iPhone ruling overturned

A German court has overturned a temporary injunction that was granted just two weeks ago, which forced Apple's wireless carrier partner -- T-Mobile -- to sell unlocked handsets to German consumers, according to BBC News. T-Mobile, complying with the temporary injunction, sold 'unlocked' iPhones for a whopping £1,000 each. That price compares to iPhones which come tied to T-Mobile with a 2-year contract, selling for £400 each.

The court's decision to overturn the recent injunction means Apple and T-Mobile are no longer obligated to sell iPhones that work with other cellular carriers.

France has mandated that customers wanting to purchase iPhones there be allowed to obtain an 'unlocked' version for use with any compatible cellular carrier.

Apple still holds an exclusive agreement with AT&T in the U.S., offering iPhones with 2-year contracts that are 'locked' into using only AT&T. Hackers have released software since just after the iPhone launched in late June, however, allowing consumers to obtain read and write access on their handsets and ultimately unlocking the devices to make them usable with other cellular carriers.

by MacNN Staff