Why do you go to your cell phone provider to have your phone unlocked?
It's certainly not to their benefit to do that so I can see why they would refuse to do that or charge you big bucks.
I just had an HTC phone unlocked via third party service - cost me $15.- and was all done over the net.
Didn't have to take the phone anywhere
Why do you go to your cell phone provider to have your phone unlocked?
It's certainly not to their benefit to do that so I can see why they would refuse to do that or charge you big bucks.
I just had an HTC phone unlocked via third party service - cost me $15.- and was all done over the net.
Didn't have to take the phone anywhere
Why? Because a carrier unlock is the only way to properly unlock an iPhone. Unlike most other phones, which unlock with a code, the iPhone can only be properly unlocked by Apple, via the carrier it was sold through.
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Why? Because a carrier unlock is the only way to properly unlock an iPhone. Unlike most other phones, which unlock with a code, the iPhone can only be properly unlocked by Apple, via the carrier it was sold through.
I guess the keyword here is "properly" because there are lots of sites and also 'free' instructions on the net by legitimate publishers like PC Wold how to unlock an iphone.
In retrospect I'm glad I didn't an iphone from Bell last time because I wanted a phone I could use with a European SIM card when I'm in Europe.
Never realized that I would need to go via Bell to unlock it to use a SIM card over there and then Bell decides to refuse.
The reason I didn't go with the iphone was because Bell forces you to buy the additional dataplan if you want an iphone, over a three year contract that adds up to a fair amount of change for a feature I would never use.
In general, being at the mercy of the cell phone provider in this case is sort of equivalent to Apple telling you you have to use the Apple Airport Extreme if you want to connect to a WiFi network with your Mac.
speaking of which, a simple side question.. if you have an iPhone with say Bell, You are done your 3 years term then decided not to renew or decided that you don't to deal with Bell anymore. what do you do with the iPhone?? if it's still locked to bell, why would anybody buy a used iPhone 4 from me and be locked to bell when they can just go to bell and get one.
I'm starting to weigh in options before the iPhone5 comes out...
Why? Because you'll sell it for less/no contract. That isn't obvious?
iPhones have a huge resale value, still.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacUnited
speaking of which, a simple side question.. if you have an iPhone with say Bell, You are done your 3 years term then decided not to renew or decided that you don't to deal with Bell anymore. what do you do with the iPhone?? if it's still locked to bell, why would anybody buy a used iPhone 4 from me and be locked to bell when they can just go to bell and get one.
I'm starting to weigh in options before the iPhone5 comes out...
Why? Because you'll sell it for less/no contract. That isn't obvious?
Not really.
If I get a three year contract with Bell, they charge $50.- for the iphone and I get the full iphone warranty.
If I buy an iphone from someone whose three year contract has expired, I'm getting a three-year old iphone, no warranty and I still have to sign up with Bell at $50.- minimum per month.
I don't see what buying a used iphone buys me especially if I cannot unlock it at a reasonable cost.
OK - so I don't have to sign up for three years, but what does that buy me, as soon as I switch from Bell to someone else, my iphone becomes useless.
All I can do is sell it to someone else who uses Bell.
If I get a three year contract with Bell, they charge $50.- for the iphone and I get the full iphone warranty.
If I buy an iphone from someone whose three year contract has expired, I'm getting a three-year old iphone, no warranty and I still have to sign up with Bell at $50.- minimum per month.
I don't see what buying a used iphone buys me especially if I cannot unlock it at a reasonable cost.
OK - so I don't have to sign up for three years, but what does that buy me, as soon as I switch from Bell to someone else, my iphone becomes useless.
All I can do is sell it to someone else who uses Bell.
That is my thought exactly..
on the other hand, maybe if you already have a bell contract with another phone and you wanted to swap between the two without having to buy another contract? I know that they charge like $30 dollars for a second sim card.
If I get a three year contract with Bell, they charge $50.- for the iphone and I get the full iphone warranty.
If I buy an iphone from someone whose three year contract has expired, I'm getting a three-year old iphone, no warranty and I still have to sign up with Bell at $50.- minimum per month.
I don't see what buying a used iphone buys me especially if I cannot unlock it at a reasonable cost.
OK - so I don't have to sign up for three years, but what does that buy me, as soon as I switch from Bell to someone else, my iphone becomes useless.
All I can do is sell it to someone else who uses Bell.
For sale:
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