5 ms·

Add Australia in there as well. Most phones, including the iPhone, are available here unlocked and can be used on any carrier

netcan 17y ago
Technically true, but almost all phones are acquired via subsidies anyway. If you BYO device you get no real cost reduction unless you want a very high end device on a very low end plan or some other end case. The only segment where BYO phone is strong is in prepaid. You do actually save money by not being on a plan but this isn't the option most people go for. People don't see it as the "grown-up" option. Not many people do you think buy an iphone from Apple for $1040(http://store.apple.com/au/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone http://store.apple.com/au/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iph...). They get it from Optus or something for $10 p/m or free. http://personal.optus.com.au/web/ocaportal.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=Template_woRHS&FP=/personal/mobile/iphone3G&site=personal http://personal.optus.com.au/web/ocaportal.portal?_nfpb=true...
- hrabago 17y ago
  > Technically true, but almost all phones are acquired via subsidies anyway. Again, yes, in the US. In some Asian countries, you can walk into any mall and there will be any number of stores selling new or used cellphones all of which are unlocked. > People don't see it as the "grown up" option. Again, this is limited to particular cultures. In some countries, prepaid is the norm, not the exception. People keep their numbers and switch phones as they move from one phone to the next, and buy only as much load as they need. (USD 0.20 good for 10 SMS messages)
  - netcan 17y ago
    I was referring to Australia (in response to the grandparent).
  - cakesy 17y ago
    Prepaid is huge in the UK, so much so that you can get topups for your mobile in almost any shop of ATM (of course, they call them cash machines). I was amazed in Australia that it is so limited, and such a PITA.
  - parbo 17y ago
    In Sweden there is a law stating that numbers have to be portable across carriers, no need to use pre-paid to achieve that.
    - kgrin 17y ago
      That's also true in the US

netcan 17y ago

Technically true, but almost all phones are acquired via subsidies anyway. If you BYO device you get no real cost reduction unless you want a very high end device on a very low end plan or some other end case. The only segment where BYO phone is strong is in prepaid. You do actually save money by not being on a plan but this isn't the option most people go for. People don't see it as the "grown-up" option. Not many people do you think buy an iphone from Apple for $1040(http://store.apple.com/au/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone http://store.apple.com/au/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iph...). They get it from Optus or something for $10 p/m or free. http://personal.optus.com.au/web/ocaportal.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=Template_woRHS&FP=/personal/mobile/iphone3G&site=personal http://personal.optus.com.au/web/ocaportal.portal?_nfpb=true...

hrabago 17y ago
> Technically true, but almost all phones are acquired via subsidies anyway. Again, yes, in the US. In some Asian countries, you can walk into any mall and there will be any number of stores selling new or used cellphones all of which are unlocked. > People don't see it as the "grown up" option. Again, this is limited to particular cultures. In some countries, prepaid is the norm, not the exception. People keep their numbers and switch phones as they move from one phone to the next, and buy only as much load as they need. (USD 0.20 good for 10 SMS messages)
- netcan 17y ago
  I was referring to Australia (in response to the grandparent).
- cakesy 17y ago
  Prepaid is huge in the UK, so much so that you can get topups for your mobile in almost any shop of ATM (of course, they call them cash machines). I was amazed in Australia that it is so limited, and such a PITA.
- parbo 17y ago
  In Sweden there is a law stating that numbers have to be portable across carriers, no need to use pre-paid to achieve that.
  - kgrin 17y ago
    That's also true in the US