this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2024
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[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

They would. Pricks.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 days ago (1 children)

“T-Mobile claims that with a 60-day unlocking rule, "consumers risk losing access to the benefits of free or heavily subsidized handsets because the proposal would force providers to reduce the line-up of their most compelling handset offers."

I’m I stupid or are they threatening to arbitrarily raise prices for no reason other than spite?

Also wtf is a “handset”?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)
  1. "Handset" is obfuscating legalese to refer to a cell phone in a way intending to distance the meaning of the word from the thing that the old and technologically illiterate people who rule on this use every day.

  2. I'm no fan of their strategy, but cell phone providers have claimed for a long time that filling your phone with unremovable bloatware causes the overall price to decrease. Their argument is most likely that they will have to charge more once the propagators of that bloatware realize that they can no longer force it on people and wedge that as a reason to pay less to carriers.

  3. The reality is that cell phones are priced based on what people will buy anyway and carriers pocket as much of the money as they can that third parties pay them for their bloatware. Ultimately because of that this ruling hurts their bottom line, but the above reasoning gives plausible deniability in the face of the law as it is interpreted by old technologically illiterate lawmakers

[–] [email protected] 35 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Missing in this thread, courts are not known for their technological literacy. So companies just lie to them. Like, all the time. This isn't meant to withstand consumer scrutiny.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 days ago (3 children)

isnt lying to court felony?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Yeah but you have to get caught lying. And the courts aren't very literate with tech and economic stuff. You'd basically need to create a memo that says, "lol we lied!"

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

someone should try to inform relevant courts about technical things, no idea how but those corporations shouldnt be allowed to get away with crime

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 days ago

You'd be interested in groups like the EFF and Amicus briefs.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 days ago
[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 days ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago

Damnit! I was trying to find bliss!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 days ago

France is bacon

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Why does that even matter? Currently, if you have a locked phone and switch carriers, you have to buy an entirely new phone anyways.

At least this way, a user can pay once, and then hop around carriers depending on what's cheap.

Also there's no shot that locking users to phones costs that much because the unlocked version of a phone is only like 15-20% more expensive. Since when did you ever get a 70% discount on the MSRP of a phone for buying it locked??? They're straight ass lying lmao

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

That’s the problem. You have to buy a brand new phone because your phone is locked. With this law if you bought your phone outright you could switch carriers within 2 months if you found a better deal and still keep your phone. Can’t currently do that in the US.

And the whole locking cost is made up. It’s simple to make a phone “unlocked”. The cost in inflated on purpose to create a need so they can offer locked at a discount.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

... My comment wasn't disagreeing with you? Sorry it was probably worded goofy lmao

[–] [email protected] 28 points 4 days ago

Near monopolies say monopolistic behavior is good for you and does not only benefit them. More bullshit at 11.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 days ago

That's such bullshit. Locked phones are like google accounts. At the end of the 2 years of owning it supposedly, you end up with all this shit you accumulated and no way to save it anywhere practically.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 4 days ago

What year is it? Locked devices have been illegal in Quebec for, like, ever.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 4 days ago

Locked phones should just be straight up illegal. It creates so much e-waste and is utterly ridiculous

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I install alternative firmware, so no sale for you.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 days ago (1 children)

This is talking about carrier locked phones, not locked bootloaders.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

How does that work? Based on imei perhaps? Does spoofing that not do the trick?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago

Carrier lock is on the phone, not the network. You need to enter a code to disable it. There are 3rd party services that you give your IMEI and pay, and they have a way of finding the code. I'm not certain on the details.

[–] [email protected] 52 points 4 days ago (2 children)

For my past 3 phones I just bought straight from the manufacturer.

I recommend it and hope phone unlocking gets pushed through despite their whining

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I've done this almost from the very beginning (back in the 90s) and always had very small mobile communications costs because I could easilly change providers and plans and even do things like use a local SIM card whilst abroad to avoid roaming costs.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 days ago

I haven't financed a phone since 2008. I copped a fee for ending a 24 month contract a day early.

I just buy a cheap outright handset, flash a community ROM and avoid everything my telco offers past a $20 basic service. Handsets with community support go for years past what the manufacturers support.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 days ago

They aggressively buy spin off services to ensure a locked market as well.

Cricket wireless was a on AT&T network provider that outshined AT&T because it allowed any device + better prices.

So naturally they bought them out and shutdown the any allowed devices to force you into buying a carrier phone to ensure your device will be locked.

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