I am very concerned about AT&T being the only GSM carrier and stifling innovation and access. They will wield huge power of device manufacturers and will determine what is offered and how it is offered. Their iPhone plans and iPad plans definitely give preferential treatment over other manufacturers. Their decision to not unlock certain devices and cripple features should be curtailed. Maybe the merger is inevitable but what the concessions will be can help.
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What phone outside of the iPhone has AT&T refused to unlock after 90 days of service? Waiting? Now, how many phones with either Sprint or VZW branding that can be used on each others system? (and not talking about roaming) Waiting? Because unless you know somebody who will authorize the esn, or you illegally clone, it ain't going to friggin happen.
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ZING.
this is true. plus tmobile's 3g and att's 3g arent compatable, so you unlock your iphone 4 and take it to tmobile and run 2g only data? you just crippled your own phone.
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True but at least it will work.
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Yeah but on EDGE. Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution. Arent we already on 4G Evolution? GPRS data is slowwwwww. Owning a $500.00 smartphone that is meant for higher speed 3G data and using edge is just simply a waste. If you are cool with really slow data, like, dialup slow, on your brand new $500.00 phone, go for it man.
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The fact is, TMO or AT&T don't ban each others phones on their systems, you can spend $700 plus shipping on an unbranded Galaxy S II and put in an AT&T sim, set the apn's and it works on 3g, and on edge if you were to do the same with TMO.
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The iPhone changed a lot of things. I spoke of preferential PLANS given to the iPhone and the iPad. They will own the GSM market in the USA if they merge and wielding power over that market in an uneven manner is not fair. If I want unlimited prepaid monthly data I can get it for an iPad at a much lower price than any other device, even those with less functionality. There are reports that they selectively decide which devices get 4G upload speeds and limited that on others. That again is not fair.
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kingstu,
I hear what you say about them being the only GSM carrier, but its not the only mobile carrier available, both large, medium and small. It also has nothing to do with them that Sprint and VZW (and others) decide to buck the international trend of using GSM.
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