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9to5 Mac recently discovered that Apple is no longer offering no commitment pricing for the iPhone 4 online. This means that you can no longer grab an iPhone 4 for $599 (16GB) or $699 (32GB) without it being tied to AT&T. The blog believes that this could be Apple's response to the recent Jailbreak, which allowed anyone to jailbreak their device without syncing it to a computer.
This information was discovered on the iPhone FAQ section of the iPhone 4 online store page. The page mentions that you can't buy a no commitment device because the "iPhone requires a two-year AT&T wireless service contract."
AT&T contacted 9to5 Mac to let them know that their no commitment pricing is still in effect, but the no-commitment device can only be purchased at a retail store, and not online.
[Update] Apple has contacted 9to5 Mac to say that you can actually purchase the no commitment iPhone 4 in the Apple Store, just not online.
No one really knows Apple's motives behind this decision, however there is an inkling that it could be linked to something as simple as the purported "iPhone 4 shortage," especially with ship dates from Apple ranging anywhere from three weeks.
Follow this article's author, Cory Bohon on Twitter.
