T-Mobile Version of the iPhone 5S: Unlocked, Or Not

There seems to be confusion going on about the T-Mobile version of the new 2013 iPhones.  I've personally bought two of them.  One of them will be used with T-Mobile itself.  The other will be for my brother who has an AT&T sim card.  I bought him the T-Mobile version because I was unable to buy the AT&T iPhone 5s outright.

On Apple's order page last night, the T-Mobile version was said to be unlocked.  Today, that's a different story.  Even so, perhaps, there was an omission one way or another.  No one seems certain whether the T-Mobile version of the new iPhones, 5c or 5s, is unlocked at this time.

It makes sense that the T-Mobile version would be locked into its network.  However, if the iPhone is bought at a full price, it should be unlocked no matter what.  However, it appears that T-Mobile is looking to get users to sign up for service.

What also adding to my confusion on this issue is that on my iPhone, the order confirmations for my T-Mobile iPhones specifically say "unlocked".  But when I sign into my account online, the "unlocked" part is missing.

Also, the "unlocked" designation is missing when I checked on the order on my iPhone Apple store app.

What's interesting about this is that this progressed through the night last night and well into the start of the ordering process.

However, a few folks who have managed to get their hands on a T-Mobile version did confirm that these phones work with the AT&T sim cards.

The point I'm trying to make here is really about how the locking process and philosophy doesn't work anymore today.  Even with T-Mobile's more consumer friendly plans and device payment plans, if you buy a phone that you're still making payments on, you are locked into T-Mobile's service.  Makes no sense at all.

And that is likely at the root of this Apple and T-Mobile confusion concerning the 2013 iPhones.  And why should T-Mobile's iPhones be specially locked into T-Mobile when AT&T and Verizon's versions are both unlocked.

How do I know that?  Because my Verizon iPhone 5 last year came unlocked.

Time To Call It: Blackberry, It's Been Great Knowing You. This Is A Lesson for Apple and Google

Source:  Marketwatch.

Apple and Google showed that you can disrupt the norm by offering new services that solve problems, creating new industries, or create chaos in existing ones.  Anyone can do that.  Look at Twitter and how it has become so ingrained in society today.  Then there are companies that show that if you don't try to get out ahead of everyone else and feel safe about your situation like Palm did, you can find yourself quickly relegated to nothingness.

Today, that company is Blackberry.  When the iPhone hit the market back in 2007, no one including Nokia, Palm, Microsoft, and RIM (before they became just Blackberry) thought Apple could offer anything in the phone market that they did not already offer that was better, including the fact that many smartphones then had physical keyboards while Apple's iPhone did not.

Steve Balmer, "ousted" CEO of Microsoft, famously suggested that he looked at the situation, what Microsoft had to offer, and what the iPhone offered, and he liked his position better.  We have talked about Microsoft before and I'm sure we will again but this is about Blackberry.

Today, it's stock took a big hit.  When WSJ reported Blackberry was about to rid itself of 40% of its workforce, the stock shaved off about 2%.  No one thought much of it.  I didn't but I'm an optimist and I think the WSJ report should have been taken with a grain of salt because, well, you know, the media, print or anything else.

But Blackberry did come out and warn about a huge short fall and major cuts.  How bad?  It was supposed to make around $3 billion in revenue.  Instead, this ain't a typo, it's going to make $1.6 billion.  And this also isn't a typo:  expect to lose about $1 billion.  And WSJ was right.  Blackberry will let go around 40% of its workforce.

I looked at Crackberry.com to see their take on this.  They only reprinted Blackberry's finanial press release.  I had hoped for more comment about this.  I did look at the forum a bit.  One user thought news of a buyout was pending or a breakup of the company was coming when BBRY stock was halted for trading. I don't think anyone thought this was coming.

I think for Blackberry fans, this is still a bit of a shock.  A big, big shock.

I had hoped that I can get a successor to the Q10 but right now, I'm not sure there will be one.

It looks like the end could be closer than anyone expected.

For the top dogs in mobile, your stay there is temporary.  You're bound to slip up just as an upstart is getting ready to strike when you least expected.

Note:  I looked through the Crackberry forums.  It's a live with activity but also kinda sad.  Lots of issues.  There was even one about how seeing someone else with the Q10 for the first time in the wild.  One poster mentioned he saw someone with a Q10 in DC and another asked which part of DC because it might be him.

