AT&T will "penalize" iPhone owners who don't activate within 30 days?
According to this Reuters piece about AT&T's iPhone subsidization plans, Ma Bell has another trick up its sleeve to prevent you from unlocking your iPhone: they'll penalize anyone who doesn't activate their phone within 30 days.
There would be penalties for users who do not activate the iPhone in the first 30 days, AT&T said, in a move aimed at reducing the number of customers who buy an iPhone and tweak it so that they can use it on another network.
That seems to contradict the earlier rumor that AT&T would force you to activate your iPhone in store, which is good news. And actually, depending on what they mean by "penalty," this might be the unlocked iPhone solution people like me have been clamoring for. AT&T might be willing to subsidize your iPhone, but you have to activate with them within 30 days: if you don't, they charge the full price of the iPhone to your credit card, basically taking back the subsidy. Sure, I'd rather Apple just sold iPhones unlocked, but as long as there's some honest solution, I'm happy: I don't see why AT&T should pay for a couple hundred bucks off the price of my phone if I'm not going to use them as a carrier.
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if you don't, they charge the full price of the iPhone to your credit card,
Step 1: Go to nearest mall and purchase a gift card for the exact price of the iPhone plus tax.
Step 2: Use your newly acquired, completely anonymous Visa or American Express to purchase the iPhone.
Step 3: ????
Step 4: Profit.