Want an unlocked iPhone 4? Get it straight from Apple

By Sai Krishna D.
June 15, 2011

You won't have to use sneaky tactics in order to get an unlocked iPhone 4 anymore — now you can purchase such a device directly from Apple.

Apple iPhone.
TUAW reports that Apple has begun offering carrier-unlocked iPhone 4 units today (June 14). A 16 GB version will cost $649, while the 32 GB model will retail for $749.
Don't get too excited though! While this means that you can get a device that is not attached to a particular cellular provider or contract, you are still rather limited as to where you could use it.
You see, the unlocked iPhone 4 model is a GSM-only device which — in the U.S. — will only work on AT&T's network due to some compatibility issues. But as TUAW explains, there are still benefits to purchasing the device:

[G]iven that the only other major GSM carrier in the States is T-Mobile, whose 3G network is incompatible with the iPhone 4, the ability to swap between national networks at will is not as big of an advantage as it may seem at first. The real winners will be international travelers, who will finally be able to swap SIMs and pay lower fees when they're abroad. 

So in other words: This new Apple offering is great if you don't want to be tied down to an AT&T contract or if you happen to travel out of the country a lot. Otherwise, you might as well sell two years of your life to a carrier and pay the lower subsidized prices for the iPhone 4 itself.