This is a little off-topic but I felt like rambling for a few minutes because I really don’t like the way Cell carriers operate at all. It’s a horrid business model to try and impose restrictions on the mobile community through locked phones. Talk about not knowing or understanding your customer base?
Which is exactly why 3rd party businesses offering unlocked cell phones have been able to spring up and grow like they have.
People don’t want to be blocked or locked, but the mobile crowd especially doesn’t want to be forced into or away from certain hardware when everybody knows that it typically isn’t compatibility issues of any sorts forcing the restrictions, but simply a matter of carrier control.
It actually surprises me that this doesn’t get more attention, but then again if it isn’t an iPhone the media won’t touch the story these days.
But for anyone who cares, it’s perfectly legal in the U.S. (and most European countries as well) to buy unlocked phones or to unlock your existing phone and use it with any carrier you like. Heck, in some European countries it’s actually illegal for carriers to sell phones that are locked.
As Austin Powers would say, “Freedom baby, it’s groovetastic…”
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