Apple Shipping Unlocked iPhone 4’s – Your Questions, Answered
What started as a rumor has now become a reality with Apple now offering either the 16 GB or 32 GB iPhone 4 unlocked from their US Apple store site. The 16 GB costs $649 in either black or white and the 32 GB is retailing for $100 more at $749.
If you don’t want a multiyear service contract or if you prefer to use a local carrier when traveling abroad, the unlocked iPhone 4 is the best choice. It arrives without a micro-SIM card, so you’ll need an active micro-SIM card from any supported GSM carrier worldwide.
If you want to learn more about the differences between locked and unlocked iPhone 4’s, read the text below…
If you are in the US and would like to purchase an unlocked iPhone 4, just click here.
How The Unlocked iPhone 4 Works
The unlocked iPhone 4 requires an active micro-SIM card that you obtain from a supported GSM wireless carrier. Simply insert the micro-SIM card into the slot on your iPhone, connect to your Mac or PC using the USB cable, and launch iTunes on your computer to complete the setup.
Does The Unlocked iPhone 4 Work Outside The US?
Yes. The unlocked iPhone will work on supported GSM carrier networks around the world. Because the unlocked iPhone is sold without a contract commitment, you can establish service and use a micro-SIM card from a local carrier at your destination. Or check with your U.S. carrier regarding international roaming and associated charges.
Do I Need To Commit To A Long-Term Contract For My Unlocked iPhone 4?
Buying an unlocked iPhone 4 allows you to choose your own GSM carrier, change carriers at any time, and even use multiple carriers if you travel frequently. Check with your carrier regarding the length of commitments or contracts.
Why Is Their A Price Difference Between Locked And Unlocked iPhone 4?
Carriers typically subsidize the purchase price of the phone when purchased with a service contract. By purchasing your iPhone unlocked, you are not committing to a service contract up front, so you can use any micro-SIM card from a supported GSM carrier, including your current one.
Will Apple Ship The Unlocked iPhone 4 To An Different Country?
No. Orders placed through the Apple Online Store can be shipped only within the country of purchase.
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photographer, photography journalist, editor and curator and the founder and editorial director of TheAppWhisperer.com, an independent international photography publication established in 2009.Her journalism, criticism and commentary have appeared in The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Financial Times, BBC, Vogue Italia, LensCulture, Popular Photography, Android Magazine, NikonPro, DPReview, Which Digital Camera and Which Camera. She has lectured internationally on photography and mobile art, served as a juror for international photography awards, and exhibited her own photographic work across the UK, Europe, South Korea and the United States.Alongside her editorial work, Joanne's photographic and postgraduate research explores death, grief, memory, representation and social inequality through contemporary photography, participatory practice and visual research methods, with the longer-term aim of developing this work through doctoral research.Through TheAppWhisperer, she continues to publish independent photography journalism spanning contemporary photographic practice, mobile imaging, photographic apps, computational photography and emerging imaging technologies.Joanne is available for editorial commissions, photography projects, judging, curatorial work, speaking engagements, consultancy and selected collaborations.
