Potential Unlocked iPhone Could Spark Another Mobile Trend

I was emailing back and forth with Dave the Mobile Sage about a rumor going around that Apple might start selling unlocked iPhones through AT&T this week.

And with phones continued to be carrier locked, it is possible that Apple's unlocked iPhone in the US could spark a rash of other mobile devices being sold unlocked.

I know that iPhones have been sold unlocked in other parts of the world for years but the US market is one of the biggest and most influential mobile market.

Suck unlocking could mean greater access to the latest and greatest mobile devices for users across markets. Right now, Apple and others stagger launches in different markets.

Take the iPad launch as an example. US users got it first but the reseller market is where the action's at whether we like it or not. And if Apple begin selling the next iPhone unlocked, totally expect a huge rush of demand for it from Asia where the markets typically trail US launches anywhere from 3 to 12 months.

And this could solve some demand problems. Take the Chinese launch of the iPhone 4 where hordes of resellers pushed out legitimate buyers. There was even word of a fight between a loyal Apple employee and unruly squatters. Maybe such problems can be solved buy unlocked iPhones.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch