Quarter of US iPhones are "Unlocked"; Apple could lose $500M
 

More than a quarter of iPhones sold in the US have been "unlocked" to work on network providers other than Apple's exclusive partner AT&T, a study says. One million iPhones, or 27% of those sold last year, have been adapted to work on other networks, said Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi. Apple recently admitted that the number of unlocked iPhones was "significant".

:( bad day for apple

Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7214873.stm

Good. I think that fucker has made enough money.

They haven't done a software update to stop that yet?

You can Jailbreak the phone to use 3rd party apps, the newest firmware 1.1.3 can be done

Jobs should dump fucking AT&T and set up deals with all the other providers. AT&T have by far the worst service in California, dropped calls, voicemails that take 5 days to reach you, fucking mess.

That has never been Jobs' way. That's why he'll always be Bill Gates' bitch. Apple could have moee macs sold and made a TON more money and be a REAL rival to microsoft if he offered his OS on ALL systems not just Apples. But Jobs has always been about propriatary since the 70's. He's not chaning now.

why, if you buy and pay for your phone, should you be tied in with only one provider , and not necessarely of your liking???

You want any other phone, you can choose also your provider .

:2 cents:

How is this hurting apple? Maybe hurting att, but Apple's still selling the phones... still gets the money for those unlocked phones..

Because at&t is going to want some reimbursement.

If you had bothered to read the full story


'Lost revenue'

Mr Sacconaghi said the high number of unlocked iPhones in the US would be a concern for Apple, as it receives a percentage of AT&T's contract fees from iPhone users.

He estimates that if Apple sells 10 million iPhones in the US by the end of 2008, but 30% of them have been unlocked to work with other phone networks, Apple will lose $500m (£251m) in revenues.

Apple and AT&T have declined to comment on the detail of the report.

:2 cents:

HAHAHAHA

you are joking, right ??????

Maybe LOOK at a " would-you-hit-it " pic ... maybe ....

Reading the rest of the article, I did some math and Apple is paid $167 per iPhone from AT&T if I did the calculations right. So for ever phone that is not used on the network, there's so much lost revenue.

good... hopefully one day all the mobile providers will put their heads out of their asses... hopefully, most of them will fail and networks/technology will become standardized. its quite annoying to see the USA always 5 years behind the rest of the world when it comes to mobile phones.

Some of the profit of the actual phone is tied to service contracts, that's why most phones are free.

how hard is it to unlock an iphone? and is it safe? i would love to buy one and use it on tmobile.

i was going to buy an iphone and their packages were $50 a month more than my package i have right now.

usually its just a code you punch into the keypad.

just go on ebay and buy an unlocked phone. i've used t-mobile for many years. many years. thats where i get all my phones. no reason to accept their shitty selection of phones, when you can just buy any GSM phone you want and pop in your SIM card

Apple is so lame sometimes.

Not the point ... If you want a Razor, or BlackBerry, or an other phone, you have a choice of provider.... If you want it free or low cost, then you lock in to a provider ... Quite different then :

an Iphone... you must go with AT&T...

PS
I love my TREO 755p.

blah, I hate AT&T anyway, it's why I do'nt have an iPHone.

:1orglaugh

im content with my LG Voyager

Why would apple care? they're selling more phones...

stevO

apple are concerned because most phones are sold at a loss ,the profit is the ongoing revenue, ie commisions from calls ,kickbacks from AT&T etc. :)

I bet AT&T gave them millions to secure that deal.

personally i think its complete shit that you have to have a phone "locked" to a network. when i buy a TV from sony, they dont say "bossku69, you can only watch tv thru comcast" so why can i only use a phone thru a certain network?

HOWEVER if you were leasing the phone thru AT&T its a different story because its equipement

:2 cents:

bossku69,
but what about if the value of the sony tv was $1000 and they gave it to you for half the price or less if you signed up with a certain cable provider ?.

phones are sold at a lot less vaue than they cost to produce.
im sure you already know some are only 99 cents or even free.

the only dislike i have of apple is that they limited thier phone in the usa it seems to only 1 network,that cant be good ! :(

Can someone please buy me an iphone and send it to me? I'll pay ya

then thats a different case. if i walk into an AT&T store i can buy one of their crappy entry level phones straight out and it will probably cost me $200 or i can have 5 of them for free if i sign up with a plan

the iphone is the same price (that i know of) if you sign up with a 2 year contract or you go to apple.com and buy it straight out. if they were offering a discount on the product price its a different story but they arent

what about being willing to pay full value for a phone that you want, that has the features and functions that you want... but you can't because YOUR phone company doesn't offer it and those that do, don't allow that phone to work on your network and want you to switch providers just to use that phone?

what about a new phone coming out in the next 6 months after you get muscled into a service contract with one company, that has awesome features and functions that blow all other phones away... and you can't get one because your phone company doesn't offer it?

using a cell phone company in the USA is nothing but compromise after compromise after compromise because they operate like mobile phone nazis.

sounds like a bunch of bullshit

Pleasurepays,

Usually you can any model you want from dealers who specialise in unlocked sim free cell phones.

I have yet to find any phone that couldnt be purchased this way.

I drop cell phones, a iphone would last 1 week lol .

Apple makes money no matter what network you are on.

I have a hard time believing that 1 out of 4 people have unlocked their iphone.. I call extreme BS.

tony404 :thumbsup

my friend has for many years worked for a major mobile phone company,guess what the number 1 insurance claim is for ?

cell phones falling into the toilet :1orglaugh

Its the same in the UK. If you want an iPhone you have to be with 02. I'm with them anyway, have been for 5 years now and I'm gonna get my iPhone next month. Thing is tho, for the same package I have now and pay £30 a month for, I need to pay £45 a month with the iPhone plus buy the fone for £279. Sucks but I like the iphone. My brother has it and its great.

In canada we have them working on all providers ;)

you have no idea about the cell phone market then do you.

same thing here in Europe

Capitalism may not always be right but at the end of the day it always hits it's mark, and Sorry...

America was well onto Networked phone services when most of the world was still on 14.4 Modems.:1orglaugh

Capitalism may not always be right but at the end of the day it always hits it's mark, and Sorry...

America was well onto Networked phone services when most of the world was still on 14.4 Modems.:1orglaugh

V_RocKs- Apple makes money no matter what network you are on.

Yep thats true but imagine the down payment and deal you get if you launch a product someone wants with only 1 exclusive provider of service :winkwink:

you're a fucking idiot and like always you have no clue what you are talking about. the US is and ALWAYS has been way behind europe in the mobile arena. usually we are about 5 years or so behind. this has always been the case. there are quite a few reasons for this but i'm not going to kill any pixels trying to explain it to you. ask an american what 3G is and watch them stare at you the same confused loook you have on your face when you see vagina.

you might know something about how the world works if you could afford a plane ticket without having to suck 20 cocks to pay for it.

Ross Quote -Its the same in the UK. If you want an iPhone you have to be with 02. I'm with them anyway, have been for 5 years now and I'm gonna get my iPhone next month.

Ross you can get a iphone sim/lock free for 300 pounds in the UK it will even work with a pay as you go sim.

Any UK guys needing contacts let me know,always glad to help :thumbsup