Social: Virtues (Or Lack Of) Waiting In Line For An Apple Product Launch

Last night, I took a small nap and woke up just before midnight Friday to order my iPhones.  As I've said before, it was seamless for me.  Maybe it's because I'm in the same time zone as Apple.  But as I was waiting to order and even after for about an hour or so, I followed many of the online forums and Twitter to gauge what's going on outside - in the hundreds if not thousands of retail locations where people were lined up, waiting for that moment at 8 am or whenever the Apple or reseller stores would open, and get inside and buy the iPhone of their choice.

Once, I lined up at the Manhattan Beach, California Apple store to pick up my original iPad pre-order.  A couple of friends went with me.  That was fun but I got there at 5 am which was nothing like what others have done to get ahead of the line.  Lining up even day before.  Or days.

Another time, I went at 3 am to line up at the Pasadena store for the iPhone 4S.  But that was not on launch day but the day after.  It was a bit scary because it was such a crazy thing to do.  I mean, sure, it was an iPhone but it was just a mobile computing device and I had the iPhone 4 in my pocket!

But once I got there, there were already folks lined up about fifty deep.  Half the folks there wanted a 4S because they were upgrading from a 3G or 3GS.  Even the original iPhone.  The other half wanted to get their hands on them and sell them to the Chinese overseas who would pay top dollars for it.  Oh well.  It's a free country with a free economy.

I tended to ignore those folks.  However, I did have a good time talking to others who shared my enthusiasm for the iPhone and other Apple products.  Some were getting it for themselves and others for their love ones.  Some didn't quite understand the cult of Apple but understood that their love ones do.

It's an experience.  It's fun.  I think if you're an Apple fan, go do this once at least to see what it's like.

New Network Protocol in iOS 7 Means More Efficient And Seamless Connectivity - That's What Mobile is All About (Apple Too)

Source:  iMore.

iOS 7 has a new feature that isn't as sexy as the new camera or Touch ID but it is still pretty neat.  It's called Multipath TCP.

Multipath TCP allows users to maintain connectivity between WiFi and cell signals so when the mobile warrior move from one network to another, say you're at a coffee shop and you walked out into the parking and loses the cafe's WiFi signal, iOS 7 knows to pick right off using your LTE or whatever cell signal you've got.

It works by staying connected to both networks at the same time.  My question is then about what the battery life?  It's great that there is no interruption but you have to think that there is always power being drawn when the cell antenna has to work in this fashion.

I lack the technical background to answer this, I do believe this is a fair question to ask.

Then comes my second question.  Who gets this new ability?  Any with iOS 7 installed?  Apparently, that is the case.  No new hardware is needed.

iPhone 5s Still Very Much Available For Shipping In The Next 10 Day Time Frame

I was able to order a silver 64 GB iPhone 5s for my brother who has courageously served this country.  He deserved it.  And after that, I was happy.  I also got one for myself.  If there's anything I don't cut back in, it's my mobile devices.

And even now, you can still get iPhone 5s (iPhone 5c models as well if that's your color) with a 7-10 day ship time if you go with a carrier.  The unlocked T-mobile models, ones that I bought, will take a bit longer.

All in all, it was a wonderful ordering experience not seen in previous years.  Getting the iPhone 4s was an ordeal and I don't even want to talk about the iPhone 5.

I still have a mind to see if I can get to an Apple store to get one and cancel my online order if there are still stock left this even or sometimes this weekend.

iPhone 5s Still Very Much Available For Shipping In The Next 10 Day Time Frame

I was able to order a silver 64 GB iPhone 5s for my brother who has courageously served this country.  He deserved it.  And after that, I was happy.  I also got one for myself.  If there's anything I don't cut back in, it's my mobile devices.

And even now, you can still get iPhone 5s (iPhone 5c models as well if that's your color) with a 7-10 day ship time if you go with a carrier.  The unlocked T-mobile models, ones that I bought, will take a bit longer.

All in all, it was a wonderful ordering experience not seen in previous years.  Getting the iPhone 4s was an ordeal and I don't even want to talk about the iPhone 5.

I still have a mind to see if I can get to an Apple store to get one and cancel my online order if there are still stock left this even or sometimes this weekend.

iPhone 5s Preorder: Apple Store! It's Down!!!

Nothing more to say...




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