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iPhone Locked To Cingular, But "Bad Guys" Might Unlock It

consumerist.com — iPhones will be sold locked to Cingular, but it's possible "bad guys" will unlock them, says Cingular.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jan 12, 2007

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  • JimMessenger, on 10/12/2007, -6/+182I wonder how many folks out there who are like me and really want an iPhone but won't buy one because of the Cingular service?
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+79Um, can't we _legally_ unlock our phones???
  • sfacets, on 10/12/2007, -1/+66Where are these bad guys? I want to donate.
  • Shivetya, on 10/12/2007, -18/+59I am still trying to find out why ANYONE would want an iPhone

    You cannot change the battery, and that is a big negative to me. There are many people who carry spares on long trips and such so what are they to do?

    It is not 3g compatible yet doesn't Cingular offer that service?

    You cannot put your own apps on it even though they claim its OS/X. Hell you won't be able to put anyone's apps on it unless Apple approves.

    Its an invitation to scratch city.

    After calculating the Cingular contract you will be spending close to $1500 for something that will fail in a few years, especially if you consider the battery being one of the first things to give it trouble



    Hell if MS introduced it people would be laughing
  • surfing, on 10/12/2007, -0/+35I will wait until the 2nd or 3rd generation "iPhone" comes out.
  • gronne, on 10/12/2007, -4/+37Magical Genie Says Click Here:

    http://digg.com/apple/Poll_Will_You_Switch_to_Cingular_to_Get_the_iPhone_in_June
  • Cander, on 10/12/2007, -2/+30How many? The same amount that would say the same if it was locked to Nextel, or Sprint, or Verizon. For every person that says they hate Cingular I can find you someone who hates another service.
  • 4degrees, on 10/12/2007, -2/+25OH NO! not "bad guys"!!
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -9/+26to be totally honest, i have had cingular for about 7 years and haven't ever had an issue...
  • Antialias, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16the problem is that not all the features would work on another provider. Cingular had to change the way their voicemail works to support the whole visual voicemail feature on the iphone.
  • frem001, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16i want one but unlocked, i'd pay the premium if apple offered it.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16So anyone wanting to do business with one of Cingular's competitors is now a "bad guy"?!?!?

    Speaks volume for Cingular's lack of maturity IMO.
  • vince916, on 10/12/2007, -5/+17Never had an issue with Cingular in Sacramento.
  • fleetskeet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11I'd concede the visual voicemail feature if I could get the phone on my current provider, and I'm sure lots of other people would too.
  • Detritus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10@Unit101:

    No, I just heard this on NPR. The reason they signed this is it is the carriers that have all the manufacturers by the balls. Basically Apple made a deal with Cingular, "You cannot dictate features, and we'll give you 2 years exclusive" ... Cingular jumped at the deal and even has made modifications to their network to support the way the iPhone handles voice mail.
  • pickypg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10It's already legal to unlock phones for other services in the US.
  • nogami, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Well, since there is no Cingular in Canada, I guess I won't be buying one...

    Infact, it's not even on the www.apple.ca site...

    N.
  • debtman7, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I would reluctantly give up visual voicemail and use it on another network, but I gotta say, the visual voicemail is slick, one of those "why hasn't anyone done that yet" things... I suspect that in a few years, however, it will be a common feature on several phones and networks...
  • Detritus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10It really depends on your area. Here in Chicagoland their service has been horrible since they gobbled up AT&T Mobile. I can't think of anyone I know that has stuck with them.

    Those are still fresh scars and there are better (if not quite as sexy or trendy) smart phones out there on Verizon and Sprint. Not being able to program for the phone directly makes this a poor alternative to WM5 phones which have apps that will do just about anything you can imagine.
  • scootinger, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11It's their own goddamn property so they legally have the right to do with it what they want to (unless Apple puts some ***** DRM on it making it illegal to do so under the DMCA.) They paid for it (and the Cingular contract) so these "bad guys" should have the right to do whatever they want.

    "If you want an iPhone, you are going to get the luxury of being on the Cingular network." What if some of us don't want this so-called "luxury"? To a lot of us it's more of a hindrance than a luxury. Cingular is good where I live now (Oklahoma) but there are other places that I have been where Cingular was horrible. When I was out in Virginia recently (DC area) I couldn't even get a signal 150-200 FEET FROM A CINGULAR STORE! (among other places)
  • TomSawyer, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Direct Link: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2082059,00.asp
  • deadbaby, on 10/12/2007, -7/+15I don't really understand the hate for Cingular. I know at least 2 people who use it and really like the service because of the roll over minute feature. I don't notice any more or less dropped calls talking to them. What's the big deal? I use Verizon myself and I'm not devoted to them. Whatever... if I gotta use Cingular so be it. I really don't care?
  • joaob, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9People from the U.S. need to unlock the phone for what again ? Your only other GSM option in the U.S. is T-Mobile.

