Unlocking may be USELESS anyway...

[DaveGee]

I was just reminded of this from someone in another forum...

Lets say the iPhone does get unlocked.. It wouldn't exactly be 'shocking' to most since anything that's locked can be unlocked. Lets say you can get the sucker to work on 'insert your carrier'. What do you think is going to happen once Apple rolls out it's first software update/feature bump... Yep... it'll probably get RE-LOCKED... at which you'll be phoneless OR you'll have to forever live without any updates... Until whatever re-locking Apple does gets circumvented...

Having an unlocked phone isn't going to be fun for people trying to workaround the system...

Dave

 

[ps49556n]

I was just reminded of this from someone in another forum...

Lets say the iPhone does get unlocked.. It wouldn't exactly be 'shocking' to most since anything that's locked can be unlocked. Lets say you can get the sucker to work on 'insert your carrier'. What do you think is going to happen once Apple rolls out it's first software update/feature bump... Yep... it'll probably get RE-LOCKED... at which you'll be phoneless OR you'll have to forever live without any updates... Until whatever re-locking Apple does gets circumvented...

Having an unlocked phone isn't going to be fun for people trying to workaround the system...

Dave

Good points, I agree with you about Apple being able to re-lock their phones and wouldnt be surprised if they have this planned. I couldnt imagine features like visual VM would work on another carrier, GIVEN you could unlock the phone.

 

[xUKHCx]

There is a difference between unlocked and hacked. I believe that is law in many countires that phones must be able to be unlocked by the phone providers. If the phone is offically unlocked then it won't be a problem, if however the phone is hacked to be unlocked then you will probably run into problems like these.

 

[tasslehawf]

I bet you there will be this HUGE network of people using the iphone on another GSM carrier. In fact, some enterprising unlocked iphone user with start their own underground GSM piggyback network to support all the unlocked iphone users.

The first rule of the 'unlocked iphone carrier' is that you don't talk about the 'unlocked iphone carrier'

Actually, it could turn into this huge open source movement where people are writing their own drivers and software to run this thing off the ATT grid.

 

[ps49556n]

There is a difference between unlocked and hacked. I believe that is law in many countires that phones must be able to be unlocked by the phone providers. If the phone is offically unlocked then it won't be a problem, if however the phone is hacked to be unlocked then you will probably run into problems like these.

In America, federal states that it is LEGAL for consumers to unlock their phones, BUT there is no provision or law that requires manufactures to allow it or make it possible.

 

[tasslehawf]

There is a difference between unlocked and hacked. I believe that is law in many countires that phones must be able to be unlocked by the phone providers. If the phone is offically unlocked then it won't be a problem, if however the phone is hacked to be unlocked then you will probably run into problems like these.

I have a feeling the Apple may be forced not to sell the phones in countries that force manufacturers to sell unlocked phones in their countries. Let the lawsuites begin!

 

[DaveGee]

There is a difference between unlocked and hacked. I believe that is law in many countires that phones must be able to be unlocked by the phone providers. If the phone is offically unlocked then it won't be a problem, if however the phone is hacked to be unlocked then you will probably run into problems like these.

Close... well kinda sorta...

Speaking for the US only... The DMCA that President BJ signed into law has among MANY OTHER THINGS made attempting to UNLOCK/HACK a locked cell phone into an UNLOCK cellphone "AGAINST THE LAW". Just recently a number of EXEMPTIONS have been added to that Act - among them is a statement that makes attempting to or actually unlocking a cell phone LEGAL. Praise the heavens above!!

It does noting to FORCE a cell phone provider to UNLOCK a phone - No provider can be forced to do that (unfortunately) but you just can't get in trouble for doing it or paying someone else to do it.

It also say nothing when it comes to the issue of a cell phone company that tries re-lock a perviously unlocked cell phone... Tho to the best of my knowledge nobody has (yet) done something like that... It'll be interesting when one of the providers tries to pull something like that... Talking about 'letting the lawsuits fly'?!?! The skies will be FILLED with em! :LOL:

Dave

 

[xUKHCx]

Well when i said many countries i meant outside the US

After a little research it seems that it is indeed law in some countries (Holland for example) and even further in some countries it is actually illegal to sell unlocked phones in the first place.

 

[tasslehawf]

Well when i said many countries i meant outside the US

After a little research it seems that it is indeed law in some countries and even further in some countries it is actually illegal to sell unlocked phones in the first place.

I've read in this forum that its illegal to sell locked phones in Belgium. Isn't that also true in the UK?

