What's the purpose of unlocking your 3G anyways? I mean you can't buy it w/out the contract, and since that's all flat rate you're paying for it anyways, so why try to use it on a different carrier?
It's called canceling contract within 30 days ( or after with ETF ) and keeping the phone...and hopefully not paying absurd fees for it. But..their contract does state an ETF of 175. So, I would cancel it on day 31, pay the ETF and be done with it. I dont know if ATT would send a collection agency after you for the difference of a no-contract iPhone (599/699)
By law all they can ask for is $175. They made the subsidized price $225 lower than the full retail price, which is probably close to their wholesale price. Sure, some people will do it, but between selling it with contract for the higher price and losing customers or having a few get an iPhone cheaper than retail it's a no brainer. Plus, AT&T isn't that worried about it since Verizon and Sprint are CDMA and T-Mobile 3G is still fledging and will not be compatible with the iPhone's channels.
BTW, you can cancel your contract before the 30-days. just say it's broken or lost, don't return it to the store and you're out of your contract that much sooner.
"BTW, you can cancel your contract before the 30-days. just say it's broken or lost, don't return it to the store and you're out of your contract that much sooner."
That's potentially a bad idea. At least here in Europe on our cell-networks, when you turn on a phone, it also tells the telecompany it's unique ID (serial number or something like that). Which means that if your phone gets stolen, they'll naturally lock the SIM card and send you a new one, but they can also look up (if you don't know the serial number or they don't have it on record) which phone was last used with your SIM card and brick the phone in question.
I don't know if this is done in America, or if it actually bricks the phone, or just blacklists it, but I sure as hell wouldn't take my chances on saying I'd have my phone stolen and hoping to be able to use it afterwards.
Just for the record the iphone uses a different 3G band than T-Mobile offers so even if people went through all of this trouble they wouldn't be able to get 3G use of of their iphone on anything other than AT&T.
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What's the purpose of unlocking your 3G anyways? I mean you can't buy it w/out the contract, and since that's all flat rate you're paying for it anyways, so why try to use it on a different carrier?
It's called canceling contract within 30 days ( or after with ETF ) and keeping the phone...and hopefully not paying absurd fees for it. But..their contract does state an ETF of 175. So, I would cancel it on day 31, pay the ETF and be done with it. I dont know if ATT would send a collection agency after you for the difference of a no-contract iPhone (599/699)
N41
Just because it is contract-free doesn't mean it is unlocked..
And think about roaming and second-hand phones..
@ Number_41,
By law all they can ask for is $175. They made the subsidized price $225 lower than the full retail price, which is probably close to their wholesale price. Sure, some people will do it, but between selling it with contract for the higher price and losing customers or having a few get an iPhone cheaper than retail it's a no brainer. Plus, AT&T isn't that worried about it since Verizon and Sprint are CDMA and T-Mobile 3G is still fledging and will not be compatible with the iPhone's channels.
BTW, you can cancel your contract before the 30-days. just say it's broken or lost, don't return it to the store and you're out of your contract that much sooner.
"BTW, you can cancel your contract before the 30-days. just say it's broken or lost, don't return it to the store and you're out of your contract that much sooner."
That's potentially a bad idea. At least here in Europe on our cell-networks, when you turn on a phone, it also tells the telecompany it's unique ID (serial number or something like that). Which means that if your phone gets stolen, they'll naturally lock the SIM card and send you a new one, but they can also look up (if you don't know the serial number or they don't have it on record) which phone was last used with your SIM card and brick the phone in question.
I don't know if this is done in America, or if it actually bricks the phone, or just blacklists it, but I sure as hell wouldn't take my chances on saying I'd have my phone stolen and hoping to be able to use it afterwards.
Dont report it lost. Your phone will be blacklisted.
Just for the record the iphone uses a different 3G band than T-Mobile offers so even if people went through all of this trouble they wouldn't be able to get 3G use of of their iphone on anything other than AT&T.