They would still have to release an entirely new iPhone for it to work on Verizon. They might be able to keep it to one phone for all the carriers, but they would have to create an entirely new phone just to do that. asskicker32 was right; a carrier unlock won't allow you to run the iPhone on Verizon or Sprint or any other CDMA carrier. The dual-carrier chip may be a good route for Apple to take (depending on how it eats up the battery, of course), but it isn't one they have taken yet. For now, in the US at least, you have a choice between AT&T and T-Mobile. That's it.
@krisrm, no argument on your point, it's just hugely expensive, and why not leap frog over the expense of putting in a GSM network when you can leap-frog over and install the next generation network when GSM has been around for years and the next gen is only a couple of years away. If I were Verizon at this point I'd sit on my piggy bank and wait for a better investment.It's also what the industry pundits say that they'll do.
@beetleshark: People are calling you because Apple won't give them the time of day.AT&T is the correct place to call. They can't actually do it, but legally, they're supposed to be able to do so. The fact that they won't is going to be a real big problem when the FCC finally gets around to fining them for breaking the law and not providing the channel for unlocking that they are legally obligated to provide.Contractually, AT&T is supposed to provide unlock codes on request after the contract has expired. They do for all other phones. Now, other carriers have said that Apple will take IMEI's and generate unlocks which go to the phone via iTunes on the next sync. Which is fair enough, but the IMEI's MUST come through the carrier (AT&T). So AT&T needs to get off their ass and provide a way to pass those IMEI's along to Apple.
Article should have had the world "British" at the beginning of title. I think I read somewhere that Britain had two iPhone carriers. So, that is not super surprising. Europe has more freedom to switch cell phones from one carrier to another than US customers usually get.
apocalyptic0n3Nov 9, 2009
They would still have to release an entirely new iPhone for it to work on Verizon. They might be able to keep it to one phone for all the carriers, but they would have to create an entirely new phone just to do that. asskicker32 was right; a carrier unlock won't allow you to run the iPhone on Verizon or Sprint or any other CDMA carrier. The dual-carrier chip may be a good route for Apple to take (depending on how it eats up the battery, of course), but it isn't one they have taken yet. For now, in the US at least, you have a choice between AT&T and T-Mobile. That's it.
satori3000Nov 10, 2009
@krisrm, no argument on your point, it's just hugely expensive, and why not leap frog over the expense of putting in a GSM network when you can leap-frog over and install the next generation network when GSM has been around for years and the next gen is only a couple of years away. If I were Verizon at this point I'd sit on my piggy bank and wait for a better investment.It's also what the industry pundits say that they'll do.
richlwNov 10, 2009
WHO WAS PHONE?
ottoNov 10, 2009
@beetleshark: People are calling you because Apple won't give them the time of day.AT&T is the correct place to call. They can't actually do it, but legally, they're supposed to be able to do so. The fact that they won't is going to be a real big problem when the FCC finally gets around to fining them for breaking the law and not providing the channel for unlocking that they are legally obligated to provide.Contractually, AT&T is supposed to provide unlock codes on request after the contract has expired. They do for all other phones. Now, other carriers have said that Apple will take IMEI's and generate unlocks which go to the phone via iTunes on the next sync. Which is fair enough, but the IMEI's MUST come through the carrier (AT&T). So AT&T needs to get off their ass and provide a way to pass those IMEI's along to Apple.
johnnysoftwareNov 10, 2009
Article should have had the world "British" at the beginning of title. I think I read somewhere that Britain had two iPhone carriers. So, that is not super surprising. Europe has more freedom to switch cell phones from one carrier to another than US customers usually get.
digjamNov 12, 2009
How can I unlock 3G version ?? If I ve upgraded earlier.. and my baseband id 5.11 how do I unlock it... ultrasn0w does it still??