I don't think it's going to prevent much. Unlockers are still unlocking today.
I agree, Garz. I can't see any enforcement action being taken against individuals who unlock their own devices.
I don't think it's going to prevent much. Unlockers are still unlocking today.
I think unlock service can still unlock if your phone was purchased before the new year. As of now chronic is still unlocking iphone.
Sent from my Nexus 4
... unlike software piracy, unlocking is not taking money out of someone else's pocket....
Not entirely true. While no individual loses money, both the device manufacturer and the carrier do. The carrier loses a customer and the manufacturer doesn't sell a second device for the customer's new carrier.
I think we need an official word from iMore: are we still allowed to help people looking to unlock, or does the taboo list get a new addition?
Not entirely true. While no individual loses money, both the device manufacturer and the carrier do. The carrier loses a customer and the manufacturer doesn't sell a second device for the customer's new carrier.
Not entirely true. While no individual loses money, both the device manufacturer and the carrier do. The carrier loses a customer and the manufacturer doesn't sell a second device for the customer's new carrier.
But if a customer gets upgrade pricing and leaves to go elsewhere, the carrier still charges their hefty ETF so they still get the money.
Apple still sells unlocked iPhones at retail so if person pays upgrade pricing and then ETF, it works out to be the same really.
Your statement is assuming that everyone who unlocks their devices leave their wireless carrier for another one. Some people simply want their devices unlocked so they can flash custom roms or make changes to their devices like remove carrier-related apps that they don't want.
If you have fully paid for your phone, the carrier will still unlock it.
If you however unlock your phone before you have fully paid for it, the carrier may now legally block your IMEI number if they so choose.
There will not be any police action against you, simply a loss of service and the inability to use your modified phone on any GSM network in the world.
Don't want to worry about this? Then buy your phone factory unlocked rather than carrier subsidized.
That doesn't mean that there aren't people who indeed unlock their devices "just in case". As for you reading in all instances that the people who wanted their phones unlocked were moving to another country or carrier, again, you're assuming that every iMore forum member who have unlocked devices created a post letting us know why they did it. But hey, I get what you're saying....(snipped)....
Here I confess platform ignorance. On the iOS side of things these factors never come into play - in the time I've been active on iMore, never have I read that someone wanted to unlock "just in case". In all instances the person was moving to another country/carrier.
Your statement is assuming that everyone who unlocks their devices leave their wireless carrier for another one. Some people simply want their devices unlocked so they can flash custom roms or make changes to their devices like remove carrier-related apps that they don't want.
Unlocking the device from the carrier and unlocking the device for custom roms are two different things.