Apple’s website now shows the unlocked pricing for the iPhone 5 in the U.S. Using the site’s compare tool, you can see that the 16GB model starts at $649, with the 32GB version costing $749, and the 64GB top-tier configuration running $849.
That’s the same that the iPhone 4S used to cost unlocked, and it’s a considerable additional expense above and beyond the on-contract price, but you get a couple of advantages.
First, you’re not locked into a lengthy carrier contract, which is useful if you suddenly have to move. You can also then use the iPhone on T-Mobile, which is in the process of deploying a network on the 1,900 MHz spectrum that will finally let the iPhone achieve top mobile broadband speeds on the U.S.’s fourth-largest carrier.
Choosing which unlocked device to buy will be important, however, as there are three variations that provide overseas LTE support, support for U.S. and Canada LTE networks on the 700 MHz frequency, and support for Sprint and Verizon LTE networks respectively.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 5 start at 12:01 AM PT Friday, so get your motors running.
- APPLE
Started by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple has expanded from computers to consumer electronics over the last 30 years, officially changing their name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. in January 2007.
Among the key offerings from Apple’s product line are: Pro line laptops (MacBook Pro) and desktops (Mac Pro), consumer line laptops (MacBook Air) and desktops (iMac), servers (Xserve), Apple TV, the Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server operating systems, the iPod, the…
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