PCWorld: Contract-free iPhones Still Locked To AT&T
You can now buy an 8GB iPhone from your local Apple Store for $499 but you’ll have to get it unlocked if you want to use it with any cellular provider other than AT&T.
“Early Monday, 9to5Mac reported that Apple was going to start selling iPhones at list price (read: without subsidization from AT&T) in its stores and on its Websites. Some took this to mean that these contract-free iPhones would be sold unlocked, but it appears this is not the case.
The iPhone 3G 8GB model sells for a list price of $499, while the iPhone 3GS 16GB and 32GB models sell for $599 and $699, respectively. I inquired at my local Apple store and discovered that, yes, iPhones are being sold at list price to customers without requiring an AT&T contract. However, these iPhones are still locked to AT&T, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.”