Apple to Release Carrier Locked iPad After All

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Posted May 10, 2010 at 11:55am by iClarified

When announcing the iPad, Apple promised that all 3G models would be unlocked. Turns out that is not the case.

The iPad releases to nine additional countries on May 28th. Eight of those countries will get an unlocked iPad. Japan will not.

All Japanese models will be SIM-locked to Softbank Mobile, Apple's iPhone partner in Japan, Apple said late Monday. The company confirmed the presence of a SIM lock but couldn't immediately explain why it was enforcing the restriction in Japan.

This runs contrary to a direct pledge made by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. "All the iPad 3G models are unlocked," he said.

Hopefully Japan is an anomaly and Apple doesn't plan to release more locked iPads to other countries still waiting for the device.

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Apple to Release Carrier Locked iPad After All

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Enrico - May 10, 2010 at 5:42pm

This is quite obvious for me. All the other countries are near each other (Europe). Apple don't want the Japanese units making it to the rest of Asia and killing off market share until they are ready to release in the other countries.. My .02 anyway... Yahoo already posted statistics that over 10% of ALL their iPad traffic is from outside the US -- obviously exported units from here as it isn't released anywhere else yet..

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Jay - May 10, 2010 at 12:20pm

Just in Japan and if you do some more digging you'll find its because of the Government.

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paolo Lodi - May 10, 2010 at 11:20pm

I am in Japan too, planning to buy an iPad, but after this news I will buy it in Italy where I come from, even if in euro it is more expensive than in Japan, but it will be sim free! Japan is really a locked country!!

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