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Comment by abh1nav | Hacker News Reader

+1 for unlocked phones being the norm. This has been the case in asia for years now. It's about time we catch up.

unlocked phones != unlocked bootloader.

"unlocked phones" mean that you are not restricted to using one service provider and you can just change your SIM cards to subscribe to a new service.

But this still does not mean that you can change the operating system of your phone hardware.

This is the bootloader. Unlocking the bootloader gives you to freedom to flash community developed Android variants.

HTC's commitment is to unlocking the bootloader - not the service provider SIM unlock (though you might be able to do so - however they are NOT the same thing)

Carrier lockdown only happens when you buy a phone under contract. You can buy unlocked phones, easy.

But they are so expensive!!!!

Well, yeah, that's because you're paying the real price, not a subsidized price. When you're paying the subsidized price, IMHO you have less leeway to complain about carrier lockdown.

Well, just for the record, I bought a heavily subsidized Galaxy S sim-unlocked with a 2 year contract (the cost was something like $30). Gave it to my wife, then bought myself a SG II. And I'm happily paying for my contract btw.

The carrier I'm talking about is a smaller one from Europe. It's unthinkable to ask this of Vodafone or Orange (the 2 big ones) since their heads are really up their buts. And the unlocking prices they charge are freakin` insane! It's not as if carriers can't do this, they just don't want to.

I really don't understand what's their problem. If I'm terminating my contract I have to pay the phone's subsidized price for the months remaining, their only loss is me as their customer, so WTF is the deal with sim-locked phones? I hate it when companies, instead of pleasing customers, are innovating in better lock-in methods.

But yes, I was talking about bootloader-unlock in my previous message. Really, Nexus S is the best Android sold right now, unfortunately it was only available from Vodafone and I'll never make a contract with Vodafone again.

I suspect part of the subsidy is the expectation that you'll make some calls/data/texts which they miss out on if you switch networks.

I know that's what they say, but that's bullshit and you know it. If they don't want me to leave, then they should keep me happy.

It's a company they are going to do what helps their bottom line the most, if keeping people happy helps they will do that, if not they won't.

I've found it depends where you get the phone. All the phones I've got from Carphone Warehouse have been unlocked, all the ones from operator shops have been locked.

I bought a Wildfire which was locked to Vodafone. I took it to the nearest Vodafone shop and they unlocked it for me without charge. I was surprised and highly pleased until I realised that removing the sim-lock does not remove the lock on the bootloader.

Should have gone for the Desire, after all.

I'm not sure you can buy a carrier-unlocked CDMA phone. I think that's only possible with GSM.

You can/could in the US - Nokia stores sell them (if they're not closed down now)

Sure, but you can't activate it anywhere worth mentioning; Verizon and Sprint won't activate phones they didn't sell.

That's besides the point. Just because you can't use it anywhere doesn't mean it's not available.

If that were true, an unlocked phone should cost less per month in subscription fees since it is not being subsidized by the carrier. No US carrier does this.

T-Mobile does, with their "Even More Plus" plans. Of course that's unlikely to survive the AT&T merger.

This is the plan I have, but I couldn't find it on their website yesterday. I didn't look too hard, but I'm pretty sure it's going as well.

It hasn't been on their website for a while, you have to either go to a store or call and specifically request it.

Or just search harder: http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/flexpayplans.aspx?direct=...

(Yes, I know that these are FlexPay as well, but the prices are the same)

Wow, still there. Good find.

Plenty of european carriers do this.

If I want to buy a new phone I can either pay full price for an unlocked one, get a small subsidy to lock myself to a carrier for 12 or 24 months, or I can get an even bigger subsidy by paying an increased subscription price for 12 or 24 months.

As an owner of an unlocked phone, that would be awesome. It's probably still very uncommon to buy an unlocked phone though, and the carriers don't want to give up money. As it grows more common, maybe I will get to see that day.

The OP was talking about bootloader unlock and not carrier unlock.

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