Re: Unlocking the iPhone 4s.

dwill05 · ‎04-06-2005

AT&T hasn't unlocked an iPhone in the 4 1/2 years the iPhone has existed. People have complained about if for 4 1/2 years and threatened to leave, and yet people keep coming back and buying AT&T iphones regardless.

I do believe they can't do anything because I believe that anyone you can talk to at AT&T doesn't have the software of whatever it takes to actually unlock the iPhone. Not that it doesn't exist anywhere in the world, it's just that AT&T as a company has decided to not have that capability..

msrynae · ‎02-05-2012

any luck with this Jesse?

msrynae · ‎02-05-2012

Correction: at&t unlocked my blackberry . . .

msrynae · ‎02-05-2012

agreed.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

msrynae wrote:
Correction: at&t unlocked my blackberry . . .

att will unlock most every other phone, there are some that there is a 10 month to 1 year restriction on them due to exclusive availabilty, the exception is the iphone, at this time and in the forseeable future ATT will not officially unlock any iphone, period. maybe in a year or two, but as of right now, it will not happen

US soldier · ‎03-09-2012

I am US soldier deploy in Afghanistan they don't unlock my iphone 4 for any reason AT&T sucks and they said we support our troops

BadBadLeroyBrown · ‎07-12-2011

While I thank you for your service, how is AT&T's refusal to unlock a phone they said from Day 1 they wouldn't unlock a failure to "support our troops"? I think that term gets thrown around, like the phrase "loyal customer", with reckless abandon. If you wanted an unlocked phone, you should have purchased one. Sorry, but that's the honest truth.

wavey82 · ‎03-30-2012

Yea, i'm not happy about ATT unlocking policy too. Once a while, I would check up the news if ATT would ever change its mind to unlock their iphones. I have been with ATT since the first gen. of Iphone, at least should give those grandfather customer's some privileges or at least come out some alternative solutions since alot customer are not happy about this. Like if the customer renew the contract, he/she should get unlock at least for his/her previous phones, including iphones or ATT can unlock the iphone for any customers but raised the cancellation fee so high that no one wouldn't breach the contract during the time period. ATT is not exclusive carrier in the US anymore, there is no point for it been so ungenerous about the unlocking as I think. It limited iphone's full functionality by the carrier, that's not good. For those individual who try to threat ATT by saying they are leaving, there is no use. ATT doesn't care all those individuals, unless mass leaving all at once would probably get ATT's attentions, like some boycott through facebook or twitter, web is powerful these days, use them wisely.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

wavey82 wrote:

Yea, i'm not happy about ATT unlocking policy too. Once a while, I would check up the news if ATT would ever change its mind to unlock their iphones. I have been with ATT since the first gen. of Iphone, at least should give those grandfather customer's some privileges or at least come out some alternative solutions since alot customer are not happy about this. Like if the customer renew the contract, he/she should get unlock at least for his/her previous phones, including iphones or ATT can unlock the iphone for any customers but raised the cancellation fee so high that no one wouldn't breach the contract during the time period. ATT is not exclusive carrier in the US anymore, there is no point for it been so ungenerous about the unlocking as I think. It limited iphone's full functionality by the carrier, that's not good. For those individual who try to threat ATT by saying they are leaving, there is no use. ATT doesn't care all those individuals, unless mass leaving all at once would probably get ATT's attentions, like some boycott through facebook or twitter, web is powerful these days, use them wisely.

it has been tried, policy is still the same as it was when the iphone first came out. Right now and in the foreseeable future the policy is in affect, until something changes it is policy. Keep checking it just might happen

wavey82 · ‎03-30-2012

yes..i didn't expect any unlocking service before since ATT was the exclusive carrier, but not anymore. I don't get it why it's still so strict about the unlocking, keep its customers from leaving?

youngjm · ‎05-02-2003

We really don't know and they aren't telln'

_____________________

For service or support questions including existing order status, call:
Customer Support: 1-800-331-0500

Information on iPhone unlocking can be found here by copying this link into your browser:
http://forums.wireless.att.com/t5/Apple-Community-Discussion/iPhone-Unlock-Information/m-p/3260825#U3260825

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

wavey82 wrote:
yes..i didn't expect any unlocking service before since ATT was the exclusive carrier, but not anymore. I don't get it why it's still so strict about the unlocking, keep its customers from leaving?

there maybe a clause for the original agreement that is still in affect, add to the fact that no other carrier that has the iphone truely completely unlocks the gsm portion of the phone ther still is only 1 iphone that is genericly unlocked in the US - the one that is sold by Apple at full retail cost

New Reality · ‎03-30-2012

wingrider01 wrote:
ther still is only 1 iphone that is genericly unlocked in the US - the one that is sold by Apple at full retail cost

The above statement is not true.

