after the free unlock was released the SIM unlocked phones are already dropping under the 600usd mark.

i expect them to sell for 500usd next week and drop further down.

dp

Probably not. Wonder if their agreement with ATT requires them to thwart the unlocking if possible, though? It does seem like Apple pressed ATT a lot more in this deal. Normally it's the phone network operator in the driver's seat, but with this one all bets are off. So, they sell the phone locked, and someone comes along and unlocks it, well, "We don't support that" (but with an implied "But we're not going to stop it") may well be the road they take.

So, historically the maring on the iphone was 320$ or so, so with the 200$ price drop, that is now 120$ or so. The meat, was the revenue share on:

ACTIVATION
DATA PLAN
VOICE PLAN

all of which were unprecidented for a hardware company

Now that the margin is just about 25%, I don't think this is such a good deal, but I ALSO don't think that many will do the non-activation dance. Apple has a bit of a problem in that they don't capture activation information at the time of iphone order from apple or apple.com, but they require it when signing up for itunes and activating the phone.

I don't really see an huge unlock option for buying a phone, but NEVER activating it with ATT. Has anyone been able to BUY A phone, run the SIMUNLOCK, activate on itunes with a third party sim and NEVER sign up with ATT?

So, for apple if the WORLD went this way, it would be a major revenue hit.

Not to mention the fact that their Revenue Recognition practice on the iphone is to spread all revenue over 24 months, the anticipated life of the ATT service contract.

So, WOW 120$, now spread over 24 months is going to be NO NICE pop to MRR or per share earnings.

Thousands have already.

Bought one from apple store last night. The availability of free sim unlocking pushed me over the edge. Spent about 3 hours unlocking it as i had one technical hurdle. The process is not for the faint of heart but if you are technically savvy you should be able to do it.

The phone is working now with my TMobile SIM. PM me if you are trying to unlock and have questions...

yes.

Moved to separate Thread.

which process and technique did you use?

I now have three; one I did with TurboSIM and two with iUnlock. The all work the same.

I use Anapod exclusively with my Ipod since it is a vastly better program than Itunes. Has anyone gotten Anapod to work with an iPhone yet? Or any other progam other than Itunes?

I tried it, but only for video, and it didn't work.

The $100 credit for early adopters is now available on the Apple website.

Just a tip for anyone who reads this:

Although the T&C's of this credit state that it cannot be used at the iTunes store or fore electronic gift certificates, several folks are reporting that they have been able to buy actual iTunes gift cards at Apple Stores.

Just an idea if you're looking to put your $100 towards music and movies.

Craig

Not a tech savvy here... is there any way to buy an unlocked iPhone or must I do it myself?

I got my SO an iPhone last week and really love it. Problem with ATT is that their overseas coverage is horrid and I don't like their pricing structure. (One must pay a monthly fee for overseas use?)

I am on T-Mobile until Dec and ideally would like to stick with them if I could get iPhone to work.

No way to legitimitely buy an unlocked iPhone that I'm aware of. As seen in this thread several folks have had success purchasing a phone and then unlocking it via "unlocking services".

Also, in regards to AT&T international usage, note that you do not not need to pay a monthly fee to use the phone overseas. It will roam just fine without any of the monthly plans (you may have to call them and enable international roaming, but this shouldn't cost anything).

Just be prepared to pay heavily for it. Even with the "discounted international roaming" packages they offer it is still very expensive, and the data plans they offer are almost a joke.

Craig