Will the 4G iPhone be offered sans contract, any time in the future? I’d heard the 3GS is offered in that manner in ATT stores. I’d buy one in a heartbeat, if that were the case. I travel frequently (L.A., London, Sydney, Bangalore), and need a phone whose SIM card can be swapped several times a year.
The iPhone 3GS is the best handheld device ever designed. I’m not sure deviating from the minimalism in designing the 4G was a good idea. I have to see how Android 2.2 fares, in the future months.
You can pay full retail and get one without a contract but not unlocked. AT&T recently said they would unlock any phone but an iPhone.
Will the 4G iPhone be offered sans contract, any time in the future?
That iPhone is not here, but the previous model, the one being sold now, has always been avaible without carrier subsidy (thus no "contract") and you could always pay the full price for that iPhone and get it unlocked. That's never been a problem.
But, the fact of the matter is that most people don't want to pay full price for their smartphones, and instead prefer the "carrier subsidy" prices, which thus locks them into the carriers that they choose. That's the way the business goes, normally.
See Post #36 ...