unlocked

Unlocked iPhone 4 Coming This Week?
rumor mill

Unlocked iPhone 4 Hitting Apple Stores on Wednesday?

Update: Apple's unlocked iPhones went on sale a day early than expected.
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Update: Apple's unlocked iPhones went on sale a day early than expected. You can order your own unlocked iPhone 4 now on Apple's website.

Apple fans are chomping at the bit for new iPhone news, especially since there was no mention of the device at last week's WWDC keynote presentation, where the next generation iPhone has historically been announced. It's assumed that the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 4S as some are now calling it) will be unveiled this Fall alongside the launch of iOS 5. But instead of waiting a whole three to four more months for iPhone news, Apple may be throwing mobile addicts a bone this week — rumor has it Apple will begin stocking an unlocked iPhone 4 on its shelves this Wednesday.

Coming in white or black, and in 16GB and 32GB flavors, this may sound enticing to the average consumer (since you can take the phone to any carrier you want), there are some downsides. First, you'll be paying a huge up-front fee. Since you won't have to sign up for a contract with Verizon or AT&T, you can buy the phone outright, which will likely cost you several Benjamins (starting at $599 to be exact). Second, you don't really have that many choices. The only device Apple is rumored to be releasing unlocked is a GSM-compatible model, which gives you a choice of AT&T or T-Mobile for service.

There is an upside though. Find out what it is when you read more.

Would You Buy an Unlocked Phone?
Poll

Would You Buy an Unlocked Phone?

There's been a lot of hype surrounding yesterday's announcement of the HTC Nexus One, aka the Google phone, especially because Google plans to sell the phone unlocked — that is, not tied to one wireless carrier or contract plan.
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There's been a lot of hype surrounding yesterday's announcement of the HTC Nexus One, aka the Google phone, especially because Google plans to sell the phone unlocked — that is, not tied to one wireless carrier or contract plan. Presumably this will keep a lot of customers happy if the AT&T backlash from iPhone users is any indication. But the problem with selling a carrier- and contract-free phone is that it's much more expensive. If you purchase the Nexus One with T-Mobile (the only carrier currently offering a special pricing option), it'll cost you $179 with a two-year contract. Verizon will throw down its pricing options in the Spring, but, if you choose to forgo the wait and purchase the unlocked version of the phone, it'll cost $529, since there's no carrier to subsidize the phone cost.

I understand why the pricing works this way, but it is a hefty sum of money. In theory, the idea of an unlocked phone and the freedom that comes with it is great, but in practice, I don't know that I'd shell out that much cash for the privilege. Would you?

Verizon Wireless Offers Customers More Flexibility
News

Verizon Wireless Offers Customers More Flexibility

After spending some time in Europe, I absolutely loved the fact that I could use my T-Mobile SIM card in any phone.
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After spending some time in Europe, I absolutely loved the fact that I could use my T-Mobile SIM card in any phone. When I came back to the States, I was quickly reminded that I couldn't swap phones like I had grown accustomed to doing overseas.

With the recent announcement of Google's planned Android platform, networks are scrambling to keep current customers, while planning innovative solutions to attract new ones. Yesterday Verizon Wireless announced that it plans to open up its network to give customers the freedom to choose what cell phone they want to use. According to The New York Times, this is a huge advancement in the industry, especially for Verizon, which has been traditionally viewed as a stricter network.

Details and pricing are still being worked out.

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