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CNET reports that Verizon has announced that it will no longer sell unlocked smartphones in order to deter theft. From today, all Verizon devices will be locked in to the Verizon network, but only until the customer signs up and activates their service, after which they will be unlocked. However, later in the spring, Verizon will keep phones locked to its network for a set period of time, just as other carriers currently do.
“We’re taking steps to combat this theft and reduce fraud,” said executive vice president of Wireless Operations for Verizon, Tami Erwin. “These steps will make our phones exponentially less desirable to criminals.”
Hopefully, this move by Verizon will discourage thieves from stealing the phones either on the way to the retail store or just after being purchased. Unlocked iPhones are popular with thieves because they can more easily be sold on the black market or used on other carrier networks abroad.
Source: Verizon kills unlocked-phone policy by temporarily locking phones to its service