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Confirmed: AT&T offers complimentary unlock of in-contract iPhones for deployed military personnel
Finally. A bit of closure. AT&T has confirmed the long-lived speculation of its policy to unlock in-contract iPhones for our military men and women deployed overseas. To qualify for the complimentary service, active military members must have an account in good standing and provide the carrier with deployment verification -- that's it, no other hoops to jump through. The revelation was made today as part AT&T's new Device Unlock Portal, which allows off-contract iPhone owners to apply online to have their handsets unlocked. Previously, this unlock service was available only through the carrier's retail outlets, online chat support or by dialing 611. As a quick rehash of the non-military policy, all users -- either current or former AT&T subscribers -- must have completed their contractual obligations to AT&T, and the phone cannot be flagged as lost or stolen. All those eligible should certainly apply for the service, as an unlocked iPhone is infinitely more useful when traveling abroad -- a reality that deployed military members know all too well. [Military photo via Shutterstock]
PSA: AT&T now unlocking out-of-contract iPhones
In case you've been living under a rock (or enjoying the weekend holidays), AT&T on Friday revealed its plans to start unlocking out-of-contract iPhones. However, customers looking to take advantage of the deal will have to meet a few requirements first, which include having an account in good standing (so pay those past due fees before inquiring), a fulfilled contract, paid an early termination fee or that a handset upgrade was done. The unlocking process can be achieved at any brick-and-mortar shop, online via chat or by dialing AT&T's 611. For what it's worth, we tried this and found it to be pretty straightforward. In this writer's case, it only took about 40 minutes after the initial approval went through. The most tedious step was that required restore, after which we were greeted with a joyful "congratulations your iPhone has been unlocked" message. Still, users are reporting mixed results: depending on whose account you believe, AT&T is asking users to wait 72 hours, or telling folks the unlock will complete on April 16th. Be sure to let us know in the comments how it's all turning out for you.
AT&T's iPhone unlocking process simple but time-consuming
AT&T began unlocking iPhones this weekend. The unlocking process is being described as easy but long, according to a report on Electronista and forum posts at iMore. Customers only need to provide their phone's IMEI to AT&T online or in a store, and then they wait for Apple to unlock the phone. This wait period may be as short as a few minutes or as long as four to six days. Most customers are being told to expect to wait up to 72 hours for the unlock to go through Apple's system. Keep in mind that only iPhones that are out of contract are eligible for an unlock; alternatively, the customer can pay out the contract kill fee and then request the unlock. Phones that are still covered by a two-year AT&T agreement are not eligible.
AT&T to begin unlocking off-contract iPhones April 8
AT&T confirmed today that it will unlock customers' post-contract iPhones starting Sunday, April 8. AT&T told Engadget, Beginning Sunday, April 8, we will offer qualifying customers the ability to unlock their AT&T iPhones. The only requirements are that a customer's account must be in good standing, their device cannot be associated with a current and active term commitment on an AT&T customer account, and they need to have fulfilled their contract term, upgraded under one of our upgrade policies or paid an early termination fee. This is good news for customers who travel abroad. When they reach their destination, customers will be able to purchase a less-expensive SIM from a local carrier, instead of subscribing to an AT&T international plan. We've asked AT&T to clarify if this will be only for the iPhone 4S, or other models as well, but at this time haven't received a reply.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo review
Not every smartphone needs to be a Samsung Galaxy S II. There's plenty of room in the market for a reliable workhorse that delivers smooth productivity and media without maxing out your credit limit. The Xperia Neo aspires to precisely this grounded ambition, selling for £320 ($515) off-contract in the UK (or free on contract from £20 per month), versus £400 ($650) for its bigger-screened sibling, the Xperia Arc. For the money, you'll get a Gingerbread handset with a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 processor, 8 megapixel camera, and a 3.7-inch (854x480) display. The Neo rides a not-so-fine line -- it can be a trusty companion at best, or a cause of daily teeth-grinding at worst. Let's find out why. %Gallery-128197%
Palm Pre to run $549 off-contract
We'd ventured a guess that the Pre would run close to $500 off-contract, and it looks like we were in the ballpark -- Sprint customer service is apparently telling people that Palm's first WebOS device will run $549 without a two-year commitment. That's just off-contract, not unlocked, mind you, so don't get any ideas about throwing this thing on Verizon. We're guessing most people will sign the papers on June 6th and pay $199 after rebate, so don't get too worked up -- just know that living a life free of attachment and responsibility will cost you $549 upfront.[Thanks, Dustin]
O2 announces iPhone 3G Pay & Go pricing / launch date
We've known that a pay-as-you-go iPhone 3G plan was in the works at O2 since June, but the carrier has at long last fessed up and provided the formal introduction. The iPhone 3G Pay & Go plan will be live on September 16th, enabling users in the UK to purchase the handset sans contract for £349.99 (8GB) or £399.99 (16GB). Yeah, it's quite a bit more than free on contract, but those prices do include unlimited browsing and WiFi for the first 12 months after the phone is activated. Once that honeymoon ends, you're looking at £10 per month to keep browsing. Also of note, Visual Voicemail is conveniently omitted from Pay & Go phones, but if you're cool with that, you can get going in a fortnight by heading to your local O2, Apple or Carphone Warehouse store.[Via Stuff, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
