question for no contract iphone 4

So what is the purpose of buying a IPHONE without the contract? Wouldn't it be cheaper just getting a contract? Of course, you're tied to that contract, but it's not like you can take that phone to another carrier, right?

People buy the phone without a contract if they like to frequently switch to new phones.

That can get expensive. I guess if you have money to burn, so be it, but I'm wanting to make the switch from Verizon, but the only thing that bothers me is the new Data plan AT&T is rolling out. I'm on an unlimited Data plan right now.

Might want to look else where for the unit...

I'm in Australia and here we can buy iPhones from Apple stores and the Apple Australia web site and it's fully unlocked and free to move around all our Telcos.

Cost outright is around $1000 Aus, but your free to do whatever you want at that point.

Can you just order 1 from here?

I'm on an unlimited Data plan right now.

Read the fine print. Verizon's unlimited plan can only be used for up to 5GB a month otherwise your usage will be considered unacceptable and your service could be terminated.

Doesn't sound unlimited to me.

I've yet to experience a cut off, so maybe I am not using it to it's capacity (5GB), but it's still 3GB higher than the one AT&T is offering that isn't unlimited either.

Great for you, but in your first post you stated:

I'm on an unlimited Data plan right now.

Fact is you are not.

Fact: my data plan doesn't read a max out of 5GB. Just checked. I had thought there was a cut off since you mentioned it, and maybe there is that isn't being said in contract, but it reads nothing in my contract that my data plan is a capacity 5GB.

No need to get nasty about it either. I'm trying to weigh the good and the bad. I'm not trying to make this a contest. The FACT IS: Verizon still holds a higher data plan and it appears it will be cheaper. This is why I wrestle with the switch.

Oh man...Why do people try and answer when they don't know, it just furthers inaccurate information

ANSWER: iPhone 4 can be purchased without a contract. 16GB - $499 and 32Gb - $599.

To everyone else: You can absolutely use your iphone on other networks. Not Verizon or Sprint (beause they use a different technology for cellular voice/data) but you can use it across the world as long as it uses the same cellular format. There are MANY reasons people would want to buy it without contract

1) Do not want to be tied for another 2 years to one carrier or one phone
2) Want to use it in another country instead...or different service provider...like T-Mobile
3) Your company pays for your ATT phone, but does not allow iPhones. Therefore you can buy it, and swap SIMs

You can unlock your phone using a sofware patch (not demonstrated yet on iphone 4, but has been for all previous phones). Jailbreaking is different.

Quoted from verizon:

Anyone using more than 5 GB per line in a given month is presumed to be using the service in a manner prohibited above, and we reserve the right to immediately terminate the service of any such person without notice.

No need to get nasty about it either.

Nasty doesn't have anything to do with whether accurate information is posted in a user to user help forum. Inaccurate information is a disservice to users who use this forum.

First of all buddy, you do not know what my contract says, so don't go trying to assume I'm trying to provide inaccurate info. I've been a customer for years with Verizon...again,I have no mention of cap in my contract! But nevertheless, even if it is the case, it is still 3GB more than what AT&T is offering at nearly the same price. So you can rattle on about the cap all you like, it still doesn't make the data plan with AT&T anymore appealing. This is what I'm struggling with as one of the reasons I'm debating the switch. This is why I brought it up, not to debate if my plan is actually unlimited or not.

Whether you want to call it a "software patch", hack, or whatever, the US iPhone is locked to AT&T and anything used to unlock it voids the warranty. So you are paying full price for a phone that does not have a warranty and if you use it with T-Mobile in the US you will be doing so at EDGE data speeds.

The question was not about warranty. The question was about having the ability to purchase the iphone without contract and use it somewhere else.

Correct, but to fully answer the question it is only proper that there is no "official" way to unlock a US iPhone so you have to resort to an unauthorized hack that invalidates the warranty. Also, those who have done so and then updated to 3.1.3 end up with a useless iPhone.

fair enough. I think the guy has enough info to go off of now. Good luck in China dude.