Mobile
Apple now selling iPhones without contracts
The days of contract-only iPhone sales appear to have drawn to a close, at least for now. “Effectively immediately”, the U.S. iPhone is available without an AT&T contract or ID and, of course, no subsidy. Still locked to AT&T, but if you really want an iPhone and really hate AT&T, you probably aren’t against jailbreaking.
No indication as to why they’re changing the policy, but a few theories are being floated. The obvious one is they’re cleaning out inventory ahead of the new model, though the limit of one per customer keeps that under tight control. Could also be a defensive move against Google and their unlocked Nexus One. Or maybe they’re just sick of complaints that you can’t buy one without an AT&T contract or showing your ID. Whatever the case, if you want to drop an extra $400 to get an iPhone without a contract, now you can.
Via 9 to 5 Mac with documented confirmation from Gizmodo
Brett Gilbertson
03/22/2010 at 10:31 pm
This is so strange to us down here in Austrlia. We have been able to purchase iPhones outright for some time, and we can happily switch between all four major carriers.
Sumocat
03/23/2010 at 9:12 am
Yeah, yeah. We also just made our first step towards universal health care, 35 years after you started. No need to rub it in.
Nameless
03/24/2010 at 11:42 pm
I hate to admit it, but the United States has a very lagging telecoms industry for a developed nation, and the carriers here have an obscene amount of control. Some say that even developing nations provide better service at a fraction of the cost.
Worse off, much of our coverage is CDMA, through Verizon and Sprint. CDMA carriers don’t use anything resembling SIM cards here, so forget about unlocked phones if they provide the only coverage around.
Then there’s the fact that people receiving calls burn through minutes like the calling parties, and…well, there’s too many frustrations for me to count in what should be the most technologically advanced nation in the world.