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Apple began selling unlocked iPhone 4 models that are compatible with more than just AT&T’s GSM-based cell network earlier in June and that started circulating over the weekend claiming shoppers weren’t limited to purchasing unlocked iPhones from the Apple Web site. Unlocked iPhones will allow you to insert a SIM card from any GSM carrier and the unlocked GSM-compatible iPhone 4 is priced at US$649 for the 16GB model, and $749 for the 32GB version…………

Apple announced that it would finally be offering unlocked iPhone 4s in the U.S and unlocking the iPhone has largely been a process of the jailbreak community for the past few years. Customers who buy new iPhone 4 at Apple retail stores may be given an AT&T version that’s unlocked on the spot at an Apple retail store should the store run out of the unlocked model, which suggests that Apple has the capability of unlocking the AT&T edition of the GSM iPhone 4 units. According to 9to5 Mac, if Apple retail stores are short of unlocked iPhone 4 units, they can grab an AT&T iPhone and the checkout system can unlock the device if the customer pays the full, unsubsidized price for the phone. While Apple has sold iPhones in the U.S. without a contract at full retail price in the past, they were only able to sell AT&T-locked iPhone units. Now, with a retail system that can potentially either lock a phone to AT&T, or unlock the phone if a user pays full price, Apple can essentially stock fewer models of the iPhone going forward to avoid having to maintain inventories for each individual model, whether they’re locked or unlocked iPhone units, and still give customers what they want at the point of sales. An unlocked iPhone 4 would be beneficial to those who travel overseas and would rather get a local SIM card at their destination rather than pay AT&T roaming. Though users can potentially use a T-Mobile USA SIM card inside the iPhone 4, doing so would default the iPhone 4 to a 2G EDGE mobile data connection, rather than the HSPA 3G connection as the iPhone 4 lacks the radio support for T-Mobile USA’s 3G and 4G HSPA+ network.

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