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Seamus Bellamy

iPhone 4 Comes Unlocked in Canada--Sort Of

Posted 07/30/2010 at 2:29:21pm | by Seamus Bellamy
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If you're planning on purchasing an iPhone 4 handset in the Great White North, you can do so comforted by the knowledge that your handset comes to you unlocked and without a SIM, leaving you free to take to any carrier you please...for about five seconds.

According to a report from Engadget, while the handsets might come out of the box without a SIM card or designated carrier, people purchasing iPhone 4s from an Apple Store in Canada will be asked to select a carrier during activation. That means that any dreams of buying an iPhone 4 in Vancouver to trot back down to Seattle with could be a no-go.

This is, needless to say, a far cry from what Apple has been describing to the Canadian public on their website:

What's your opinion: did Apple pull the fleece over the eyes of their Canadian customers, or is the devil simply in the details?

COMMENTS: 5
TAGS:  Canada, iphone 4, Unlocked
COMMENTS
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It means you can't cheat.

Submitted by drkenfp on Fri, 2010-07-30 13:29.

Canadians can choose carriers in Canada.

Americans can't choose carriers in America.

You may not like it, but that doesn't mean Apple is being dishonest.

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All of them are unlocked to start

Submitted by Andarian on Fri, 2010-07-30 14:08.

Any iPhone coming out of the box right now is unlocked. They become locked as soon as you select a carrier. If you were to buy a phone from Rogers, it would be unlocked when they open it, but as soon as that Micro-SIM goes in, click, and you're locked in.

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It works internationally

Submitted by soccer5bl on Fri, 2010-07-30 15:24.

Their statements about being able to interchange Sims internationally could very well be legally binding.

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Um...

Submitted by tuunbaq on Sat, 2010-07-31 12:51.

iPhones purchased from Canadian Apple retail stores or applestore.ca at full price are fully & permanently unlocked. Anything from one of the carriers is locked to that carrier.

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iphone unlocked in Canada

Submitted by bozzie10 on Sun, 2010-08-01 09:10.

They are not lying and you can use any SIM Internationally. We in Europe have been able to buy unlocked iPhones for ages. In many counties it is illegal for Apple to lock their phones to any one carrier.

Sure you must insert a SIM to activate the phone. But this can be any SIM. A cheap prepaid here in Europe for instance. Then you can put in any other SIM with or without a contract at any time. We are not tied into any carrier.

I guess the Canadian system works the same, so when you go back to the States, you just put in any old US SIM card. I did this with my European iPhone when I visited last year.

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