As I understand subsidized vs. unsubsidized, yes it is. I can buy the phone without entering into a contract. I can terminate service with VM after 30 days. I can sell the phone to someone else who can choose to buy service from VM or not.
True it isn't unlocked, but I'm not aware of anyone saying unsubsidized == unlocked.
I'm lost. Between the parentheses it says one has paid "full price", and therefore unsubsidized (or so I would assume if I paid the full retail price for a phone).
Are locked phones really unsubsidized? Not $200 subsidy, obviously, but maybe $50 or $100, considering that Virgin expects you to use it with a $30+ monthly plan and would treat it as a customer acquisition cost.
In the USA, isn't the real issue that you can indeed buy your phone unsubsidized, it's just a hassle (or impossible) to get your new phone's fancy features working on a carrier? Why would someone want to pay $700 for an iphone/android and then have half of the features not work, because they can't get a compatible plan?
T-Mobile has unlocked all my subsidized phones for me. Unlike most providers, you just have to ask and they send you the code. I believe you have to be a customer in good standing for a few months first.
That logic does not apply to unlocked GSM phones (like mine), where no carrier is involved in the purchase.
These don't get updates either, despite (or because) the device manufacturer is in control, not the carrier.
Maybe in the USA, it is not common to buy phones unlocked and unsubsidised, but here (Germany) many carriers offer rebates if you don't buy a subsidised phone and bring your own.
I don't remember the exact wording, but the last time I had a subsidized phone (with T-Mobile) it was made clear to me that the phone could be unlocked after a period of time. The period was shorter than the contract period. T-Mobile even unlocked the phone for me before that time was expired when I explained that I was traveling to Europe and wanted to swap the SIM when abroad.
The interesting thing that I haven't seen many talk about is that the subsidized phone is still apparently unlocked. Which makes it great for traveling etc. This alone would be a really big deal for me.
This also means that as long as you stick with the plan for at least 120 days you can get out of the contract and still use the phone for TMobiles $200 early termination fee.
While I love my iPhone it really annoys me that there is no way I can pay AT&T to unlock it like I would be able to in most European countries.
With carrier-subsidized phones, you sign a contract at the time of purchase agreeing to those rules, and if you don't like them, you can pay full price for an unlocked phone instead. With game consoles, you don't sign any such contract, and the manufacturer won't sell you an unsubsidized unlocked one.
Prepaid in this context i think is one of the cheap phones with no contract that you can grab in some places like walmart or gas stations. So you've got to have been using it for a year before you can unlock.
reply