Apple iPhone

Anyone who knows me knows that I love electronics, especially computers. I especially those electronics that are manufactured by Apple. So, it should be no surprise that I love the iPhone. It is the best mobile telephone I have ever used. And, it is the ONLY phone that perfectly syncs with Apple's Address Book.

I have had mobile telephone service since 1991, they cost $2,000 to install in your car, $50 a month just to keep on and 99¢ a minute for EVERY minute you used it. These $99 monthly unlimited plans are a dream come true.

I remember when text messaging first came out, digital telephone service and the first Motorola StarTAC portable phones (I had one).

I remember when the Palm Treo first came out the first smartphone. It married all the goodness of a Palm PDA with a decent cell phone AND it had a camera phone.

I remember when the Motorola RAZR first came out and how it was THE phone to have.

Today, we have the iPhone. It is THE phone to have. And, I cannot get one.

When the iPhone was introduced in June 2007, I was doing quite well financially. So well, I purchased two 8GB units at $648.42 each, including California sales tax. I gave one of them to my boss because he gave me a Blackberry 8800. The $130 monthly phone bill for the one I used was no problem. I was so confident of my financial ability to maintain my cell service with AT&T that I eventually had five lines with their Family Talk account.

Then I lost my job. And for some reason, my monthly bill never seemed to go down even after I reduced the service level. In fact, it got higher. I finally turned off the service out of frustration.

I received the final closing bill and I was truly shocked at what I officially owed AT&T. I was charged for all of the past due bills I was assured did not exist and I was charged a $275 early termination fee for each of the five numbers I had. I was not a happy camper.

On my path to restoring myself financially, I established a T-Mobile FlexPay account. It gives me equal access to all features and telephones available with a standard post-paid account, with four important distinctions:

~ your credit is not checked;

~ you do not have to sign a contract;

~ you have to pay full price for the telephone (or provide your own);

~ you pay for service first.

With a typical post-paid account, they run your credit, give you a huge discount on a phone and give you credit to use the service.

Using a mobile on a prepaid basis is a dream come true for me. I will never use post-paid accounts again. I use a Blackberry Curve 8320 that was given to me. Right now, the account is suspended because I have no money on the account. And, that is OK because it is a prepaid account. When I add money to the account, I can use the phone.

However, I would prefer to use an iPhone. T-Mobile and AT&T use the GSM standard, so all iPhones are compatible with T-Mobile.

Unfortunately, the iPhone is locked to AT&T.

It is locked to AT&T in such a way that you can ONLY get one by signing a two year contract with them, even if you pay the No Commitment Price.

You are required to activate the iPhone with AT&T with a two year contract even if you pay full price for the phone.

You can't even use the phone on THEIR prepaid service. They do not want people to use the phone on a prepaid basis.

And, the phone cannot be unlocked from AT&T unless you are prepared to risk damage to the device and void the warranty.

None of these problems exist with any other phone AT&T sells. Lets take a Blackberry Bold. I can pay full price for a Bold anywhere AT&T sells it, walk out the store without activating it, buy an unlock code online for $25 and use the Bold freely with T-Mobile.

All I want is for the government to require that ALL cell phones in this country be sold unlocked. The iPhone is sold unlocked in several countries. I should be able to purchase a cell phone at full price and use it with any carrier that can support it with compatible technology. Why is that too much to ask for?

I have no problem with cell phone contracts, subsidized pricing and different technology. Apple chose GSM for its phones. If Apple does not want to create a CDMA version of its phone, Apple should not be required to produce such a phone because they are successful with a GSM phone.

As a consumer, I should not be required to enter into a contract with a company when a better alternative exists for my needs.

So, my solution is to purchase an unlocked phone from a Hong Kong eBay seller.

And, I should not be required to sign a contract for a phone I paid full price for.