Originally Posted by
Perche
No, that's what I wish I had done. I bought it in September with a 2 year contract with AT&T. It was the only choice, because the one that I bought six months or so earlier was broke, and under a 2 year contract. If I had purchased an unlocked one, I'd be making payments for a year and a half for a non-working phone.
My choice now is, get the one that doesn't work fixed with a new screen for the third time, or find a way to buy an unlocked phone for when I'm in Italy, without having to pay $700. I leave in a week.
Honestly, at this point, I'm not even sure what you are asking from this forum. Your choices are pretty clear and all them cost you money; only you can decide how much you are willing to spend in order to accomplish your desired use case. Nobody here can decide that for you.
People already told you the options you have for "getting around iPhone lock" which is your threads title. If you want a carrier to subsidize your phone because you don't want or can't afford the upfront cost, than that is the deal you made. There really isn't a "way around it"
So, the options have been laid out and the ball is in your court. Good luck
Regards