good but it doesn't affect me in the slightest. I need a US iPhone number when I'm in Latin America so my US associates can still call the same number that is in their contact list, and I also need a local number at the same time, hence I have to carry two phones. So now that I unlocked my old iPhone, that will be my local sim device instead of the old feature phone I used to carry when abroad.
Can't you do that as one phone with the Verizon or Sprint iPhone 5?
I'm not sure. Is there a way to keep both a local GSM and a USA CDMA numbers active at the same time with the Verizon phone? There is no CDMA in Latin America to my knowledge. What happens when you are on a call and the other number rings? I don't really have a great deal of confidence in Verizon after seeing what happen to my associate last year who rented a supposed world phone from Verizon for her trip with me. It didn't work at all and she had to buy a local phone and lost contact with the US entirely.
You can't receive calls from both but I thought when you are outside the US you can put in a micro-SIM and have that number work on a GSM network. I see now that you want to get your phone calls routed from the US outside the country as roaming. Is that correct?
Another avenue you might want to consider is a Google Voice number. It's free. This is the number I give out to anything that needs a form. It forwards to my iPhone flawlessly. When I recently switched from AT&T to Verizon I also got a new number because I wanted a local area code. This meant I didn't have to change anything but physical phone's number my Google Voice number was tied to, like with forwarding email.
As for so called "world phones" they've been very limited up until Qualcomm's Gobi which I think Apple was the first to use in a major phone. Before Gobi we basically had the CDMA bands, the 3 standard GSM '2G' bands, and one or two UMTS '3G' bands that made sure to exclude anything that would work in the USA or Canada.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
I'm not sure. Is there a way to keep both the GSM and CDMA numbers active at the same time with the Verizon phone? What happens when you are on a call and the other number rings? I don't really have a great deal of confidence in Verizon after seeing what happen to my associate who rented a supposed world phone from Verizon for her trip with me. It didn't work at all and she had to buy a local phone and lost contact with the US entirely.
You can't receive calls from both but I thought when you are outside the US you can put in a micro-SIM and have that number work on a GSM network. I see now that you want to get your phone calls routed from the US outside the country as roaming. Is that correct?
Yes I do not want my US clients to even be aware that I am away. My local, Latin American contacts want to dial a local number if possible when they know I am in country. I do have a skype local numbers in both countries but it doesn't works very well.
I understand that being a drug mule is lucrative but it's dangerous on so many levels. :smokey:
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
Yes I do not want my US clients to even be aware that I am away. My local contacts want to dial a local number if possible when they know I am in country.
I understand that being a drug mule is lucrative but it's dangerous on so many levels.
We only sell coffee
Originally Posted by dasanman69
Ok Tallest Skil now we can compare the full retail price of 2 new phones, the Nexus 4 is $399 andthe iPhone is $649.
One has LTE, the other… doesn't. One is the fastest phone on the planet, the other… isn't.
Sounds like we're comparing a flagship phone to a midrange phone.
Mr Apple... WHY the &%$# are we continuing to be ripped off by $92 or over 10% in Australia for the same product from the same factory with the same or shorter shipping distance.
This is for you Tony King (Apple MD in Australia). It's time for the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) to step in and give you a wack. Maybe your overlords in Cupertino might then put you on your game to do the right thing by Australia's supportive and loyal Apple consumers.
Did you adjust for projected changes in the value? Did you include any import taxes for US goods? Did you include any additional costs for country specific licenses and testing? Did you account for the reduced economics of scale between the AU and US markets for the box to it's accessories, to it printed material, to anything in the device's HW or SW that would be more costly for a much lower number of units per device than in the US market which is still the largest seller of Apple's products?