# Apple Closes Loophole for Buying Unlocked iPhones with Carrier Financing Carrier-financed iPhones will now remain locked until fully paid off. - **Source:** [r/iPhone](https://brifing.si/source/65bd5ccb-b1f4-4747-91e7-cf5959dd2097) - **Published:** 2026-07-15 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/aa8ea24d-ed88-40f1-93a3-2027a2eed46c ## Policy Change Apple announced that iPhones purchased through carrier financing will remain locked to the carrier until the device is fully paid off. This change prevents users from switching carriers before completing payments. ## User Impact The new policy affects consumers who buy iPhones using carrier financing. Users cannot switch to another carrier until the device is fully paid, reducing their flexibility. ## Carrier Advantage This move helps carriers increase customer loyalty. Since users cannot switch carriers before paying off their devices, carriers can maintain longer-term customer relationships. ## Alternative Options Users can now opt to buy iPhones outright from Apple at full price to avoid carrier locks. This option has become the only solution for those wanting unlocked devices. ## Market Reaction Consumer rights groups argue that this change restricts user freedom. Some analysts believe Apple took this step to strengthen its relationships with carriers. ## Future Implications This policy could increase carrier dependency, especially in the U.S. Whether other tech giants will follow suit could impact competitive dynamics in the industry. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/1uxgjq0/apple_just_closed_a_popular_workaround_for_buying/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._