Apple Makes A Big Change To Carrier

Key Points:

• Apple has changed its policy so that iPhones purchased through carrier installment plans on its US website will now be locked to the carrier, affecting T-Mobile and Verizon customers; previously, these devices came unlocked even when financed.
• This change ends the longstanding benefit where customers could use carrier promotions and still receive an unlocked phone, allowing them to switch carriers or use dual SIMs without paying off the device first.
• The policy only applies to devices bought via carrier financing on Apple’s site; phones purchased outright directly from Apple remain unlocked.
• Possible reasons for the change include preventing fraud related to reselling unlocked devices without paying installments, or it could be driven by carriers’ interest in retaining customers through locked devices.
• The new policy is currently in effect, meaning customers will no longer receive free unlocked devices when financing through carriers on Apple’s website.