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AT&T and Apple Tightening Policies to Reduce iPhone Unlocking

Monday June 9, 2008 5:10 pm PDT by Eric Slivka
In the wake of Apple's iPhone 3G announcement and AT&T's press release detailing their new agreement with Apple, additional details are surfacing regarding the companies' attempts to reduce the number of customers unlocking their iPhones for use on other carriers.

Gizmodo spoke with AT&T's President of National Distribution Glenn Lurie, who revealed that all iPhone activations will take place in-store. This is in contrast to the current system in which customers may activate their iPhones from home using iTunes. Additionally, Reuters reports that AT&T has said that purchasers who do not activate their iPhones within 30 days will be subject to penalties. No details on these proposed penalties have been made public.
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Lucas44
48 months ago
hopefully this will help my current iphone keep some value so i can afford to buy the 3G phone!;)
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Spock
48 months ago
I would almost pay the full price to have the new iPhone unlocked, I cant stand AT&T
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pliskin
48 months ago
So even if you buy online you still have to activate in store? Smart for foot traffic (and accessory sales), but kinda of annoying really.
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jnyepu
48 months ago
Sounds pretty draconian. Apple and AT&T do have a right to protect their investment. People ain't gonna like this very much though. In the end, the iPhone's sheer momentum will prevail.
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gkarris
48 months ago
So there you go, all the people who said the old iPhone is worth next to nothing...

The old phones are good for unlocking...
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billandy
48 months ago
i can totally understand the subsidy att and other carriers pay, but there should after all be an officially unlocked sim-free iphone which could be sold at £269 or something. let's hope that turns out to be true after the initial launching period when there's just enough stock for the demand.
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elbirth
48 months ago

So even if you buy online you still have to activate in store? Smart for foot traffic (and accessory sales), but kinda of annoying really.


Not really, because you're not going to be able to buy it online at all it seems... I was looking forward to preordering today after the keynote, but it only refers you to where to go in person to buy it...
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BG-Mac
48 months ago

hopefully this will help my current iphone keep some value so i can afford to buy the 3G phone!;)


That's what I'm hoping for.. :D:D
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Jenheta
48 months ago
Every year Apple proves me that the devil lives in the details.

This itself makes the iPhone useless from my perspective. Thank God I got a refurb from AT&T months ago !
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Virgil-TB2
48 months ago

So even if you buy online you still have to activate in store? Smart for foot traffic (and accessory sales), but kinda of annoying really.

So far, the word is that you simply *can't* buy it online. Apple has said that it might let you buy it online "later" but for now, no dice.

From my point of view this is the last straw and I won't be buying one until at least that part changes.
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