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Apple Stores Can Now Unlock New AT&T iPhone 4 (for a price)

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Customers who buy new iPhone 4s at Apple retail stores may be given an AT&T version that’s unlocked on the spot at an Apple retail store should the store run out of the unlocked model, which suggests that Apple has the capability of unlocking the AT&T edition of the GSM iPhone 4 units. According to 9to5 Mac, if Apple retail stores are short of unlocked iPhone 4 units, they can grab an AT&T iPhone and the checkout system can unlock the device if the customer pays the full, unsubsidized price for the phone.

While Apple has sold iPhones in the U.S. without a contract at full retail price in the past, they were only able to sell AT&T-locked iPhone units. Now, with a retail system that can potentially either lock a phone to AT&T, or unlock the phone if a user pays full price, Apple can essentially stock fewer models of the iPhone going forward to avoid having to maintain inventories for each individual model, whether they’re locked or unlocked iPhone units, and still give customers what they want at the point of sales.

With Apple rumored to be migrating AT&T and Verizon onto the same iPhone model in the future with the next iPhone–as the iPhone would utilize Qualcomm’s Gobi chip which allows for GSM and CDMA radios to be on the same unit–Apple can potentially stock one iPhone model and sell it as a Verizon unit, an AT&T unit, or an unlocked unit at its sales terminal.

An unlocked iPhone 4 would be beneficial to those who travel overseas and would rather get a local SIM card at their destination rather than pay AT&T roaming. Though users can potentially use a T-Mobile USA SIM card inside the iPhone 4, doing so would default the iPhone 4 to a 2G EDGE mobile data connection, rather than the HSPA 3G connection as the iPhone 4 lacks the radio support for T-Mobile USA’s 3G and 4G HSPA+ network.

Via: 9to5 Mac

21 Comments

21 Comments

  1. Deepak Subbarao

    07/02/2011 at 11:46 am

    Hey Guys, is it possible that apple unlocks the previously non contract fully paid iphone 4 as well ? 

    • John22s

      07/05/2011 at 10:03 pm

      That’s my question, too. Did u find out? In going in to an AT&T store soon to find out.

      • Sivan Hermon

        10/16/2011 at 7:25 am

        That’s also my question :) Did any of you guys find out?

    • Avinash

      01/04/2012 at 8:41 pm

      I have a non contract phone purchased 6 months back can apple store unlock it . please let me know

    • Ninon

      04/13/2012 at 6:33 pm

      They are unlocking .If and only if you done with contract thing or fully paid , I unlocked my iphone4 fully paid after 3 months

  2. Starlight

    07/12/2011 at 9:22 pm

    hie…i am having iphone got it from At&t can this iphone4 work in pakistan..i mean do i have 2 unlock
     it?

    • Nadeem khan

      05/26/2012 at 4:55 am

      yar tummhai pata chalay tu mujy b bata dena.mera b yahi masla hai..lazmi mujy mail kr dena bhai

  3. Aftabchaudhry

    07/17/2011 at 11:44 pm

    I paid the full, unsubsidized price for the iphone 4 can i have it unlocked at the apple store where I purchased the iPhone 4 ?

    • Lena

      12/08/2011 at 4:05 pm

      bitch

  4. unloack iphone free

    10/22/2011 at 5:04 am

    unloack iphone jailbreak freee :)

  5. Iphonehustle

    01/13/2012 at 2:30 pm

    You can tell the writer actually  knows about the hardware, but as far as the unlocking at the store.   I would say that it depends on two things.  Is the first the sell the iphone the onlu time they can mark it for locked or not and the second is the attitude of the employee

  6. Vysakhcbg

    02/13/2012 at 4:11 am

    ooooooooo my friends i have also one apple 4 i phone , i just purchase a second hand one by ebay , any its locked one i cant use any sim card , how to unlock this one plz help me 

  7. Marble Intel

    03/15/2012 at 10:34 am

    The bastards should be sued for selling a thing when in fact they really keep the ownership of it.

  8. Dr. Hamid

    05/19/2012 at 7:10 pm

    I find the politic of Apple management for selling of locked iPhone is very uncorrect. My son is 16 years old; he saved his money for two years and bought an IPhone 4 from USA for 761 USD. He brought it to Iran. Because of insufficient informion, he bought iPhone 4 locked to your network ( AT&T), and he could not use it. We will be very grateful and thankful, AT&T solves the problem of my son. Would you please explain us, what do you need for unlocking of the iPhone 4 of my son? Best regards, Hamid Email: hamid864(AT) gmail.com

    • Vesprada

      09/23/2012 at 7:01 pm

      Hello, you can unlock your iphone by going to the ATT website and going under ¨unlock my iphone¨ on the right hand side. Just fill out the information and they will send you an email on how to unlock it…hope this helps you out….Arlene

  9. Dr. Hamid

    05/19/2012 at 7:22 pm

    Uncorrect politic of Apple Management!
    I find the politic of Apple management for selling of locked iPhone in this way is very uncorrect. My son is 16 years old; he saved his money for two years and bought an IPhone 4 from USA for 761 USD. He brought it to Iran. Because of insufficient informion, he bought iPhone 4 locked to network ( AT&T), and he could not use it. I think 1000 of people have the same problem.
    Here I’d like to criticize the apple management, with this uncorrect policy the Apple Management makes 1000 of opponents for the self, it not good for the future of Apple.
    regards, Hamid Email: hamid864(AT) gmail.com

  10. Bilal

    06/28/2012 at 2:48 am

    Hii ,
    Is there anyone know how to unlock iphone 4 ?
    Does it work in Qatar( Middle East ) ?
    If anyone know then please contact me on my email ; [email protected]
    Thanks !!

    • anna

      07/09/2012 at 4:08 pm

      hey i have an iphone 4 and i took it with me to italy but it didnt work so i searched online and found this website unlockatt.com they emailed me in 24 hours saying my phone is unlocked and to connect it to itunes. it worked and my iphone is unlocked!

  11. Rebeca

    09/14/2012 at 5:29 am

    Hi,
    I found a way to unlock almost any att iphone. I used an unlocking service from https://www.attiphoneunlocking.com – they unlocked my iphone in a few hours permanently.

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