Sitting on my desk is an AT&T iPhone that was recently unlocked by AT&T.

To be accurate, AT&T authorized Apple to unlock the phone and the next time it was updated with iTunes a message appeared indicating the phone was unlocked. Unlock verified with a foreign SIM.

It would appear that AT&T is quietly modifying their long standing refusal to unlock iPhones. The posting a few weeks ago about the gent who wrote Tim Cook had more truth than many of you AT&T bloggers realized.

However, like Verizon there are several considerations that AT&T will require.

So, to all you people who continue to insist that AT&T won't unlock an iPhone, you are misinformed.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

New Reality wrote:

wingrider01 wrote:

ther still is only 1 iphone that is genericly unlocked in the US - the one that is sold by Apple at full retail cost

The above statement is not true.

Sitting on my desk is an AT&T iPhone that was recently unlocked by AT&T.

To be accurate, AT&T authorized Apple to unlock the phone and the next time it was updated with iTunes a message appeared indicating the phone was unlocked. Unlock verified with a foreign SIM.

It would appear that AT&T is quietly modifying their long standing refusal to unlock iPhones. The posting a few weeks ago about the gent who wrote Tim Cook had more truth than many of you AT&T bloggers realized.

However, like Verizon there are several considerations that AT&T will require.

So, to all you people who continue to insist that AT&T won't unlock an iPhone, you are misinformed.

Must have wrote Tim Cook, if not frame it and coat it in gold, sorry I need more validtion on it, make a rule of never accepting things at face value. Personally waiting for the day it can be done, have about 30 of various models of iphones from upgrades of business accounts that will be unlocked and flooding the used for sale market. Until it is posted under ATT's logo by ATT executives ant not 3rd party 5th estate sites, the no unlock rule is still the answer

Verizon does not unock for domestic use, that is only one of their requirement

dwill05 · ‎04-06-2005

New Reality wrote:
wingrider01 wrote:
ther still is only 1 iphone that is genericly unlocked in the US - the one that is sold by Apple at full retail cost

The above statement is not true.

Sitting on my desk is an AT&T iPhone that was recently unlocked by AT&T.

To be accurate, AT&T authorized Apple to unlock the phone and the next time it was updated with iTunes a message appeared indicating the phone was unlocked. Unlock verified with a foreign SIM.

It would appear that AT&T is quietly modifying their long standing refusal to unlock iPhones. The posting a few weeks ago about the gent who wrote Tim Cook had more truth than many of you AT&T bloggers realized.

However, like Verizon there are several considerations that AT&T will require.

So, to all you people who continue to insist that AT&T won't unlock an iPhone, you are misinformed.

Well, if it's really true, then tell it how it was done. What's your secret? Seems like anyone who posts here wanting their phone unlocked should just PM you?

New Reality · ‎03-30-2012

dwill05 wrote:
Well, if it's really true, then tell it how it was done. What's your secret? Seems like anyone who posts here wanting their phone unlocked should just PM you?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's not my secret, I didn't think that Tim Cook letter was a fake and acted as it it were the real thing, and it was.

Many of you thought it was a fake and wrote it off.

New Reality · ‎03-30-2012

wingrider01 wrote:
New Reality wrote:
wingrider01 wrote:
ther still is only 1 iphone that is genericly unlocked in the US - the one that is sold by Apple at full retail cost

The above statement is not true.

Sitting on my desk is an AT&T iPhone that was recently unlocked by AT&T.

To be accurate, AT&T authorized Apple to unlock the phone and the next time it was updated with iTunes a message appeared indicating the phone was unlocked. Unlock verified with a foreign SIM.

It would appear that AT&T is quietly modifying their long standing refusal to unlock iPhones. The posting a few weeks ago about the gent who wrote Tim Cook had more truth than many of you AT&T bloggers realized.

However, like Verizon there are several considerations that AT&T will require.

So, to all you people who continue to insist that AT&T won't unlock an iPhone, you are misinformed.

