• Amazon: Lego sale. 50% off 8 Different Items
• Walgreens: 6 Sharpies for $2 (in-store only)
• eforcity: iPod/iPhone charging cable for $7.99 (down from $43.99)
• DealExtreme: iPod/iPhone charging cable for $3.46
• Woot: It's a woot-off!

• Best Buy: Dynex DX-LCD32 32-inch LCD HDTV $490
• Tiger Direct: Unlocked Motorola RAZR V3 GSM Cell Phone $100
• Buy.com: Kodak Z1285 12 Megapixel Digital Camera $90 Shipped

The various theories get sort of complicated (taking into account European sales, etc.) but it boils down to this: Either there are a million unlocked iPhones out there, or the demand is not as high as Apple's numbers suggest and there are lots and lots of unsold phones sitting around on AT&T shelves.

Report: iPhones piling up at AT&T stores [CNET]
(Photo:epicharmus)

LTE is what you expect from a next generation of communications protocols: it can fit more information into less bandwidth than its predecessors. It is meant to reduce the complexity of wireless communication by converting both voice and data communications into packets using Internet Protocol. Loosely speaking, it competes with the WiMax standard being promoted by Sprint and Clearwire, a startup founded by Craig O. McCaw, the cellphone entrepreneur.

They key fact isn't anything technical here. LTE is the format that has been endorsed by the GSM Association, which coordinates the wireless standard used in most countries. And it has been endorsed by AT&T. What it means is that in a few years, you will be able to buy phones and switch them between the two largest wireless networks in the United States—Verizon and AT&T—as well as carriers in most of the world.

It could just be us, but Verizon seems a little less evil lately. The decision to open their network coupled with the move to GSM will undeniably benefit consumers - unless, of course, Verizon lets their usual profit motive mangle their seemingly good intentions.

Verizon's Real Move to Openness [NYT]
PREVIOUSLY: Verizon To Open Its Network To Any Compatible Device
(Photo: Maulleigh)

Early next year, Verizon will be publishing technical information for developers, and that "any device that meets the minimum technical standards will be activated on the network."

"I think it's a reaction to Google," Tole Hart, an analyst at Gartner Inc.,told the Wall Street Journal. "I think it'll help them. It gives customers more options."

Verizon Wireless to Offer Open Access to Network [Wall Street Journal]
(Photo:nomad73)

Here's the scoop:

This is all due to the temporary injunction issued by a German court earlier this week. The judge said that T-Mobile had until today to change its policies with the iPhone. Even though the company said it would oppose the injunction, it apparently had no other choice than to oblige until the case is reviewed once again in a couple of weeks. Vodafone, which brought the case against T-Mobile, said that it would not pursue the iPhone throughout Europe—this case was special because Vodafone believed that it violated German law.

So what can you do now? Well, if you're in Germany and you want an iPhone, you can buy one from T-Mobile for €999. If you already bought an iPhone, the company says that you can request an unlock code (which will probably cost you the difference between €399 and €999). T-Mobile has said that it will continue to sell these contract-free, lock-free iPhones "until the legal situation is solved," so this may be temporary.

T-Mobile forced to sell unlocked iPhones in Germany [Ars Technica]
(Photo:medalian1)

Despite what Apple's telling us, the International Herald Tribune quotes a spokeswoman for the French telecom company Orange:

Orange plans to sell both a version of the iPhone locked to its network in France for €399, or $560, and an unlocked version, which will cost more, an Orange spokeswoman, Béatrice Mandrine, said.

"Apple chooses Orange as iPhone operator in France" [International Herald Tribune]
"Rumor Smashed: French iPhone's Unlock Status Still Unknown" [Gizmodo]
(Photo: Getty)

From Ars:

It appears as if a full software-enabled unlock has finally been done by a group that now operates iphonesimfree.com, meaning that prospective iPhone buyers will be able to use the device with any GSM carrier worldwide. In the US, that means they'll be able to use it both on AT&T and T-Mobile.
...
AT&T shouldn't worry too much: the process on the user end still requires a roundabout AT&T "activation" using third-party tools that a layman (read: most customers) would probably not be interested in taking. An AT&T spokesperson did respond to our request for comment by telling us that they wouldn't have one.

Just keep in mind, this doesn't mean your iPhone will work with Verizon. In the US, the only other major carrier the phone will work with is T-Mobile. It does mean, however, that if AT&T irritates you, you can switch and take your phone with you. It will also help you to switch carriers while your abroad.

iPhone set free from AT&T with first full software unlock [Ars Technica]
(Photo:epicharmus ]]> Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:59:54 EDT Meg Marco http://consumerist.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=293354&view=rss&microfeed=true ABC News/PC Magazine has a really fantastic story on the best unlocked phones, and we're all ears.

The recent Copyright Office ruling on unlocking GSM phones puts some much-needed power back in the hands of you, the wireless consumer. This means you can now bring your Cingular phone over to T-Mobile, or vice-versa. You also have the right to switch between prepaid and postpaid service on the same phone. And when you travel abroad, you can pop an international SIM card into your phone for much lower rates.

This last bit is especially important, because international cell phone use is crazy expensive. So what are the best unlocked phones? ABC likes the Samsung X820 (pictured above) "a perfect example of a terrific product that the carriers tried to block out of the U.S. market for no perceptible reason. It's less than .3 inches thick, with a 2-megapixel camera, gorgeous screen, and fun interface." They also have high esteem for the Nokia N80, Palm Treo 680, Sony Ericsson W810i and the Nokia 7380.

They advocate buying directly from the manufacturer, suggesting that rebel phone purchasing is akin to making a political statement. We've all been under the thumb of wireless companies for too long! Break free with an unlocked phone. —MEGHANN MARCO

Best Unlocked Phones [ABC News/PC Magazine]