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ZTE emerges from carrier shadows with direct sales strategy in UK
In spite of Nokia still reeling from its direct sales-induced hangover, ZTE is pursuing this very sales model with hopes of bolstering its brand recognition -- and it's going to start with the tea and crumpets crowd of England. Following a recently-inked deal, unlocked ZTE handsets will be sold to British consumers through Brightpoint's online and retail distribution channels. While far from mainstream (despite 60 million units sold in 2010), the Chinese manufacturer is looking to escape its private-label shackles and "become a household name synonymous with high quality smartphones and tablets." Of course, the company must contend with a trending consumer preference for carrier-subsidized handsets, blamed by the bigwigs in Espoo as the reason for Nokia's direct-to-consumer pains. Still, if the Shenzhen-based company finds any luck, Londoners will soon discover scores of Amigos, Blades and Skates popping up on the Tube. Hungry for more details? Just follow the link after the break for the full PR.
HTC rolling out unlocked bootloaders to select phones in August
HTC is rocking the world this Sunday evening with an announcement on its Facebook page, stating that, as promised, it's ready to begin rolling out unlocked bootloaders to the global HTC Sensation in August, followed by the Sensation 4G on T-Mobile and the EVO 3D on Sprint. The process is two-fold: first, HTC pushes a "maintenance release" to the phones, but this won't mean a thing until step two -- releasing the actual unlocking tool -- is complete in early September. This all sounds like a sure thing for the global HTC Sensation, but the major hurdle the company faces in the US is carrier approval. In order for it to push out the update, T-Mobile and Sprint first must give the final go-ahead for the Sensation 4G and EVO 3D, so nothing here is completely set in stone until then. Fortunately, HTC doesn't plan to stop there. According to its Facebook page, it will "continue rolling out the unlocking capability over time to other devices as part of maintenance releases and new shipments." There was no word on which handsets will receive the capability or when we can expect to see it. Naturally, with the tight grip US carriers have on subsidized handsets, it's possible you won't reap the benefits despite HTC's good intentions.
Xperia Arc hits the US unlocked and ready for action
The Xperia Arc is one the best handsets we've seen from Sony Ericsson, but US consumers have had to sit by and watch as the thing popped up in other markets around the world -- until now, that is. The unlocked AT&T-compatible quad-band 3G handset just hit Sony's store. The Gingerbread-packing smartphone has a 4.2-inch Reality Display, 512MB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera, and will start shipping tomorrow. The Xperia Arc will run you $600 -- that's the price you pay for contractual freedom.
Apple will reportedly re-launch unlocked iPhone 3GS in India
Indian website IT Pro says it's heard from Apple that the company will be relaunching the iPhone 3GS in an unlocked model to keep up with Indian demand for an Apple handheld. Back when the 3GS was first introduced in India, it was only available through a few carriers. Now, demand for iPhones is so high that Apple is simply going to relaunch the old model, this time allowing anyone to use it on any carrier in India. IT Pro notes Apple is being a little sketchy here by selling such an old phone as new ("India has become a dumping ground for Apple," they say), but Indian customers will probably be happy with the option to get an unlocked iPhone 3GS, as iPhone 4 units are still very hard to find. Price is another concern. The iPhone 4 in India costs the equivalent of about US$760, so a cheaper option will be popular even if it's a bit slower and clunkier. The iPhone 3GS still won't run cheap; the price is set at 19,990 rupees, or about $444.
