Why You Should Think About Buying an Unlocked iPhone

Apple started selling unlocked versions of its 16 GB and 32 GB iPhone 4 today. They're expensive -- $649 and $749, respectively -- but there are a number of reasons why you might want to think about purchasing one. The Atlantic Wire's John Hudson presents some of them, as explained by various tech bloggers:

"The big attraction is, of course, being able to take the phone abroad and switch MicroSIMs to your heart's content, an experience that most other nations are already well accustomed to," writes Vlad Svavo at Engadget. In the past, American iPhone owners traveling abroad had to cough up "exorbitant international roaming fees," notes Chris Rawson at TUAW. For Rawson, "not being chained to AT&T for two years has to be the biggest [advantage]." Still, the only other major GSM-supported wireless carrier is T-Mobile and its 3G network is incompatible with the iPhone (so no data plan). "That said, if one really wants to buy an iPhone 4 for use on T-Mobile, there is now an officially supported means for doing so," reasons Ina Fried at All Things D. And having an officially sanctioned means to unlock your phone is something iPhone users have been seeking since the product's initial launch, notes CNET's Don Reisinger.

Read the full story at The Atlantic Wire.