    And once you get the phone on another GSM carrier you lack firmware to flash the phone. So kiss the yahoo/gmail e-mail goodbye along with a majority of the other features that will rely on that "invisible server in the sky" as he put it.
  • unit101, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8According to Pogue it'll be 2 years until you can buy a non-Cingular version of the phone. Although I do think these phones will get unlocked very fast once they come out.

    http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/01/11/the-ultimate-iphone-frequently-asked-questions/

    My current theory is that Apple signed an exclusivity deal with Cingular in exchange for revenue sharing of the data transfers. That would explain why Apple doesn't want to sell unlocked phones or why Apple doesn't have VoIP through WiFI enabled.
  • ExSlashdotter, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10@shivetya

    The $1500 cost really doesn't play into it when you think about it. As a network admin, I buy Treo's and moto Q's for people all the time. The Treo costs close to $500 (verizon), and i'm paying the same price for the unlimited data plan no matter which 'smart phone' i go with.

    So the question is: have you ever tried to use a Treo?

    Second question: ever been in IT and tried to teach an idiot user how to use a Treo?

    If yes, then you know why the iPhone is great (pending that we get ActiveSync/Exchange support). How many people buy smartphones and pay for them out of their own pocket? Answer: almost none. Most people have them for work, and the business pays for them. And without the ActiveSync/Exchange support, we're still going to buy Treos/Qs.
  • glasgowm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7It will be hacked within weeks, perhaps days of being released.

    and as soon as it's hacked apple wont loose revenue. The end user just gains the ability to use their provider. they still have to pay $499/$599 for the phone
  • vuke69, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12Cingular sucks up in the greater Milwaukee area, as well as the rest of the state.

    I wouldn't even take free phone service from Cingular.
  • geekee, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6You'll get 1 bad boy point and 10,000 geek points.
  • jamesong, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9"If you want an iPhone, you are going to get the luxury of being on the Cingular network," Lurie said.

    HAHAHAHA
    they are the worst provider in my area, and from what I hear, it doesn't get much better everywhere else.
  • mbthompson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Bad guys?! It's perfectly legal!!!

    http://www.digg.com/tech_news/New_Copyright_Law_Makes_Cell_Phone_Lock_Busting_LEGAL
  • valkyries, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5i thought congress passed a law that would force the cellphone companies to unlock the phone if we requested? or was i just dreaming...
  • one2gamble, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I think he meant to say "Good Guys"
  • ExSlashdotter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5So sick of this.

    As for Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and Mississippi, Cingular is great. Not only great, but most of the time the dominant carrier (with verizon a close second). Down here, Sprint is the terrible service.

    READ VERY CAREFULLY: It depends on where you live.
  • mariusaz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I think Apple is starting to get sloppy again here like they did in the 80's. Didn't they learn back then not to piss off your customers? Now that they're back in the limelight they're getting cocky again.
  • soccernamlak, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Oh, I forgot, if you don't support a multi-million dollar corporation by only buying their stuff at their regulations, you are a "bad guy." Just like if you don't support Bush in Iraq, you must be a "terrorist" and "anti-american"

    Seriously, "bad guy?" just because I want freedom to choose which phone I want on which carrier I want? If they don't sell the phone at Apple unlocked, my money is in to the person who can unlock it first
  • Muncher, on 10/12/2007, -15/+19Not me, I neither want an iPhone nor have had any experience with Cingular.
  • TheMidnight, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I find it interesting that the phone will display the word "Cingular" at all times on the screen, but I saw a story earlier today where the Cingular name is going to be phased out entirely by AT&T. Will they have to do a software update when that happens so the iPhone displays the AT&T symbol, or will it also have to display the Cisco logo? :-)
  • sideshowRAHEEM, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4"Plus, considering the phone doesn't come out until June, this gives time to the other carriers to make modifications and then pressure Apple into unlocking the phone. It would be a win-win for Apple to work with all major carriers (Cingular, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile)."