Atrix 4G bootloader unlocked: you can hack it up today or wait for official Gingerbread update
The Atrix 4G is today an eminently more intriguing smartphone than it was yesterday. Leaked code from Motorola's upcoming Gingerbread update for the handset has made its way into the hands of the always-eager coders at xda-developers, which has resulted in two things: one, the discovery that Motorola intends to unlock the Atrix's bootloader when it upgrades it to Android 2.3, and two, downloadable files to let you do exactly that today, even if you're still stuck on Froyo. Moto users have been pleading for this change for a long time and Motorola did pledge to make it happen across its portfolio of devices, but it comes as a mild (and happy) surprise to see this change being effected retroactively. Check the links below to see how you can unchain your phone's bootloader if you can't wait for the official software to drop. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Nokia E6 hits Amazon unlocked, loaded, and available for pre-order
It isn't easy being a US-based Nokia fan in 2011. The Finnish handset manufacturer just doesn't get a lot of love from stateside carriers. Thankfully, however, the company's phones do pop up unlocked through sites like Amazon, which, as it so happens, has opened up pre-orders for the Symbian Anna-rocking E6. You can get your thumbs on the smartphone's QWERTY keyboard for $446, when it start shipping in one to two months, chock full of Ovi-branded goodness. [Thanks, Matthew]
Unlocked iPhone FAQ, including AT&T plan info (updated)
Updated with information about AT&T plans. As we posted earlier, Apple is selling an unlocked version of the iPhone in the US starting at US$649. To help clarify questions about this development, we've put together this little FAQ. We'll explain what the unlocked iPhone means to you as a customer and how you'll be able to use it both at home and abroad. This TUAW unlocked iPhone FAQ is a work in progress. You can help us out by correcting any errors you see. Just leave a comment or send us feedback on our contact page. What is locking? Locking (also called "SIM locking") is a limitation of some phones, preventing their use outside of the issuing carrier; it is generally implemented in software and phones can be 'unlocked' either by the carrier or by third parties. Until now, the US GSM iPhone has been exclusively locked to AT&T. Another iPhone model, which uses CDMA technology, is available from Verizon in the States; there is already a second US carrier (Cricket) supporting those phones via unlock. What has changed is that Apple now offers a GSM iPhone to US buyers that is not locked to a specific carrier. Many overseas carriers have offered unlocked iPhones before now; in fact, we're told that in the UK it is the act of selling the phone with a SIM on the same order that tags the phone's unique identifier as 'locked,' but the phone itself is unlocked at the factory and then locked in the sales process. The availability of unlocked US iPhones is likely to accelerate the worldwide liquidity of the device, as Horace Dediu puts it, since an unlocked iPhone can be taken to any GSM system worldwide. Is unlocking the same as jailbreaking? Jailbreaking is a process that opens the full underlying iOS operating system to end-user control ('breaking out' of the chroot jail, hence the term). It has been a pre-requisite for running third-party unlocking software until now. The new Apple unlocked iPhone does not require jailbreaking or third-party unlocks to be used with non-AT&T carriers. What carriers can you use with the unlocked iPhone? For right now, AT&T is a given for full iPhone compatibility. You can sign up for an AT&T plan with no term commitment with an unlocked unit, meaning that frequent travelers now have at least one officially-sanctioned option for temporary service; simply cancel your plan at the end of the month, and re-up on your next trip. AT&T spokesman Seth Bloom tells TUAW: You can, of course, buy an unlocked iPhone from Apple and use it on the AT&T network. If you do, there's no term commitment – and customers may choose any current voice and data plan. AT&T offers data plans starting as low as $15 per month for 250 MB of data. (You do still need to have both a voice and data plan.) Will the unlocked phone work with T-Mobile? Definitely on EDGE; not on 3G. Here's why. The iPhone uses SIMs, little cards that identify you as a carrier subscriber. For calls (rather than data), you can use any carrier that offers compatible GSM SIMs, including AT&T and T-Mobile. For data, it's not just about SIMs. It's about frequency. The iPhone 4 supports the following frequencies: UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA: 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz GSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz AT&T uses the 850 frequency for 3G. T-Mobile uses AWS; 1700 MHz for uplink, 2100 MHz downlink. The iPhone 4 doesn't do 1700 MHz, so you're stuck on EDGE if you put a T-Mobile SIM into it (or if, like our own Rich Gaywood, you roam onto the network when traveling). This is hardware antenna design, it's not firmware patchable in the iPhone. While future iPhones may be truly universal, the iPhone 4 is not. Where do I get SIMs? The iPhone 4 uses a microSIM, not a full-size (technically known as a 'mini') SIM. Carriers provide SIMs at their stores when you sign up for plans. You may need to use a SIM cutter in order to convert your full-sized SIM for iPhone 4 use if the store will not provide you with a microSIM. For developers who don't really need full phone and data plans, who just need a SIM that they can make a few incoming calls to test their apps, the very best plan is H2O Wireless. Their SIMs are for sale at Best Buy. For $10 you get $5 of airtime billed at very low rates, lasting for 90 days. You will have to cut