14 DAY TRIAL // Those of you who will purchase the new iPhone 4S device from Apple will be able to enjoy a brand new feature with it, namely global connectivity, though it seems that not all wireless carriers see this with good eyes.
In the United States, Verizon Wireless is one of the carriers who will enable its customers to unlock the new iPhone 4S and enjoy its capabilities when traveling aboard as well, SlashGear reports.
The new smartphone comes to the market with a micro-SIM card slot inside, and Verizon will unlock it upon request.
The wireless services provider operates a CDMA network in the country, but those who will travel abroad will have to connect mostly to GSM networks.
With an unlocked micro-SIM slot, they will be able to purchase a SIM card from one of the carriers in the country they are visiting, and place it inside the device, so as to avoid any surcharges that might appear when roaming.
“It is our standard unlock policy for all Global Phones. You have to have been a customer for 60 days and in good standing (meaning your bill is current) and the phone you want to unlock must be on our network at the time of the request,” Brenda Raney, Verizon Wireless Public Relations, reportedly stated.
“You call Verizon Wireless before you leave the country and we unlock the SIM. We will honor one unlock every 10 months.”
Sprint, the other large CDMA wireless carrier in the US, was rumored to plan a similar move, but it seems that the company will keep the said slot locked on its iPhone 4S devices.
The operator is just adding the new iPhone 4S to its offering, and they might fear the possibility that users would migrate to another carrier, it seems.
Apple themselves will be launching an unlocked flavor of the new iPhone model, but the device will come only with GSM connectivity, which means that it won't be usable on Sprint or Verizon networks.