Well, law already affects the price of smartphones... a Federal Subsidy has been in cell phone prices since the beginning.
The thing about provider locks is trying to prevent "churn", constantly going from one provider to another. Service price pays off some of the value of a cheap phone, so that's why most post-paid offers come with contracts.
Service price pays off some of the value of a cheap phone, so that's why most post-paid offers come with contracts.
Right, and as everyone knows, when you finance something, you don't own it until you pay it off... if then. That's why the bank has a key to your house and a key to your car. That's why, when you buy a box of Tide at the grocery store with a $2.00 off coupon, they prevent you from leaving the state with it. The grocery store subsidized your Tide to get you into the store... that Tide is
Service price pays off some of the value of a cheap phone, so that's why most post-paid offers come with contracts.
It should be obvious to anyone with a mental age of over five that you are still tied to the contract even if you use the phone with your other SIM, sell it to someone else, or send it to land fill.
The main effect of locking is to reduce the second hand value - which leads to more phones going to land fill.
Locking phones is abusive behaviour, and should be illegal. However, AFAICT, most US carriers are abusive and ought to be illegal.
Service price pays off some of the value of a cheap phone, so that's why most post-paid offers come with contracts.
It should be obvious to anyone with a mental age of over five that you are still tied to the contract even if you use the phone with your other SIM, sell it to someone else, or send it to land fill.
The main effect of locking is to reduce the second hand value - which leads to more phones going to land fill.
Locking phones is abusive behaviour, and should be illegal. However, AFAICT, most US carriers are abusive and ought to be illegal.
It should be illegal to mess with a phone, cheap or not, any way. The problem is if it is locked, even if you unlock it, it has already been messed with. I ONLY. buy factory unlocked phones (favorite: SONY)
And don't even get me started about the smutware the carrier installs...
BTW I believe most of European countries carriers do not lock the phones. Must be a law or something...
No need for a ban (Score:1)
There's no need for the law to get involved here. You can buy cell phones from many many sources.
Re: (Score:3)
Well, law already affects the price of smartphones... a Federal Subsidy has been in cell phone prices since the beginning.
The thing about provider locks is trying to prevent "churn", constantly going from one provider to another. Service price pays off some of the value of a cheap phone, so that's why most post-paid offers come with contracts.
Re: (Score:2)
Service price pays off some of the value of a cheap phone, so that's why most post-paid offers come with contracts.
Right, and as everyone knows, when you finance something, you don't own it until you pay it off ... if then. That's why the bank has a key to your house and a key to your car. That's why, when you buy a box of Tide at the grocery store with a $2.00 off coupon, they prevent you from leaving the state with it. The grocery store subsidized your Tide to get you into the store ... that Tide is
Re:No need for a ban (Score:2)
It should be obvious to anyone with a mental age of over five that you are still tied to the contract even if you use the phone with your other SIM, sell it to someone else, or send it to land fill.
The main effect of locking is to reduce the second hand value - which leads to more phones going to land fill.
Locking phones is abusive behaviour, and should be illegal. However, AFAICT, most US carriers are abusive and ought to be illegal.
Re: (Score:1)
Service price pays off some of the value of a cheap phone, so that's why most post-paid offers come with contracts.
It should be obvious to anyone with a mental age of over five that you are still tied to the contract even if you use the phone with your other SIM, sell it to someone else, or send it to land fill.
The main effect of locking is to reduce the second hand value - which leads to more phones going to land fill.
Locking phones is abusive behaviour, and should be illegal. However, AFAICT, most US carriers are abusive and ought to be illegal.
It should be illegal to mess with a phone, cheap or not, any way. The problem is if it is locked, even if you unlock it, it has already been messed with. I ONLY. buy factory unlocked phones (favorite: SONY) And don't even get me started about the smutware the carrier installs... BTW I believe most of European countries carriers do not lock the phones. Must be a law or something...