the SIM down to fit it into the iPhone 4. As OS X Daily points out, you can also get an AT&T PAYG SIM (but you may be better off not telling the salesperson you have an iPhone). For information on prepaid SIMs available across the globe, this wiki is probably the best available reference. Who is the primary customer for the unlocked iPhone? This phone is perfect for frequent travelers, who want to use their iPhones when visiting other countries. They'll be able to buy and use local SIMs with locally-priced calling and data plans. You may want to carry a cutter with you, however, or buy one locally/have it shipped to you if you don't think you'll get the stapler-sized device through airport security. Our friend & former colleague Nik Fletcher has this handy guide to using your UK iPhone in the US; it's covering the use of the 3G iPhone but it should work just fine with the 4. AT&T has not yet confirmed whether any current pay-as-you-go plan is approved for use with the unlocked iPhone, so right now the only official option for US call and data with AT&T is a standard voice + data plan (you must have both; data plans start at $15 for 250 MB and voice plans at $40 for 450 minutes of call time). Because AT&T is not subsidizing the unit, you have no term commitment and can cancel your plan at any time. See below for Pay as You Go plans. We have contacted T-Mobile for comment but have not yet heard back about possible plans. If you are a subscriber of another US GSM carrier, like Cellular One, please let us know what they say about iPhone support. Developers will also buy the unlocked iPhone as a contract-free unit, allowing them to purchase a device for development without committing to a plan. What about Pay-As-You-Go? AT&T's tacit support for PAYG data plans on the iPhone ended in 2009, so keep that in mind as you read the following section. Right now AT&T's data plans for PAYG are not confirmed as available for the iPhone. The 100 MB data pack costs $15 if you buy it atop a prepaid plan. You can swap a PAYG SIM into an unlocked iPhone 4 (or, for that matter, a locked one) but there may be some hoops to jump through to get data. All that to say, there's no official support for PAYG on the iPhone 4, but it mostly works. If you want data, sign up for a normal iPhone contract -- keeping in mind that you cannot get a data-only or voice-only plan from AT&T right now, you must get both. As mentioned, AT&T has not yet clarified its policy on unsubsidized phones, so you may need to negotiate or you will be locked into a 2-year contract complete with cancellation penalties sans subsidies. AT&T has confirmed that there is no term commitment for these plans and you may cancel at any time. It's clearly cheaper to sign up for a $15 monthly data plan than a PAYG data plan, but then you're saddled with a $40 voice plan you probably don't need. TUAW reader Fruit Attack adds: [The] AT&T GoPhone data package has become pretty reasonable, $25 for 500 MB. Expiration is 30 days. The downside is that you have to refill every month to keep the unused data bucket rolling. In theory you can buy a big bucket ($25 for 500 MB) in the first month and refill $5 (for 10 MB) by the end of the month to roll over the unused MBs. It's actually a pretty affordable solution. AT&T does not officially support iPhone on their GoPhone plan, so don't bother going to the AT&T store or phone for any sign-up help and support." He recommends this write-up about activating your data service. Got suggestions for T-Mobile plans? Other carriers like CellularOne? Let us know! Why is an unlocked iPhone almost $700? That's the "real" price of the Apple iPhone. Carriers subsidize that "price," offering you contracts in exchange for a much lower price tag. When you buy without a contract, you pay full freight. You may ask what the real price differential is between the equipment in an iPhone and, say, an iPod touch, but that's not the way that carriers work. They have a "price." They have contracts. They have you. Can I unlock my AT&T iPhone 4 when I am out of contract? AT&T's website says: "iPhone cannot be unlocked, even if you are out of contract." We have contacted AT&T for more details in case this information has changed. Got more questions? Put them in the comments!
Apple starts selling unlocked iPhone 4 for $649
Not that it'll do you much good in the US -- an unlocked iPhone 4 will still only work on AT&T's 3G bands -- but Apple has just started selling its prized smartphone without any carrier partiality on its US online store. The big attraction is, of course, being able to take the phone abroad and switch MicroSIMs to your heart's content, an experience that most other nations are already well accustomed to. Additionally, though the $649 (16GB) and $749 (32GB) levies may seem rather steep for American buyers, they're quite a bit more affordable than the unlocked pricing elsewhere. You can have yours within three business days if black's your color, or three to five if you're after the snow white one.
Nova Media's iCON 461 USB modem is unlocked for globe-trotting commitmentphobes
Unlocked 3G modems aren't something you see everyday. Sure, Zoom has been hawking the dongles for some time, but they're primarily of the tri-band variety -- Nova Media's iCON 461 does those one better by going quad-band and throwing in GPS for good measure. The globe-trotting "3G surfstick" supports 7.2Mbps HSPA on the 850, 900,1900, and 2100 bands (that would include AT&T here in the ol' US of A) and can handle EDGE at 850, 900, 1800, and 1900MHz (hello, T-Mo). In addition to a slot for your GSM SIM there's also a place to stick a microSD card, in case you need someplace to store that leaked copy of David Comes to Life. The iCON 461 comes in two versions: Mac-compatible with launch2net Premium for €179 (about $248), and Windows-friendly with uCan Connect for €149 (roughly $215).
