Apple Limits iPhones Sales to Two per Person, No Cash

Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:39AM EDT

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The iPhone will be a hot item this holiday season, but if you plan to buy an iPhone for every member of your family, you're going to face some obstacles if you need more than two. According to the Associated Foreign Press, Apple plans to limit the number of iPhone sales per customer to two in order to prevent illegal trafficking. On top of that, the company will not accept cash as payment for iPhones, so you'll need to break out the plastic to help Apple track iPhone sales.

The reports have been confirmed by Apple, who already has this policy in place. So why the sudden limitations? Apparently, Apple wants to "ensure enough iPhones will be in stock this Christmas for people shopping for gifts or themselves," said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. But the truth is the company estimates that of the 1.4 million units sold, over 250,000 iPhones may have been unlocked to work on unauthorized networks, so this is just another way to restrict resellers and unlocking activity.

Since the price on the iPhone dropped back in September, the number of unlocked iPhones has increased. It's been reported that some people had been buying up to five phones at a time, modifying them with unlocking software, then reselling them to folks overseas. Apple released an iPhone update last month that rendered unlocked iPhones unusable, but hackers found a way to restore some of its functions—and so the battle rages on.

What do you think? Should Apple be taking such extreme measures against unlockers?

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Comments on Apple Limits iPhones Sales to Two per Person, No Cash

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  • 1 Posted by orijing on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    To all those who wonder why Apple (and not just AT&T) should care about its phones being unlocked: Apple made a deal with ATT to sell phones exclusively catered to them. To amend that deal (even if Apple is not the one sponsoring the unlocking) would be to break a legal contract--not only will it reflect badly on Apple's reputation in business terms, it will also cost it a lucrative source of revenue (from ATT). Plus, Apple gets paid per-unit activation, too. It's in the financial interest of Apple to do this.

  • 2 Posted by kb0onb on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    While the U.S. dollar is legal tender for all debts public and private, the catch here is that no "debt" has been incurred to be paid unless the seller has agreed to sell the product, which won't happen unless the buyer uses their credit card. Catch-22. I'm not sure why anyone would sheck out that much money for this type of product. But then some folks will buy bottled tap water, so there ya go. Personally, I already have both a cellphone and an MP3 player. They work well, so I'll keep both, thanks.

  • 3 Posted by t_lincecum on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    The iPhone is a technology developed by Apple and they should have complete control over how they sell it, also, they should be able to protect themselves using all legal means. The partnership between AT&T and Apple should be honored, however, limiting it is.

  • 4 Posted by collarncuffsboy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    Not accepting cash for payment is illegal. US currency cannot be refused by any vendor/business selling a product, except for instances where someone is trying to purchase items using loose change, like buying a $20 Cd/DVD with unwrapped pennies.

  • 5 Posted by mustang_500hp on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    Yeah apple is just trying to cover their own backside, because of their contract with cingular. It is sad really as apple could have made many more sales of the iPhone if it had been open to any GSM network.

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