Apple no longer selling iPhones off-contract in U.S.?

By on Aug 19, 2010 at 2:25 PM
General August 19, 2010

Want to pay full-retail price for an iPhone 4 and avoid selling your soul signing a lengthy service contract? Well, if you are living in the U.S. that is just too damn bad. The FAQ section of Apple’s website lists the question: “Can I buy an iPhone without an AT&T contract?” And, according to the FAQ, the answer to that question is “no.” The site reads that the purchasing of an iPhone from Apple “requires a two-year AT&T wireless service contract.” We’re not quite sure why you can pay out the nose for a contract-free iPhone in Canada and Mexico, but not right here in the good ol’ U-S of A. Although, Apple has been known to do things that defy common logic from time to time. AT&T has stated that it will still sell you an iPhone, off-contract for its full retail value… through its retail stores only. Anyone out there been thwarted in trying to purchase an iPhone for the full price from Apple?

UPDATE: Apple was kind enough to point out that we (along with everyone else who published this story) were in fact… wrong. Apple is still offering full-priced iPhones for those who do not want to be locked-in to a two-year contract. Apologies for the mis-information.

[Via TiPb]

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  • iphonegirl

    this is really old news… like 07′ old. it’s been that way at Apple stores since the phone was introduced. I’m sure people have tried to purchase it as a gift and are turned away… let’s get a new topic.

    Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).

    • Roscoe Jenkins

      No, you’re wrong. I bought the 32gb on launch day without contract and not activated for $699 plus tax.

      • eid3tic

        They weren’t offering the option for a while. It just recently started. I might be mistaken, but I think it was after the Nexus came out.

  • Gus andersen

    I’m with bell in Canada which used to have CDMA phones only. I just got the iPhone and it runs on GSM so if verizon gets the iPhone it’s more likely they will start offering GSM service rather than apple making a CDMA phone

    • LOLiPhone

      Umm, granted iPhones are popular, but I don’t think they’re so popular that verizon would spend BILLIONS to upgrade from CDMA->HSPA/GSM when they’re already building out an LTE 4g system. If I had to venture a guess, if verizon gets an iphone it will be either CDMA only or a CDMA/LTE hybrid.

      And Bell does not run on GSM, it runs on HSPA. And no, they (Bell/Telus) didn’t build out an HSPA network just to get the iPhone.

  • Trey

    You can still buy an iPhone in the US without an ATT contract. I just did it today. You will have to pay full retail price for the phone, but you can purchase it. As noted in fine print on the website. If you are an ATT customer who is not eligible for an upgrade or you’re purchasing the phone as a gift. I purchased mine in Palo Alto California and had it unlocked and I’m using T-mobile. Hope that answers your question (remember you can’t make that purchase online – in store only.)

    • Thib

      Trey,

      So you were able to buy an unlocked phone from AT&T retail store? How much was it?

      I’m interested (some day) in getting a legitimately unlocked iPhone and using it with TMobile. I currently use TMobile’s prepaid service and have been doing so since 2005.

      • Trey

        When I purchased it, it wasn’t unlocked. I had to do that myself. The phone you purchase at the apple store is set to ATT’s service. It was $600….

    • Ron

      how did you get it unlocked ?

      • http://www.tekunoloji.com Ballmer Schmidt Jobs

        Ultrasn0w?

      • Trey

        I’ve got a friend who in SF who did it. I think he post his services on Craigslist. I’ll call him and let forward his info…

  • microfud

    Maybe it has to do with new carriers coming to the U.S. If someone purchased an off-contract phone from Apple, they might be very unhappy to learn that it only works on AT&T, once the other carriers are announced.

    Since AT&T continues selling no contract phones, it makes a lot of sense.

  • elias

    This is really strange, because I bought mine yesterday without a contract, and I didn’t have any problems.

  • Jon A.

    It was explained to me at the store when i bought mine without contract that you have to sign a paper where you agree that you will active in the At&t network.

  • Dogfather

    I really hope slow-rizon gets the iphone so i sit and watch how this beast destroy that obdolete CDMA 90′s network…!!!!!

  • http://www.webhostinglogic.com Hippy Hop

    Apple and AT&T may have an agreement and that is the way it is. Accept it, it is their way of saying, if you want an iPhone, get itwith AT&T. Who wants an iPhone anyway?

  • wayne armstrong

    $899 in australia
    any carrier you want

  • S. Jobs II

    I’ve bought no-contract phones on Verizon without issues (incl. the Droid I’m typing on now).
    Apple wont do the same?! Why does Apple try so hard to make me dislike them?
    I don’t understand…

  • http://www.buzzintechnology.com buzzit

    It has been like this for a while from Apple. However, AT&T sells it off contract in US. I have no clue whats the deal with it.

    Here is an article wondering the same a while back with AT&T docs for buying iPhone 4 off contract

    http://buzzintechnology.com/2010/06/contract-free-iphone-4-apple-and-att-seems-to-differ/

  • Giorgio

    This is so ridiculous. You’ve ALWAYS been able to but iPhones at full retail IF you currently have a contract with AT&T and you purchase them at an AT&T corporate store. My company’s AT&T account manager just walked into an AT&T and ordered 10 iPhone 4 32GB @ $699 a piece with NO contract.

    My company prefers to stay off contract and they’ve been purchasing full retail iPhones since the 3G.

    Move along, nothing to see here…

  • Giorgio

    I should say if you are a current AT&T customer, regardless if you have a contract or not.

  • MS

    People are buying as many iPhone 4′s as they can and shipping them overseas for profit. It’s destroying the inventory for legitimate AT&T customers and Apple, AT&T, and Best Buys are getting mad.

  • Ducky

    Part and parcel of the AT&T exclusivity contract with Apple.

    This too shall pass.

  • lurch

    How is this supposed to stop people from unlocking iPhones and using them with another carrier? Now, instead of buying it outright, all people have to do is buy the phone, agree to the contract, get a phone subsidy, cancel their account, pay the ETF, and take it elsewhere. After the phone subsidy, you’d probably end up paying less anyway.

  • Alex A

    You can buy any iPhone without a contract, it’s one per account and they have to have an account with Att, I’m a manager for Att.

  • http://www.iphonemactransfer.com Van

    Buy an iPhone 4 from Canada, or Waiting for the Verizon iPhone launch next year.

  • Richard

    In the US, an iPhone 4 will cost you $599 to buy outright.

    In the UK, an iPhone 4 will cost you £499 to buy outright.

    Now at current exchange rates, an iPhone 4 in the US costs just over £385.68p, therefore, if I was to hide my IP and order from the US site, I’d save myself £113.32p on a shiny new iPhone 4.

    Yet US can go on the UK site and purchase away.

    Just a thought..

  • Rob

    Sowhen did you guys actually decide to ask Apple before you printed the story?

  • justme

    you can purchase an iphone w/o contract but it must be registered to an account before you leave the store

  • fanboyardee

    God, Andrew. You’re cute and all but geez… First all those grammatical errors and now you report this crap? Apple has always sold full price iphones.

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