Must have wrote Tim Cook, if not frame it and coat it in gold, sorry I need more validtion on it, make a rule of never accepting things at face value. Personally waiting for the day it can be done, have about 30 of various models of iphones from upgrades of business accounts that will be unlocked and flooding the used for sale market. Until it is posted under ATT's logo by ATT executives ant not 3rd party 5th estate sites, the no unlock rule is still the answer

Verizon does not unock for domestic use, that is only one of their requirement

I really couldn't care less what you think, or how much validation you require, the phone on my desk was unlocked by AT&T, that's all I know, or need or need to know.

I never said Verizon unlocks for domestic use, we both know they don't but they do make accommodations for international travelers.

It seems that AT&T is feeling some heat and beginning to rethink their policy, good for them.

.

Underlyingsound · ‎03-01-2009

New Reality wrote:
wingrider01 wrote:
New Reality wrote:
wingrider01 wrote:
ther still is only 1 iphone that is genericly unlocked in the US - the one that is sold by Apple at full retail cost

The above statement is not true.

Sitting on my desk is an AT&T iPhone that was recently unlocked by AT&T.

To be accurate, AT&T authorized Apple to unlock the phone and the next time it was updated with iTunes a message appeared indicating the phone was unlocked. Unlock verified with a foreign SIM.

It would appear that AT&T is quietly modifying their long standing refusal to unlock iPhones. The posting a few weeks ago about the gent who wrote Tim Cook had more truth than many of you AT&T bloggers realized.

However, like Verizon there are several considerations that AT&T will require.

So, to all you people who continue to insist that AT&T won't unlock an iPhone, you are misinformed.

Must have wrote Tim Cook, if not frame it and coat it in gold, sorry I need more validtion on it, make a rule of never accepting things at face value. Personally waiting for the day it can be done, have about 30 of various models of iphones from upgrades of business accounts that will be unlocked and flooding the used for sale market. Until it is posted under ATT's logo by ATT executives ant not 3rd party 5th estate sites, the no unlock rule is still the answer

Verizon does not unock for domestic use, that is only one of their requirement
I really couldn't care less what you think, or how much validation you require, the phone on my desk was unlocked by AT&T, that's all I know, or need or need to know.

I never said Verizon unlocks for domestic use, we both know they don't but they do make accommodations for international travelers.

It seems that AT&T is feeling some heat and beginning to rethink their policy, good for them.

.

I'd love to see them unlock iPhone. Thank you for the hope, but let's face it...Tim Cook nor AT&T unlocked your device. You did. Sorry. Unless you'd care to prove it, which shouldn't be an issue, I'm sure this is the situation. Sorry :/

Kerry78 · ‎11-03-2011

Only unlocked iPhones come from apple!!! Be there store or online
iPhone's sold from apple to a network provider become locked to the first sim card
That's how they are here in the uk I'm pretty sure it's the same worldwide too

I applied a giff gaff micro sim in mine and although it tryed to
Activate moments later I get a message from apple

My phone is locked to orange it came from phones4u

Has anyone on AT&T activated with another sim card from
Opening the phone brand new? Test it!!!!

kijo · ‎03-31-2012

Kerry78 wrote:
Only unlocked iPhones come from apple!!! Be there store or online
iPhone's sold from apple to a network provider become locked to the first sim card
That's how they are here in the uk I'm pretty sure it's the same worldwide too

That is not quite how it works here in the UK.

iPhones sold by a network are locked to that network at the point of sale, if the first sim card inserted in the phone is different to the network that the phone is supplied by it will not accept the sim card. So it is not the first sim that is inserted that determines who the phone is locked to but it is the network who sells the phone.

Also phones locked to a neywork can be breought from an Apple store if the buyer requests that a network contract be set up. So in the UK make sure that when you buty from Apple you clearly state you want an unlocked phone without any newtwork contract.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

New Reality wrote:

wingrider01 wrote:

New Reality wrote:

wingrider01 wrote:

ther still is only 1 iphone that is genericly unlocked in the US - the one that is sold by Apple at full retail cost

The above statement is not true.

Sitting on my desk is an AT&T iPhone that was recently unlocked by AT&T.

To be accurate, AT&T authorized Apple to unlock the phone and the next time it was updated with iTunes a message appeared indicating the phone was unlocked. Unlock verified with a foreign SIM.

It would appear that AT&T is quietly modifying their long standing refusal to unlock iPhones. The posting a few weeks ago about the gent who wrote Tim Cook had more truth than many of you AT&T bloggers realized.

However, like Verizon there are several considerations that AT&T will require.

