O2 To Unlock iPhones After Contracts Expire? O2 Consider Unlocking iPhones Due to Loss of Exclusivity, Hints Official Statement

Following on from the updates we offered you a while back concerning
Orange being set to offer the iPhone in the UK before the end of the
year and T-Mobile being set to offer the iPhone in the UK from early
next year " thus seeing O2 loose its iPhone exclusivity " it now
transpires that O2 may be set to change its stance concerning unlocking
iPhones gained via the network once a customer s contract is up.
It is already obvious that Orange and Vodafone offering the iPhone in
the UK is going to see consumers getting increasingly better deals as
the competition to secure trade heats up but reports that O2 may be
considering changing its stance concerning unlocking the devices once
the term of an end user s contract is up could be yet another benefit to
the iPhone market being opened up in the UK.

According to a statement offered to The Register (credited below) O2
state that �we did not offer unlocking at the end of a customer s
iPhone contract as we had the exclusive contract for the iPhone in the
UK. Obviously, that situation has changed… and we are currently
working through what will happen.

Admittedly, the statement doesn t expressly state that O2 are
considering unlocking the handsets once contracts are up but the
statement above certainly implies that this is a distinct possibility
and is something that s presently being thrashed out behind closed
doors. And, in all honesty, what have O2 got to gain by keeping iPhones
attained via them locked once Orange and Vodafone (and possibly Virgin
Mobile " though we ve yet to hear if they are set to get a slice of the
pie) get in on the action. Nothing, except, of course, an understandable
degree of ill feeling from its customers who will then be able to vote
with their feet (and plastic).

We ll keep you in the loop.

UPDATE: See O2 to Accept iPhone Unlocking O2 Officially Confirm iPhone
Unlocking Accepted on Expired Contracts as O2 iPhone Exclusivity in the
UK Ceases .