 

[xUKHCx]

I've read in this forum that its illegal to sell locked phones in Belgium. Isn't that also true in the UK?

Phone companies can sell locked phones in the Uk, almost all of them do. However every phone i have received from 02 has been unlocked. In the past whenever a member of my family wants a phone unlocked i have just called the service provider and they have given me the codes. The Uk is becoming more and more a part of Europe so and with the iPhone release coming this way I am not really sure what apple is going to do in this regards, unless they specifically don't sell the phones in the countries which totally ban sim lock and make the service providers not give out the codes. The UK/ europe phone market is very different than the states from what i have been reading on these forums and i think apple will have a real problem with the iPhone unless the start to change things, such as 3G/MMS for example and the prices.

 

[tasslehawf]

Phone companies can sell locked phones in the Uk, almost all of them do. However every phone i have received from 02 has been unlocked. In the past whenever a member of my family wants a phone unlocked i have just called the service provider and they have given me the codes. The Uk is becoming more and more a part of Europe so and with the iPhone release coming this way I am not really sure what apple is going to do in this regards, unless they specifically don't sell the phones in the countries which totally ban sim lock and make the service providers not give out the codes. The UK/ europe phone market is very different than the states from what i have been reading on these forums and i think apple will have a real problem with the iPhone unless the start to change things, such as 3G/MMS for example and the prices.

SJ is clearly one of the most brilliant minds in business in the last 30 years (I an not being sarcastic; and I'm not saying this as a fan-boi). I'm sure he will or already has a strategy for europe that will ensure his vision of the iphone is upheld.

 

[sananda]

I've read in this forum that its illegal to sell locked phones in Belgium. Isn't that also true in the UK?

my present phone was locked to t-mobile uk. i had to pay someone to unlock it so that i could put in a thai sim card when i was staying in thailand for a while.

 

[worldcitizen88]

It should be interesting reading the first post from someone who did unlock the phone to use on another carrier and find that it doesn't work at all. What other cell phone outhere right now requires you to register it through a program like iTunes. Face it, you're stuck with AT&T you have a really expensive thing that won't work. Will this poor chap blame Apple, AT&T or themselves?

 

[carfac]

It may not even be the software update that relocks your phone...

Consider. You must ACTIVATE the iPhone through iTunes. It has been stated that if it is not activated, it will be a brick and NO functions will work.

It would not take much to have iTunes verify your activity state every time you sync. Or, cache the state if you decided to be tricky and sync with your broadband off.

I would fully expect iTunes to shut down any phone not currently activated.

 

[DaveGee]

Well when i said many countries i meant outside the US After a little research it seems that it is indeed law in some countries (Holland for example) and even further in some countries it is actually illegal to sell unlocked phones in the first place.

Hmmm must be nice living in a country with freedom...

 

[ladeer]

It may not even be the software update that relocks your phone...

Consider. You must ACTIVATE the iPhone through iTunes. It has been stated that if it is not activated, it will be a brick and NO functions will work.

It would not take much to have iTunes verify your activity state every time you sync. Or, cache the state if you decided to be tricky and sync with your broadband off.

I would fully expect iTunes to shut down any phone not currently activated.

Absolutely IMPOSSIBLE.

Apple will NOT lock a phone that has its sim card removed or no longer active on a ATT contract. Why? Let's say if I upgrade to a new phone or cancel my plan after a year, I can't use the iPod feature anymore??

Once I buy an iPhone, you telling me I can only use the iPod function of it for as long as I am using the Phone? That's absolutely ridiculous considering people upgrade to new phone quickly, for me, less than a year.

Plus, ATT does not penalize existing customers for buying iPhone within contract. A customer with 4 month left to be eligible for upgrade, after buying iPhone, will still have 4 month left to be eligible for upgrade (not 2 years), since iPhone is sold at full price. So why will ATT wants a customer to buy a new phone from them yet not let them use the old phone's iPod?

(This is true from the leaked internal att manual)

 

[killerrobot]

In Spain, almost everyone just buys phones from a retailer that is unlocked and then shops around for the best plan for them. Even if you buy from a phone company, I'm still pretty sure it's unlocked and all that is ever switched out is the SIM card if you switch providers.

I'm not sure what the technical "legal" stance is, but no one (yes, I know that's a huge assumption on my part but I'm standing by it) would buy a phone here if it were locked.

@ladeer -- I wouldn't put it past Apple and AT&T to have worked it out so that you can't use all the other functions if you're not under the contract -- they both want all the money possible out of this.
But that does make you wonder what will happen when the next rev comes out and people want to upgrade. Will they be left with a $600, 6 month old brick?