[Nokia Lumia 920] baliles:
(Background Info Only) If //Build devices=Unlocked...it's possible!!!!

This is Common Sense 101...Reason & Logic works this way.

1) Developers at //Build received a SIM-UNLOCKED (aka Radio-Unlocked) L920. It was also Developer Unlocked (aka OS-unlocked) (which you can get from MS or Nokia for $99 a year even for a SIM-LOCKED ATT phone)

- Kudos to Microsoft (and others) who allow Dev/OS unlocking for a fee instead of forcing you to do what the iPhone dev community has had to do!!

2) Rogers and others are selling SIM-UNLOCKED L920s (they simply paid Nokia enough to provide them a database of Unlock Codes. Rogers philosophically believes that a Retail L920 = a Sim-Unlocked Retail L920 and thus, they want to be that "good carrier"

3) ATT is selling a SIM-LOCKED L920 (they simply paid Nokia enough to NOT provide anyone else (in the US market) a database of Unlock codes. ATT philosophically believes that a Retail L920 does

NOT

=

a Sim-Unlocked Retail L920.I am NOT talking about a subsidized $99 or $199 L920 so don't hit reply and mention subsidized L920s again

5) ATT therefore wants to be the "good carrier" for the 'addicted customers' (aka the ones who love Subsidies...not realizing they are paying 3x the phone's price in their overpriced monthly contracts) and the "we don't care what you think carrier" for the people paying them Retail.

This is Business Sense 101...Greed/Capitalism works this way:

1) If there is demand, the Applenberry's of the world will produce a Gevey SIM or some other paid hack for the device. IF the ATT Sim-Locked L920 sells insanely well, the hackers & overseas peeps MIGHT do a Gevey/hack for it to make some $$ themselves of the L920's success. Of COURSE there isn't a Gevey for the L920 right now :) Do I think the L920 will sell enough to warrant them making one...not a chance!!!

2) If however, ATT doesn't sell enough L920s to either (a) meet any legal obligations they might have had with Nokia/MSFT to give them the 6-month deal (and trust me, there are numbers between those two companies in the legal paperwork to warrant exclusivity...or ATT has to pay up) and/or (b) the ATT customers who DID PAY FULL RETAIL scream loudly enough to Microsoft/Nokia...those two entities might work with/force ATT to provide FULL RETAIL L920 owners an unlock code. ATT did concede and do this on the iPhone after quite some time of not allowing it...and that was without even the Full Retail as a factor...so it is

possible

. Do I think enough will sell at Retail price

and

those people will scream loud enough to make MSFT/Nokia force ATT to respond...not in a million years!

3) However, unlike Apple who is the equivalent of both MSFT+Nokia in this scenario...when you add Microsoft subsidizing Nokia and ATT subsidizing Nokia to get a 6-month exclusivity in US into the mix, the developer community in the US that Microsoft & Nokia so desperately need & want around the L920 might add enough influence that either of them might subsidize or "urge financially" the unlock codes through ATT, in which case ATT would suddenly, magically, have a different attitude.

4) In America (speaking specifically about wireless carriers) it's all about money-via-contracts, not philosophy of doing the "right thing" or money-per-device (which is one-time). Most of the time, the consumer complaining doesn't change the business' greed for $$. Occasionally, the need to satisfy customers and get more of them (ie MSFT needing more people to use a WP device vs. an unlocked iPhone 5) MIGHT influence ATT and/or Nokia indirectly.

I'm not gonna say it again...ATT selling a device for $500 WITHOUT A CONTRACT EXTENSION eliminates the justifications for both the subsidy and the "they want you to stay with them for 2 years so that's why they aren't letting you unlock your phone" argument. If you're selling a full retail priced phone WITHOUT requiring ANY contract extension, then to not give the Unlock code is purely bad customer service.

ATT is betting that the avg American will buy more crack (called subsidy by extending their contract) and thus, profits from the unknowing 80% who don't know and don't care...justifies their 6-month Exclusivity of not providing unlock codes. Basically, they're saying screw the Full-Retail customer...we only love our Subsidy customers.

Oh wait, that sounds awfully similar to the US political climate :) only wanting to punish/tax the non-subsidy citizen (full retail paying) even more while the other 80% are fooled into thinking subsidy-via-election-extension route really is less-expensive and awesome! :) Cheaper Now, More Expensive over the long-run vs. More Expensive Now, Less over the long-run. A very 1st World vs. 2nd/3rd World philosophy (but I digress)

The goal of the thread is to discuss progress/confirmations/workarounds..anything that gets us closer to an unlock. I'm not gonna post anything else until I have some progress to share.