Unlocked Cell Phones and the Apple iPhone 4: Service Providers and the Untold Truth

It’s finally here, an iPhone available to work with a carrier other than AT&T. Of course, savvy shoppers and true technophiles have long known such a thing exists, in the form of unlocked cell phones from an online retailer, but Apple has now made the iPhone officially work on more than one cellular network. single company. Well, now that it’s out of the way, now what? How has the mobile communications landscape changed?

Again, considering that unlocked cell phones have always been around, the answer has to be “not too much.” It’s nice to have official recognition and support, of course, but that’s about it. That’s the untold truth about all the hoopla surrounding a non-AT&T iPhone: It’s nothing new to hardcore early adopters, who have long enjoyed an unlocked iPhone phone that will work on almost any carrier network. .

As for Verizon’s offering, well, it’s pretty much the same as what AT&T has provided for a long time, although there are some very important differences. Verizon offers a WiFi mobile hotspot option, but does not support global roaming. It also does not support simultaneous voice and data at 3G speeds.

But those are just specs. The truth is that people who really want to buy a smartphone need to do more than just talk, which means that for them, it’s about the device and not the service provider. Therefore, these people will love their iPhones regardless of the carrier. But since unlocked phones offer the best of both worlds, why not go down that path to ensure quality, savings, and whatever service you choose?