HTC officially dissolves locked bootloader policy
The homebrew community may mourn HTC's Thunderbolt, Incredible S, Sensation and EVO 3D, but the company's controversial policy of locking bootloaders is no more. Following a tease yesterday, HTC CEO Peter Chou has decreed from on high -- namely, HTC's Facebook page -- that future devices will be open. There has been overwhelmingly customer feedback that people want access to open bootloaders on HTC phones. I want you to know that we've listened. Today, I'm confirming we will no longer be locking the bootloaders on our devices. Thanks for your passion, support and patience. We're holding out hope that this policy will also be retroactive, but this is very welcome news regardless. Ball's in your court, Motorola.
HP Pre 3 listed for pre-order on Amazon.de: €449 for the best of webOS
We're not dealing with price estimates anymore, here's an honest-to-goodness pre-order for the HP Pre 3. Amazon Germany, a traditionally quick retailer to put device listings up, has added the webOS 2.2 QWERTY slider to its online catalog at a price of €449 ($640) -- though availability is predictably undefined for now. Lest your memory needs a refresher since the Pre 3's announcement back in February, this is a 3.6-inch smartphone with a WVGA (800 x 480) resolution, a 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8x55 processor, 512MB of RAM, and a pair of cameras, the rear of which can record 720p video and 5 megapixel stills. To fill the time until a launch date is made known, why not consult our handy chart for a detailed look at how else the Pre 3 improves on its Pre-decessor. [Thanks, Timo]
Motorola promises unlocked bootloaders for future Android phones? (update)
Android users have spoken, and maybe, just maybe, Motorola actually heard -- AusDroid claims to have a statement direct from the mobile phone manufacturer promising unlocked bootloaders later this year: We completely understand the operator requirement for security to the end user, and as well, want to support the developer communities desire to use these products as a development platform. It is our intention to enable the unlockable/relockable bootloader currently found on Motorola XOOM across our portfolio of devices starting in late 2011, where carriers and operators will allow it.Wonderfully corporate of them to pass the buck to the carriers, no? This quote comes by way of a gentleman who petitioned Moto for just such a thing, mind you, so please take it with a grain of salt, and you'll be the first to know if we get confirmation from Motorola itself. Update: AusDroid managed to get in touch with Motorola North Asia, and it sounds like we're looking at the truth -- let's see if Sanjay Jha agrees when he wakes up tomorrow morning.
Motorola will upgrade your Xoom to 4G LTE -- even if you've rooted it
Happy news for Android tinkerers everywhere -- Motorola has officially confirmed it will attempt to perform its 4G upgrade on all Verizon Wireless-riding Xoom tablets it receives from users, whether they've been rooted, repainted, or accessorized with fluffy dice. Naturally, the company can't guarantee successful software updates on devices that have had their OS tweaked, so it asks users to be kind and rewind to the original firmware state. For those unwilling to stretch that far back, Moto will still give it a shot and says that it'll install the 4G LTE modem at a minimum. What a refreshingly open-minded attitude. Now if Moto could give us an open-minded bootloader on its phones as well, we'd be all set.
Dell Venue ready to order now for $500 unlocked, shipping February 18th
In classic Dell fashion, the company's most legitimately appealing Android handset yet has just gone up for sale with nary a peep marking its arrival. If you'll recall, the US announcement for the Venue wasn't exactly overloaded with facts and figures, we were basically told that it's coming, and hey, here it is now! A cent under $500 buys you an unlocked Android 2.2 device -- with either AT&T or T-Mobile 3G bands, your choice -- equipped with a 4.1-inch WVGA AMOLED display, an 8 megapixel camera, and some of the best looks on any smartphone yet. The preliminary shipping date we're seeing is February 18th, let's hope that's a much more concrete number than we've experienced with the Venue Pro, eh? [Thanks, Spiridon and Tanjot]
Second-gen CherryPad rumored to feature better specs for a bigger price tag
After seeing Android tablets galore at CES, it seems strangely fitting that a device bearing the CherryPad moniker could top off this month's tablet news dog pile. Specifically, Mobile Magazine is sharing "unconfirmed details" about a new 7-inch Cherry-branded tablet that's said to run Android 2.2 "at a minimum" and feature a 1024x600 capacitive multi-touch display, front and rear three megapixel cameras, a 1GHz Cortex A8 cpu, and either 8 or 16GB of flash memory. Other goodies on the sequel's spec list include an integrated HDMI output, accelerometer, microSD slot and even an unlocked GSM antenna. Unfortunately, these enhancements won't be available at the old CherryPad's $200 price point -- which was pretty much the only thing the original had going for it. Instead, the new device is rumored to cost $300 to $400. The same source also reports that an official announcement is expected in just a few weeks, so in the meantime, we'll pass the hours debating whether it makes more sense to name tablets after fruits or rocks.
