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Why Unlocked Phones Don't Work In the US

Posted by timothy on from the they're-just-not-trying-hard-enough dept.

schnell writes "Unlocked cellular devices have long been a part of the wireless landscape in Europe and elsewhere. But longtime industry analyst Andrew Seybold explains why that model doesn't work in the US due to technology and frequency differences, and why LTE adoption may not make things any better."

3 of 442 comments (clear)

  1. Yeah right. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Technology and frequency differences? You've got to be shitting me. They don't work because the cell operators are greedy assholes.

    1. Re:Yeah right. by ScrewMaster · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Technology and frequency differences? You've got to be shitting me. They don't work because the cell operators are greedy assholes.

      It would be interesting if the cell phone manufacturers offered a swappable, standardized radio module that would pop in and out like the battery. That way you could buy an expensive smartphone, and leverage that investment by just picking up a new radio module to move to a new network. Of course, the reality is that these pricks can't even agree on a particular power plug, so I wouldn't hold your breath and besides, they're perfectly happy if you are forced to buy a brand-new phone just to go to a different wireless provider.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  2. Re:Every Network Is Different by LurkerXXX · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah, breaking up Ma Bell was a terrible idea. I just loved having to pay rent on every phone in my house every month, because you weren't allowed to own your own phone.

    You know nothing.