A few days ago Apple announced that the Apple Store would sell only
three iPhones to any one customer (at least in the US), yesterday they reduced the number to two. Clearly, this is Apple's attempt to curtail the percentage of unlocked iPhones in circulation, since some individuals were buying them in large numbers, unlocking them, and then reselling them. I would imagine that Apple feels legally obligated by its contractual arrangement with AT&T and its foreign counterparts to make what lawyers call a "good faith" attempt to restrict the availability of unlocked iPhones. This is how Apple is trying (to use your words) to control its market distribution channels.
But this may turn out to be a bad decision. The really impressive feature of the number of unlocked phones in circulation is that it represents a very dramatic vote of "no confidence" in the quality of AT&T's service by American users. I doubt that if an owner of an unlocked phone using a competing service saves much if any money, since other services have similar (or even more expensive) pricing structures, so considerations of quality rather than economics seems to be creating this demand for unlocked iPhones. If Apple is
successful in putting an end to this black market, given this widespread dislike of AT&T, one wonders if iPhone sales might drop off, especially as more attractive competing products become available.
The reality of this grey market of unlocked iPhone has been perfectly demonstrated today in France. Orange will not have the exclusivity of the iPhone for the French market. Indeed, mobile phone company, Phone and Phone launched yesterday a huge campaign to promote the carrier-free version of the iPhone in France! It will be priced 749€ as a subscription-free model, or 379€ with a subscription plan from the third largest French mobile phone carrier, Bouygues Telecom.
Of course, one can not find any information about the warranty or the support for the iPhone (such as performing firmware updates). In addition it is clear that such iPhone are originating from the grey market, imported from USA and SIM unlocked.
While Apple did not react yet, Orange announced today that it might launch a "cease and desist" action to impose its exclusive partnership rights in France for distributing the iPhone. In the same PR, Orange reminds consumers about the risk of purchasing such unit from the grey market, as warranty and support will not be available (indeed iPhone warranty is local and not worldwide).
