Originally posted by Kai Yes, you can buy one but you're at the mercy of the dev-team to hack the unlock program. AT&T and Apple have the exclusive deal so they don't care to make any unlock code available to their customers! I called AT&T and they blamed Apple and you guessed it, Apple blamed At&t.
Ah, finally something I can contribute insight
What you talk about is jailbreaking and simlock hacking. I talked about iPhones being
officially free of any SIM lock. The one has nothing to do with the other!
FIRST, there is NO unlock program or unlock code involved. Apple runs a central database of iPhones having a SIM lock or not.
SECOND, if you buy an unlocked iPhone, it simply is registered as being a free one and you can use it with whatever carrier, in whatever country and never have to worry about hacking it.
THIRD (at least in Germany and with T-Mobile), after two years of subsidized contract you can apply for a removal of the SIM lock on your iPhone. T-Mobile will then tell Apple and they will update their unlock database. And the next time you sync with iTunes it will unlock your iPhone the same way which iPhones bought unlocked are. The entire process takes a couple of days. There is no unlock code like with other phones.
FOURTH, more and more officially unlocked iPhones (2G and 3G) emerge on ebay 'cause of this. Everybody here in Germany asks for official unlocking before selling it as otherwise, resale value is lower. The new owner can ask for unlocking too but the original owner would have to agree during the process. So, better buy an unlocked one in the first place.
FIFTH, the statements by AT&T's Siegel mean that you can buy (in the US) an iPhone 4 which is officially free of any SIM lock and w/o a contract, for $599 / $699 which is exactly $400 more than a subsidized phone. Or $16.67 more per month.
SIXTH, so, find whatever carrier and plan suits your needs, add $17 and decide for yourself if it is a better deal. No need to be with AT&T.
SEVENTH, maybe, Europe has researched this due to the scattered legal situation in its dozens of countries. And now the US just has to be taught about its new iPhone freedom?
Here is a bit more about this for the 3GS:
Apple begins selling unlocked iPhone 3GS | The Loop
It's a bit confusing. Reminds me of the early days when free iPhones started selling in the EU