Carrier Plan Cancellation?

Buy the iPhone in Brazil (or wherever you want to use intentionally) is your best option.

You generally cannot buy a locked phone and get it unlocked until the 2 year contract term is over. The only exception is T-Mobile, but you still have to pay the full unsubsidized price for the phone before they will unlock it. So there is no benefit to buying a locked phone.

The one way out is to get a Verizon phone. While they don't advertise the fact, it is unlocked for use with a GSM SIM worldwide. But again, you will have to pay full price or agree to a 2 year contract with a penalty clause for canceling that will cost as much as an unlocked phone.

Remember that if you buy a phone in the US it can only be serviced or replaced under warranty in the US, and also that LTE will probably not work outside of the US as the bands are different in other parts of the world.

See Lawrence post for why it's better in the country.

Summarize:

1. Warranty

2. LTE support

3. Carrier penalty (not forgeting prices in US do not include Tax which you still need to pay)

ArturDB wrote:

I'd pay 3 times the price i'll pay here if I buy in Brazil... how is it supposed to be the best option?

If you add the airfare back to the US if the phone needs service it may come out closer.

That unlocking service is a fraud or worse. There is no service that can legally unlock an iPhone other than the carrier it is locked to.

I've never seen any charges on the AT&T site, and I recently unlocked my "retired" 4S without being charged. This is the official AT&T page about unlocking: http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB414532#fbid=98ZBXjd2Z7x

You forgot your first month of service and data added to that breakdown that you showed. You have to pay the first months service as well. Depending on the plan that you got, add that as well. And as Lawrence said, the unlocking service you found isn't legit. I think AT&T will not unlock within the first 30 days either, despite paying the ETF.

I can understand your reluctance to paying the price in your home country, but there is a lot going against it, considering the price you pay for the device and to not get warranty service and it will not support all bands in your country, you have a second rate phone for the cost. But then, it is your money.