XPost: alt.windows7.general   
   From: dan@djph.net   
      
   On 2024-03-23, Frank Slootweg wrote:   
   > Newyana2  wrote:   
   >> "andal"  wrote   
   >>   
   >> | >> Why is it impossible to simply buy a   
   >> | >> cellphone that's not controlled by the OS provider? My TV doesn't force   
   >> | >> me to watch CBS TV. My car doesn't limit the supermarkets I can drive   
   >> | >> to.   
   >>   
   >> | get a linux cellphone and you have more then smart   
   >>   
   >>   That might work for a small population of geeks. For me, it's   
   >> just not worth the trouble to work out the details. For the   
   >> average person it's not feasible at all. Personally I'd go further and   
   >> say that the culture of geek arrogance makes things worse,   
   >> as it becomes a mark of geek status to do things like run a   
   >> jailbroken cellphone. The issue is much bigger: Jailed cellphones   
   >> need to be illegal. Anyone should be able to buy a clean cellphone   
   >> and sign up with any service provider, with clearly delineated   
   >> fees.   
   >   
   >   It's not a 'jailed' mobile phone, but a (network) *locked* mobile   
   > phone. That seems to be a US-ism, because most countries just have   
   > unlocked phones which can use any SIM for any provider.   
      
   There are two routes one can use to buy a phone here in the states:   
      
     1. Buy Carrier-Agnostic phone for $PRICE (I dunno, let's say $500),   
         from any number of retailers.   
     2. Get Carrier-Locked "free(tm)" phone, that's paid off in 24   
         installments as part of the phone bill.   
      
   If you take route #2, the phone is (should be) unlocked from that   
   carrier upon final payment to them (end of your contract) OR upon   
   request during the contract (but you have to pay the remaining balance o   
   the phone).   
      
   >> [...]   
   >> The suit explains that sleazy licensing deals, limitations set   
   >> by phone services, and Apple's deliberate blocking of interactibility,   
   >> have left only Apple, Samsung and Google as serious cellphone   
   >> makers. Microsoft, Amazon, HTC and others had to drop out   
   >> because they couldn't get market share.   
   >   
   >   Probably another US-ism. In other countries, there are many, many   
   > other brands. In our country - The Netherlands - Google phones weren't   
   > even sold until not too long ago.   
      
   There are a number of brands that're only selling "Cellphones" rather   
   than "smartphones".   
      
   Less than there used to be, but that probably comes from the hegemony of   
   Apple/Samsung/Google(nee Motorola) and people generally being dumb (I   
   have the best "camera" or whatever ... battery life? nah, that thing   
   dies in 6 hours of goofing around...)   
      
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