Galaxy Nexus will be locked

[LuckyGrenade]

EDIT: Talli from Virgin Mobile just posted that the phone will be unlocked after all (bottom of this page) :)

Not sure if this has been posted, but I emailed Virgin and they told me that the Nexus would indeed require unlocking if you wanted to bring it to another carrier.

Thus ends the trend of unlocked google phones. Shame :(

[THS1989]

This cannot be right. Google nexus phones are always unlocked.

[g_____]

It's possible the Virgin rep said that because they only sell locked phones, and don't know the Nexus line is unlocked. Further, they won't go out of their way to advertise they're selling something unlocked if they were.

Basically, we won't know for sure until someone's tried it.

(I've read a report of someone successfully unlocking a UK GGN. I don't know if they were on contract, or the report can be trusted.)

[Abez316]

Nexus comes unlocked straight from the factory so Virgin or any other carrier cant lock them without Googles permission and you know Google wont let them because its a Nexus phone and besides do you think Virgin will admit that its an unlocked phone and sell it to you so you can use it elsewhere? no

[g_____]

Exactly: either ignorance and/or misinformation may be at play here.

[LuckyGrenade]

I hope I'm wrong, but this was the conversation.

Is Virgin shipping the phone (Galaxy Nexus) unlocked like previous Nexus phones, or will it be locked into your service (and therefore require unlocking if I wanted to use it on a different carrier)?

hello@virginmobile.ca
Dec 1 (1 day ago)

to me
Hi there Daniel - the Nexus will be locked to Virgin Mobile Canada and require unlocking if need be. :)

[flagg]

This cannot be right. Google nexus phones are always unlocked.

Nexus comes unlocked straight from the factory so Virgin or any other carrier cant lock them without Googles permission and you know Google wont let them because its a Nexus phone and besides do you think Virgin will admit that its an unlocked phone and sell it to you so you can use it elsewhere? no

The only thing you guys are missing here is past tense. Nexus phones always have been unlocked in the past. That doesn't means all nexus phones will be unlocked in the future and until the end of time, and nowhere has Google ever asserted this. It has been documented that GN phones in the UK are being sold locked, so brace yourselves.

If you want a phone to sell then you need good distribution channels and that means carriers that are willing to push it. The Nexus One, while a fantastic phone, was a retail flop because Google tried to go it alone on distribution in the beginning. If they want subsequent phones to be successful then concessions to the carriers are possible.

[MattyMattMatt]

My samsung rep said it would be locked.

[THS1989]

So it's locked with virgin then????

Is it easy to unlock ??

I hope I don't have to cancel the preorder.

[MattyMattMatt]

Probably be a piss take to unlock, if it is even locked. I trust my samsung rep, but he has been wrong, eg galaxy w being on virgin.

[kman]

Locking is so lame. Seriously why do these firms even bother. It just makes unlocking a bit inconvenient but rarely impossible.

For me, it just makes me dislike the vendor more by purposely trying to restrict what I can do with a device that I'm paying for.

Perhaps if all phones were rentals then they would have a case to argue.

[MattyMattMatt]

I agree, locking is unnecessary. Just change the pricing a bit. Charge non-customers 50 extra or something.

[flagg]

To the carriers they are more than necessary. They are a barrier to people jumping to a competitor. Only a small number of enthusiasts (like us here) absolutely need to run out and buy the latest handset, and probably an even smaller number know anything about unlock codes. Tell the average customer you won't unlock a phone or that you'll charge them $80 to do it and most will just stay put and keep paying the same company monthly fees for another three years. Locking phones is worth a lot more than a one time fee to the carriers.

[g_____]

My samsung rep said it would be locked.

You have a Samsung rep? :eek: That means.. you can set up a bulk order for us?

[virgin mobile]

Hey there. This is Talli and I work here at Virgin Mobile. I have some great news! :) The Google Nexus will be UNLOCKED. Yaaay! Sorry if there was any confusion.

<3 VM

[THS1989]

I already beat ya too it :p