A quarter of Apple iPhones may be 'unlocked'

Analyst calls the percentage of phones used on wireless networks other than AT&T's "stunning."

The story "A quarter of Apple iPhones may be 'unlocked'" published January 28, 2008 at 9:20 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

Content from Reuters expires after 30 days.

[Yog Sothoth]

I knew it!

I knew the number of unlocked phones must be high, because everyone I know who has an iPhone has it unlocked, including me. Nobody wants to pay ATT $3000.

[FusedAndCondazed]

Locked Phones are a scam anyway...

I travel enough to know better anyway. Carriers in the U.S. claim they are subsidizing the cost of the phone. Not true. I refuse to buy phones in the U.S. because even the unlocked versions are inflated. Here's my example:

in 2004, I purchased a very popular phone overseas. The comparison: I paid $150 LESS than the version available in the US. The one Cingular offered was just the phone, the book, the A/C charger. Nothing else. What did I get with mine? All that plus the phone software and cables, the car charger as well as the AC one, the leather phone case, and the handsfree kit (wired), and mine was unlocked, and did *not* require a 2 year contract. Where is the subsidy there? And just about every phone on their site is the same. I can find a new, fully warranted, unlocked version for less somewhere, it's just a matter of knowing where to look to dode the scam of pricing here in the US.

[Nodack]

What he said

Yeah, nobody wants to pay AT&T $3000 when you can pay
somebody else $3000 and have half of your features not work
and have to worry about updating your phone. Your right that
does sound much better.

[Gary Valan]

Unlocked Apple iPhones

I don't know why anyone should be shocked or surprised. A search in Google brings up any number of unlocked iphones for sale even in India where I am traveling on work and even the CNET's sponsored links had them. I know at least a half a dozen people in my limited circle here with the less than full featured iPhones .

As long as AT&T or their other international partners "looks" the other way Apple can have the cake and eat it too.

I will still not buy one as long as ATT (my carrier) forces me onto yet another expensive plan and kindly sells the phone at full price...

[Nodack]

AT&T is so mean

By that you must mean that the other carriers don't make you
sign up for an expensive plan. Which one of those several
carriers doesn't make you sign up for an expensive plan?

<cricket sounds>

I'm waiting.

[gmesaric]

Not necessarily a bad thing

Apple made a big mistake when introducing the Mac back in
1984. They did not license the technology, but kept it
proprietary. The result: The PC became the de facto standard,
even though (at least back then) inferior technology.

The large number of unlocked phones means that people really
like the iPhone. This is good. However, not everyone will want to
switch providers to get a new phone. What Apple might succeed
in with this business model is to optimize short-term results,
BUT mid- to long-term, an open business model for the iPhone
would be better (also for Apple) in my opinion.

Otherwise, who knows -- maybe Google will overtake the
iPhone in time...

[inachu]

Being unlocked is the way to to for 1.1.3

I am tired of being locked in and appple is dragging their feet preventing me from installing games on my iphone.
Game emulators and such are all the rage. Apple could care less.
Would like to see like a 3D shooting game from appple but as slow as they are I am sure this is like 3 to 5 years away.

[Maclover1]

One question..

Who really cares?

Honestly all these articles about who was first to do it, how the new fimrware bricked some....who cares.

You should have articles about people taking the tags off of their beds...it would be worth as much jounalistically.

[gp2792]

not the story of the year

i'll give you that, but it does matter to stockholders:

"For example, Sacconaghi said, if Apple hit its sales goal of 10
million iPhones by the end of fiscal 2008 but 30 percent of those
don't result in any carrier payments, its revenue and profit would
be $500 million and 37 cents per share lower than expected."

[Renegade Knight]

FCC Thinks It's not Yet Time?

The FCC isn't yet ready to back unlocked phones similar to how land lines work? The iPhone is a PITA to unlock and they still unlock them to use them on the network of their choice.