So, to all you people who continue to insist that AT&T won't unlock an iPhone, you are misinformed.

Must have wrote Tim Cook, if not frame it and coat it in gold, sorry I need more validtion on it, make a rule of never accepting things at face value. Personally waiting for the day it can be done, have about 30 of various models of iphones from upgrades of business accounts that will be unlocked and flooding the used for sale market. Until it is posted under ATT's logo by ATT executives ant not 3rd party 5th estate sites, the no unlock rule is still the answer

Verizon does not unock for domestic use, that is only one of their requirement

I really couldn't care less what you think, or how much validation you require, the phone on my desk was unlocked by AT&T, that's all I know, or need or need to know.

I never said Verizon unlocks for domestic use, we both know they don't but they do make accommodations for international travelers.

It seems that AT&T is feeling some heat and beginning to rethink their policy, good for them.

.

when it happens officially I will be the first in line with all the disconnected iphones that I have on the business accouht and will sell them, until then the official stance that is in effect is the only stance avaialble. Woudl love to know how oyu did it and I am sure numerous other people that post here woukd love to know it also.

As fat as "taking heat", ATT has been "taking heat" on this policy since the first 2GS was introduced, they "take heat" on hundreds of issues and in 99.9 percent of this issues the policy stays in affect, not the first time att or any carrier will "take heat" on a unpopular policy and will not be the last.

New Reality · ‎03-30-2012

wingrider01 wrote:
New Reality wrote:
wingrider01 wrote:
New Reality wrote:
wingrider01 wrote:
ther still is only 1 iphone that is genericly unlocked in the US - the one that is sold by Apple at full retail cost

The above statement is not true.

Sitting on my desk is an AT&T iPhone that was recently unlocked by AT&T.

To be accurate, AT&T authorized Apple to unlock the phone and the next time it was updated with iTunes a message appeared indicating the phone was unlocked. Unlock verified with a foreign SIM.

It would appear that AT&T is quietly modifying their long standing refusal to unlock iPhones. The posting a few weeks ago about the gent who wrote Tim Cook had more truth than many of you AT&T bloggers realized.

However, like Verizon there are several considerations that AT&T will require.

So, to all you people who continue to insist that AT&T won't unlock an iPhone, you are misinformed.

Must have wrote Tim Cook, if not frame it and coat it in gold, sorry I need more validtion on it, make a rule of never accepting things at face value. Personally waiting for the day it can be done, have about 30 of various models of iphones from upgrades of business accounts that will be unlocked and flooding the used for sale market. Until it is posted under ATT's logo by ATT executives ant not 3rd party 5th estate sites, the no unlock rule is still the answer

Verizon does not unock for domestic use, that is only one of their requirement
I really couldn't care less what you think, or how much validation you require, the phone on my desk was unlocked by AT&T, that's all I know, or need or need to know.

I never said Verizon unlocks for domestic use, we both know they don't but they do make accommodations for international travelers.

It seems that AT&T is feeling some heat and beginning to rethink their policy, good for them.

.

As fat as "taking heat", ATT has been "taking heat" on this policy since the first 2GS was introduced, they "take heat" on hundreds of issues and in 99.9 percent of this issues the policy stays in affect, not the first time att or any carrier will "take heat" on a unpopular policy and will not be the last.

Do the math.

Come July 2012, millions of iPhone 4's will approach and surpass their 2 year contract commitment.

When AT&T had the exclusive they could dictate the rules.

Now that 3 carriers offer the same item at virtually the same price, and 2 of the 3 are willing to unlock, there's little incentive to stay with AT&T.

Even AT&T can do that math and I would expect them to be making changes, as they have already done very quietly (for now).

In my case I have 3 iPhones on contract that expire in August and 1 already off contract, in Augusr I'm free to move elsewhere. If they unlock all my phones I'll stay, if not then I'm off to Verizon, consumers will walk if AT&T continues to refuse to unlock, even they underdstand that simple concept.

Yes, I understand the Verizon unlock policy so please no need to remind me it's not a complete unlock. And I don't have any need to talk and surf at the same time, so no issue there. Why anyone would put an iPhone on T-mobile is a mystery to me, no 3G.

If I were you I'd use my buying power with AT&T to request an accommodation.

New Reality · ‎03-30-2012

Underlyingsound wrote:
I'd love to see them unlock iPhone. Thank you for the hope, but let's face it...Tim Cook nor AT&T unlocked your device. You did. Sorry. Unless you'd care to prove it, which shouldn't be an issue, I'm sure this is the situation. Sorry :/

Let me assure you this unit was unlocked by iTunes.

