unlocking the potential

These days, it only makes sense to try and pick up an unlocked phone. After all, why limit yourself to just one network when you can choose which one works best for you without having to get new hardware each time you switch?

Obviously, this isn't in the best interest of cellphone companies or carriers. That's why Apple made their nasty little announcement not too long ago that anyone with an unlocked iPhone was subjecting themselves to a unit that would no longer function if they tried to do any software upgrades. Now they've opened up the software for third party development - a smart move, but probably not enough to win back the faith of those who were so disgusted by Apple's sour grapes.

In a world where we can even "have it our way" at the local burger chain, why not get that same treatment from a much more expensive service? It's all about proprietary hardware and software and controlling how consumers spend their hard earned cash. I find it refreshing that unlocked phones are so easy to find in the market today. I only hope that this trend of service "mashups" continues so that we, as consumers, get the most value possible.