Will Apple sell an unlocked 3G iPhone?

[robhon]

What's your opinion?

[BBGT2]

I got my money on NO !

[robhon]

I think yes. Double the price of the subsidized phone.

Here's why.

1) Because of all the reports that came out about "missing iPhones." Now everyone has hard data on how much revenue is lost to unlocked phones. It'll be an attempt to recapture some of the revenue. (Especially in a down market, to help stem losses from slowing iPod sales.)

2) China. China Mobile is not going to do revenue sharing. No way no how. But Apple needs the iPhone in that market without them going through black market channels. China is the largest market in the world for cell phones. There is a huge pent up demand there that Apple needs to capture soon before the opportunity slips away.

[IphoneTony]

wow good point

[patrickj]

I think yes also, in the markets where they're not tied to an exclusivity agreement like the US with AT&T. Their CFO has been making it more and more clear they are not married to any specific business model - seems likely they can adopt a 'horses for courses' strategy pretty soon ...

[Youngbinks]

Definitely not in the U.S. but it's quite likely elsewhere.

[Hayesimus]

there's a flaw to your logic. The iPhones we bought weren't subsidized. That was just the ONLY price. :P

[jslappa]

Well, it looks like Apple is going to be selling unlocked phones in Italy, since most of the users buy prepaid contracts with fully unlocked phones. My only question is this....If the Dev Team and the rest of the community can unlock the new iPhone, why buy one for $800, when you can get it in a locked state for $400, and unlock it in under 2 minutes?

Most of the readers here at EIC are not going to buy a high-priced unlocked iPhone when we can get it unlocked 2 weeks after it releases.

So my answer is.....who cares who they sell unlocked phones to, unless there is no price difference.

[styfle]

Originally Posted by jslappa

Well, it looks like Apple is going to be selling unlocked phones in Italy, since most of the users buy prepaid contracts with fully unlocked phones. My only question is this....If the Dev Team and the rest of the community can unlock the new iPhone, why buy one for $800, when you can get it in a locked state for $400, and unlock it in under 2 minutes?

Most of the readers here at EIC are not going to buy a high-priced unlocked iPhone when we can get it unlocked 2 weeks after it releases.

So my answer is.....who cares who they sell unlocked phones to, unless there is no price difference.

lol so true

[psylichon]

If they do, it will be great boon for those with the Ziphone/Pwn/Liberty "know-how" and basic Ebay skills.

I think they will overseas, but it won't do all that great.