Yes, it was previously unlocked by me using the available tools but I removed the unlock and ran an iTunes update which updated the baseband and the firmware to current versions.

At the end of the update the unlock message appeared.

You may look at this link: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3198 for more info.

I activated the phone with a foreign sim which partners with AT&T, but I can also see T-mobile in the network list.

So, you may believe what you want to believe.

BTW: how would uoi like me to prove it? If I sent you photos of the baseband and firmware versions along with the network list you'd then say I Photo-Shopped the pictures.

brainwaver · ‎04-10-2009

Interesting....within the link YOU provided, it clearly states "Only Some Carriers" offer the ability to unlock. If you click that link it takes you here ( http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1937) which is a carrier list. Click on US & Canada and it clearly shows AT&T does NOT authorize unlocking.

New Reality wrote:

Let me assure you this unit was unlocked by iTunes.

Yes, it was previously unlocked by me using the available tools but I removed the unlock and ran an iTunes update which updated the baseband and the firmware to current versions.

At the end of the update the unlock message appeared.

You may look at this link: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3198 for more info.

I activated the phone with a foreign sim which partners with AT&T, but I can also see T-mobile in the network list.

So, you may believe what you want to believe.

BTW: how would uoi like me to prove it? If I sent you photos of the baseband and firmware versions along with the network list you'd then say I Photo-Shopped the pictures.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

New Reality wrote:

Underlyingsound wrote:

I'd love to see them unlock iPhone. Thank you for the hope, but let's face it...Tim Cook nor AT&T unlocked your device. You did. Sorry. Unless you'd care to prove it, which shouldn't be an issue, I'm sure this is the situation. Sorry :/

Let me assure you this unit was unlocked by iTunes.

Yes, it was previously unlocked by me using the available tools but I removed the unlock and ran an iTunes update which updated the baseband and the firmware to current versions.

At the end of the update the unlock message appeared.

You may look at this link: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3198 for more info.

I activated the phone with a foreign sim which partners with AT&T, but I can also see T-mobile in the network list.

So, you may believe what you want to believe.

BTW: how would uoi like me to prove it? If I sent you photos of the baseband and firmware versions along with the network list you'd then say I Photo-Shopped the pictures.

you link to a trouble shooting a unlock, still see no verification that it was a att supplied locked phone or how you obtained the information, when Apple started selling the unlocked version of the ATT phone there was a shortage of them and it was authorized to unlock the att versions to coverage the shortage.

This is a dead end converstation, suspect that when other people read this your PM box will be full with requests to know exactly how you did this. How did you unlocked it - how did you get the authorization from ATT to have it done?

New Reality · ‎03-30-2012

brainwaver wrote:
Interesting....within the link YOU provided, it clearly states "Only Some Carriers" offer the ability to unlock. If you click that link it takes you here ( http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1937) which is a carrier list. Click on US & Canada and it clearly shows AT&T does NOT authorize unlocking.

Yes, that is true. YOU will notice the date of that page is 2010.

However, that's the page AT&T is referring people to for assistance with unlocking.

As others have said, AT&T hasn't publically announced anything, yet.

But, the Tim Cook letter was legitimate and I suspect some of our friends at AT&T are having a good laugh over this.

As the iphone 4 contracts come to their 2 year expiration I would expect AT&T to make some changes or risk losing several million handsets to the competition.

No CEO will want to answer to tbe board or to shareholders why he/she knowingly watched as customers bolted especially since a minor - revenue neutral - policy change would have prevented the exodus.

New Reality · ‎03-30-2012

wingrider01 wrote:
you link to a trouble shooting a unlock, still see no verification that it was a att supplied locked phone or how you obtained the information, when Apple started selling the unlocked version of the ATT phone there was a shortage of them and it was authorized to unlock the att versions to coverage the shortage.

This is a dead end converstation, suspect that when other people read this your PM box will be full with requests to know exactly how you did this. How did you unlocked it - how did you get the authorization from ATT to have it done?

How many times to I have to repeat it:

The Tim Cook letter is legitimate.

If you have a rationale explanation for your need for an unlocked phone possibly an execption will be made.

I will not post to this site, or PM, the e-mail address of the AT&T team that handled these letters.

But, it's clear, someone really reads e-mails to Tim Cook, and in those cases where the writer makes sense, action is taken.

