iPhone 4 for Canada gets unlocked price: freedom is far from free

Sure, we in the US are pretty much stuck with AT&T when it comes to iPhone 4 indulgence, but Canada gets to pick -- for a price. We knew the of the option up north but not how much, and according to CBC News, that'll be $659 for 16GB, $779 for 32GB, and $549 for the 8GB iPhone 3GS. All Canadian dollars, of course -- the US conversion would be about $637 / $753 / $530, respectively. Carriers are still offering it up for a discount on contract, and to be perfectly honest, we think that's probably the route most people will take anyway. All the same, gotta love having a choice.

[pete42 Posted Jul 27th 2010 7:55AM]

im still unclear on this, but are the subsidized ones still going to be unlocked?

[canuck85 Posted Jul 27th 2010 2:26PM]

@pete42
No, the only phones that will be unlocked are the ones you buy from the Canadian Apple store at full price

[slikrik Posted Jul 27th 2010 8:00AM]

If Apple isn't required to adhere to a specific carrier internationally, why don't they make a CDMA version that could, outside of their authority, fall into the hands of an enterprising US resident? I'd pay $637 in a heartbeat to have one on Verizon (in Chicago where AT&T in my experiences is basically unusable), and I suspect a lot of other people would too.

[jkiellocey Posted Jul 27th 2010 8:06AM]

You can buy an iPhone unlocked here in the U.S... scroll down to the bottom of the page the iPhone page in the Apple Store (when it's running again) and you will see the prices, $499 for 8GB 3GS unlocked, $599 for 16GB iPhone 4 unlocked, and $699 for 32GB unlocked.

[jrox Posted Jul 27th 2010 8:40AM]

@jkiellocey
I don't think those are unlocked. Apple and ATT have a contract in the US. Those are simply unsubsidized prices, but still locked to ATT. Those are for people who lost or broke their phone yet are still not eligible for an upgrade type thing.

[pika2000 Posted Jul 27th 2010 3:06PM]

@jkiellocey
Those are no-contract price, still locked to AT&T. Yeah, we suck.

[ZIXTO Posted Jul 27th 2010 8:20AM]

wow apple still charges houses prices for iphone 4 thats crazy and they say apple are all about the customer yeah rite

[jrox Posted Jul 27th 2010 8:30AM]

I wonder if it will work on T-mobile USA.

[Thor e Posted Jul 27th 2010 8:32AM]

Or you can get a Palm Pre Plus for about $350 on ebay with a working antenna. Also a Droid for about $400. Tons of better options out there that does not make you into a mindless sheep.

[Alcibiades Posted Jul 27th 2010 9:08AM]

I don't know if I understand the appeal of unlocked, carrier agnostic phones in the US when...

1) Phone hardware isn't compatible across networks (maybe it is across VZW and Sprint)
2) Phone service pricing for smartphones across most carriers are very similar.

[Shlooky Posted Jul 27th 2010 9:26AM]

For that price they better jailbreak it too!

Happy we Canadians have a choice :-)

[CptnDriveThru Posted Jul 27th 2010 9:58AM]

So, the real question for me is, what's the name and number of the Apple Store chick in the above picture? I'm tired of the one-way meeting I have with her picture every time I step into the store.

[stockpile Posted Jul 27th 2010 10:22AM]

Oh no! Someone fed a mogwai after midnight!

[kEiThZ Posted Jul 27th 2010 11:41AM]

Engadget forgot the sales taxes.

What's the point anyway when the choice with the iPhone is restricted to the Big 3. Far better to go Android with one of the new entrants.

The device is only half of the customer experience equation.

[nthn2551 Posted Jul 27th 2010 12:41PM]

I don't think there's as big a need to unlock them in Canada as in other places since the three major carriers offer the phone.

[canuck85 Posted Jul 27th 2010 2:28PM]

@nthn2551
I think they should unlock them for you after 3 years at least...but on you're right, with actually 5 carriers (Bell, Rogers, Telus, Fido and Virgin) all carrying the iPhone you should be able to bargain with your carrier...the only downside is if its ur first phone.

[dougi Posted Jul 27th 2010 1:09PM]

so will this thing by US T-Mobile 3G compatible?

[danloca Posted Aug 1st 2010 4:02PM]

@dougi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDvMP9-61tk&feature=related

its working

[infamous1 Posted Jul 27th 2010 1:23PM]

Do you think I would be able to exchange a brand new never-activated AT&T iphone for the unlocked one on the 30th? (I live in Canada)

Do you think the apple store will let me?

The unlock/JB is taking forever :( They cant crack Facetime

[kidflobot Posted Jul 27th 2010 1:48PM]

the woman in the picture will lead us to purchase our phones sans the boner.

[bozzie10 Posted Aug 1st 2010 12:39PM]

Certainly worth it. Just add up what you pay on your 2 year contract!
With an unlocked phone you can just use a prepaid with a data option. Finish.

We in Europe have been able to buy unlocked iPhones for ages. In many counties it is illegal for Apple to lock their phones to any one carrier.

Sure you must insert a SIM to activate the phone. But this can be any SIM. A cheap prepaid here in Europe for instance. Then you can put in any other SIM with or without a contract at any time. We are not tied into any carrier.

I guess the Canadian system works the same, so when you go back to the States, you just put in any old US SIM card. I did this with my European iPhone when I visited last year.