HTC 7 Pro now available on O2 Germany, €22 monthly or €599 up front
Not that we had any reason to doubt O2 Germany's Twitter account, but a formal press release does help ease our few concerns. The HTC 7 Pro is now official on the European carrier for the asking price of €29 down and 24 months of €22.50. If you want to rip the proverbial band-aid off faster, it's also available for a €599 flat fee -- both of those without SIM lock. The rest of the world? We imagine it's just a matter of time before HTC offers this through its other channels.
Dell Venue announced for the US, will be sold unlocked
We knew the Dell Venue was coming stateside, but now we know it. Dell has announced the phone for our fine country at its CES 2011 press conference, although it failed to mention a price, a release date, or anything else very helpful. Right now Dell doesn't have a carrier partner, so they're planning on selling the handset unlocked from Dell.com. Apparently they're flirting with the idea of a T-Mobile version, but the unlocked model won't have the T-Mobile 3G bands -- basically, it's an unlocked AT&T phone that AT&T hasn't blessed. Oh, and just in case you forgot the specs: WVGA 4.1-inch AMOLED screen, 8 megapixel camera, Android 2.2, and a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8250 processor. Got it? Good, now we wait.
Samsung launches improved network config tool for unlocked Windows Phone 7 handsets
Out of the box, many Windows Phone 7 devices aren't really equipped to deal with the reality that you might want to use a network other than the one the phone launched on. The oversight sort of makes sense since Microsoft's launches have been closely tied to carriers so far -- but it's still an oversight that needs to be fixed on the double. Indeed, they're working on a fix -- probably to be included in future firmware revisions, we'd guess -- but in the meantime, Samsung has followed HTC's and LG's suit by releasing an app that keeps your MMS functional when you insert a third-party SIM. The version that Sammy had let loose previously apparently didn't work too well, but an update this week promises to handle its business a little better -- though as you might expect, it explicitly warns you that it may not work if you're on a contract (and presumably locked) phone.
Nexus S sees UK SIM-free price chopped to £430, Best Buy's Christmas deliveries not so guaranteed
The UK price for the Nexus S just became a whole lot (nearly 22 percent) more attractive, thanks to the Carphone Warehouse slashing the SIM-free purchase option to a sweet £429.99 ($668). Contract-saddled pricing has also taken a tumble, as the Nexus S can now be had for free on two-year agreements costing £30 ($47) per month. Good news all around, then, but be aware that the handset is now listed as being on back order, having been "in stock" earlier in the week. Speaking of delays, we're also hearing Best Buy's guaranteed Christmas delivery -- something proudly signposted on the Nexus S online order page -- might very well miss Santa's delivery window. A couple of our readers have received emails from the retailer advising them that their Gingerbread packages will be shipped "within the next 1-2 weeks," but might not get there by December 24th. So happy holidays and best of luck! [Thanks, Taylor and Rod]
Dell US now offering Streak unlocked with Froyo, in Cherry Red
We knew good and well that Android 2.2 was sneaking out and making itself active on Dell's unlocked Streak units, but now it seems that the backlog of older units has been cleared. That has made way for new stock over at Dell's US site, with a 16GB Carbon Black unlocked Streak going for $579.99 with Froyo from the factory; the 32GB model is listed at $678.99. Curiously, that 16GB model is $30 more than what the unlocked Android 1.6 model went for back in August. Also, we're left to assume that even the "unlocked" models will still be SIM-locked to AT&T, though Dell does play up the fact that unlocked Streaks can be used as a mobile hotspot for up to eight WiFi-enabled devices without ponying up extra to Ma Bell. In related news, the long-awaited Cherry Red Streak is also on sale in the US of A, but you'll have to flip to page two down in the source link in order to find the 32GB and unlocked variants. Good luck wading through the options, champ. [Thanks, Jar Jar Binks]