That is why I suggested that you leverage your purchasing power. You seem to have management control of carrier selection, use it with AT&T.

dwill05 · ‎04-06-2005

There are literally millions of people in the US who have iPhones, iPhone 3, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4 that are out of contract and therefore have what would seem to be a legimate reason for having it unlocked. Somehow I can't see Tim Cook's people reading them all and asking AT&T to authorize unlocking each individual phone. I also can't see them unlocking a few, but not the many; it's either all or none, I think. I'm sure once the Tim Cook story hit the web, a lot of people tried it. Yours and the original person in the story seem to be the only ones who have been successful, and I certainly believe others have tried. Unless a lot more people come out and say it worked, I'm very skeptical. Any of our regular forum members try the Tim Cook method? If so, did it work? Also, this threat of a mass exodus for unhappy iPhone customers bolting AT&T over unlocking has been going on since the first iPhone, which was sold without a carrier subsidy, and yet in all these years, it hasn't seemed to have hurt AT&Ts bottom line. People said AT&T was going to be crushed as soon as Verizon got the iPhone. Didn't happen. People said AT&T was going to die when Apple started selling factory unlocked phones. Didn't happen. People said AT&T was going to lose big time now that both Verizon and Sprint have the iPhone, and will unlock the GSM side for international customers. That doesn't seemed to have happened either.

Kerry78 · ‎11-03-2011

Kijo. Maybe so but CPW and Phones4U iPhones do get locked to the sim card thats entered in first

its clearly posted online if you search, Apple supply Sim free iPhones knowbody else does in UK!

Those 5 based UK networks whom supply there own iPhones to new customers on Contract or Prepay are

locked for those networks with the customer who can obtain the locking fee

later on normally after 3 months orange will allow this at a fee of £19.99

Vodafone UK will charge a fee for prepay unlocking postpay customers can obtain it free using the

unlock form on there website same goes for 02 UK

but if a buyer who purchases a iPhone and leave the UK then unlocking becomes a problem

again thats all over the web

New Reality · ‎03-30-2012

dwill05 wrote:
There are literally millions of people in the US who have iPhones, iPhone 3, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4 that are out of contract and therefore have what would seem to be a legitimate reason for having it unlocked. Somehow I can't see Tim Cook's people reading them all and asking AT&T to authorize unlocking each individual phone. I also can't see them unlocking a few, but not the many; it's either all or none, I think. I'm sure once the Tim Cook story hit the web, a lot of people tried it. Yours and the original person in the story seem to be the only ones who have been successful, and I certainly believe others have tried. Unless a lot more people come out and say it worked, I'm very skeptical. Any of our regular forum members try the Tim Cook method? If so, did it work? Also, this threat of a mass exodus for unhappy iPhone customers bolting AT&T over unlocking has been going on since the first iPhone, which was sold without a carrier subsidy, and yet in all these years, it hasn't seemed to have hurt AT&Ts bottom line. People said AT&T was going to be crushed as soon as Verizon got the iPhone. Didn't happen. People said AT&T was going to die when Apple started selling factory unlocked phones. Didn't happen. People said AT&T was going to lose big time now that both Verizon and Sprint have the iPhone, and will unlock the GSM side for international customers. That doesn't seemed to have happened either.

You bring up some good points.

But consider this, you didn't see the mass exodus because AT&T increased the ETF in June 2010, just before the iPhone 4 availability. Even a phone in its last contract month would have an $85 EFT, so just wait one month till expiration.

Since then in the USA Print and Verizon have iPhone.

With early adopter iPhone 4 contracts soon to expire, assuming all things being equal, why would someone with an unlock issue stay with AT&T?

I don't think Tim Cook reads every e-mail, but someone does as evidenced by my e-mail being forwarded to AT&T

It's possible that AT&T is pilot testing their unlock process and this is why they've quietly selected some from the Tim Cook onslaught. Of course, it's possible that most of you thought the article was a hoax and ignored it.

Buying a full price iPhone after paying AT&T for a phone is a financial hit for many people, in today's (and the past 2 years) economy I don't see many people just off'ing their AT&T phone for an Apple unlocked phone.

Have you ever seen the numbers of Cydia downloads? That's an indication of something.

All of your "didn't happens" are correct, but let's see what happens as the first group of 2 year iPhone 4 contracts expire.

It would be hard for anyone to argue that AT&T will not lose customers as contracts expire and unlockers seek a legitimate unlock solution without shelling out mega bucks.