Originally Posted by woj

if unlocking is legal, then there is no point in even locking the phone, so all phones sold for all practical purposes will be unlocked...

it's pretty clear that even if there is a contract, cell company will make more $$ with a locked phone, than an unlocked one... for example after contract expires, if phone is locked, then the customer is more likely to stay with that company... or customer is less likely to back out of the contract half way through, etc...

and so that means, that cell company would be willing to subsidize a locked phone more than an unlocked one...

and so unlocked phone = lower subsidy = higher price of the phone