iPhone Unlocking

Starting on February 11, 2015 Sprint will "provide any applicable MSL Code" to any customer who requests that their smartphone or tablet be unlocked so it can be used with another carrier. The change in Sprint's unlocking policy was spotted today by Android Police, and comes after the Federal Communications Commission pressured all five major U.S. carriers to give customers the choice to unlock their devices and switch mobile providers as they see fit.

Sprint notes on the company's unlocking FAQ page that "not all devices are capable of being unlocked," and that some devices will not retain all their functionality. For example, all iPhone models and other "devices manufactured with a SIM slot within the past three years cannot be unlocked to accept a different domestic carrier's SIM for use on another domestic carrier's network," according to Sprint. Your device and all its functionality will also need to be supported by the carrier you wish to switch to for it to work on that carrier's network.

Al Franken and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have introduced a new bill that aims to make cellphone unlocking legal again. The new bill entitled Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act would allow cellphone owners to unlock their devices by themselves, or via a third-party. The bill was introduced after FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said the recent unlocking ban “raises competition and innovation concerns". The bipartisan legislation is also backed by Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT.), Committee Ranking Member Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah)

"Right now, folks who decide to change cellphone carriers are frequently forced to buy a new phone or risk the possibility of criminal penalties, and that’s just not fair for consumers," said Franken. "This bipartisan legislation will quickly allow consumers to unlock their current phones instead of having to purchase a new one. I support this commonsense solution to save consumers money."

AT&T has responded to the smartphone unlocking controversy sweeping the nation. If you do not know the story, here is a quick recap: On January 26, 2013 the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) exemption that made unlocking your cellular phone legal expired. This made it illegal to unlock your device without your carrier's permission. Smartphone users responded by posting a petition on the White House's We the People website. The petition gained over 100,000 signatures before 30 days, which prompted an official response from FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.

Genachowski said the ban “raises competition concerns,” as well as “innovation concerns", and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) responded by creating the Wireless Device Independence Act. This bill ensures people can unlock their devices without a carrier's permission.

Earlier this year, the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) exemption that made unlocking your cell phone legal expired. This made it illegal for owners to unlock their cellular phones without their carrier's permission. Of course this did not sit well with most cell phone owners, and over 100,000 people have already signed a petition to make unlocking cell phones legal.

The petition was started on the "We the People" website where anyone can petition the government. The White House has promised to review and respond to any petition that receives 100,000 signatures within 30 days of being published. The unlocking cell phones petition currently has 108,936 signatures since it was created on Jan 24, 2013. This means the White House has to issue a response.

Ah the good old days, when we could unlock our iPhones ourselves and use them with the carrier of our choice. The Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) exemption that made unlocking your cellular phone completely legal expired on Saturday, January 26, 2013. From now on, you'll need your wireless carrier's permission to unlock.

So will this really make an impact on unlocked iPhones? Actually, right now all Verizon iPhones come from the factory unlocked, and AT&T will unlock any iPhone that's completed its two-year service agreement. You can also purchase an unlocked iPhone for the unsubsidized price out of contract. So what's the big deal?