    Sorry to give you the bad news but from every thing I was able to find out about the iPhone Apple has a contract with Cingular for the next 2 years so don't count on seeing any last minute deals before launch. But hope fully they'll release a non-phone version of this device so all of us who prefer our current cell phone carrier can at least upgrade our iPods.
  • miles32, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Just set the phone to only use roaming. Then leave it dialed into a time phone somewhere during unlimited minutes. Theyll cancel your contract for free.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4yeah good guys, isnt their a law that they have to unlock the phone if you request it now??? Usually just tell your carrier your leaving the country and need it unlocked, they will try to dispute and say "well we work in these countries" pick one that you know they dont work in for sure. (philippines?) I believe by law they have to unlock it.

    I havent had any issues with cingular until recently, my g/f had been on her plan for a while, and is now" off contract" she decided she wanted to lower her plan, we called cingular, they said if they lower it, she will loose mobile to mobile unless she signs a new 2 year contract. Then, she was getting hang up calls, telemarketing calls, and harrasing calls, We called cingular, and asked how we could block private calls, of course, the answer was " their is no option to do that" you can dial *67 and block your #, and call people and harass them, but yet no one can block those calls, their is no * feature to block them.

    They offered to change the #, we agreed, (no choice?) then we were charged $36.00 I called cingular, and i adv why were we changed this fee? we were getting harassing calls, and werent given a way to block them. They refused to waive the fee, So bottom line, you can *67 and harass cingular customers, and they cant escape it without paying 36.00.

    This is enough to make me HATE cingular now, only decent thing about them in my area is reception on the phone, other than that, they are horrible. Poor data plans, rip off on txt messages. You cant even send free messages from the site anymore......
  • nartvq, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Reception depends on area. I've had Cingular in the Philadelphia area for 3 years now and performance has always been pretty good whereas T-mobile and Verizon has been a source of complaint for my friends and family.

    That being said, I don't really like Cingular's so-called "Edge" technology. It's like using dial-up, but since I get a significant discount through work to use Cingular I put up with it. I'd much prefer a 3G solution like EVDO or UMTS.
  • wytrvn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4When I buy a TV, I don't get it from the cable company. I go out to the store of MY choice, buying the model of MY choice. I then go to the cable company, choosing which package of stations I'D like to watch, without, I might add, having a cancellation fee tacked to the "contract". How & why were these phone "carriers" allowed to dictate terms? It looks like a bunch of mini dictatorships to me. If we had to buy our cell phones at retail prices, we might actually have freedom to choose whose service is the best &/or cheapest. It would certainly serve to keep them honest .
    Needless to say, I will not be getting an iPhone.
  • drakethegreat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Yep its funny really. Because they want to force us to use their service and get cellphone access the way they envision it, any consumer who wants otherwise is a "bad guy." Interesting cause I thought the consumers came first but apparently thats not the case here. I think Apple needs to be careful with this one. They claim to give customers what they want but being market locked it not what they want and they seem to be increasingly interested in how to setup barriers like Microsoft. I think as they become more people their image will start changing. I think it already has over the last year or so.

    Also worth noting, I get dropped calls from Cingular all the time and its no better/worse then other networks. So privilege to use Cingular is a joke. Kind of like how cable companies claim they are 4 times faster when in fact DSL in my area is 2x faster... Just cause they guys say it doesn't make it true. I hope consumers understand this but probably not considering how the telecom companies were actually winning in Net Neutrality for awhile.
  • KSUdesigner, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4"they still have to pay $499/$599 for the phone"

    Yes but don't forget about the $175 early termination fee from Cingular. You're looking at $675/$775 to purchase the phone and use it with your preferred provider.
  • sremick, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4no. The iPhone (and most of the world) uses GSM. Verizon uses CDMA.
  • mandarin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I thought there was something in the network that allows the voicemail to be visually seen?
  • sremick, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I'd go with Cingular before I went with Verizon. Verizon is horrible.

    But it'd be a cold day in hell before I even went with Cingular. Both suck.
  • mbthompson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3see my post above yours...right above yours ;)

  • lcmatt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3As Cingular doesn't exist in the UK does anyone know if its going to be released here?
  • scootinger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Is Apple going to release the iPhone overseas (well at least before the 2-year contract with Cingular ends?) If so there's an easy source for "grey-market" phones...

    And isn't the iPhone, being an Apple product, going to be pretty obsolete by the time their contract with Cingular ends in 2 years? Maybe they'll release a new model with more memory by then? Just look at their iPod/Mac line now vs. 2 years ago...
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