Reports are surfacing that iPhone 5s purchased from Verizon are arriving unlocked and usable on any GSM cell network. Jeff Benjamin at iDownloadBlog notes that he was able to insert a cut-to-size AT&T SIM into his new Verizon iPhone 5 and connect to AT&T's HSPA+ cellular network, without having to pester Verizon for permission. When contacted about the matter, Verizon confirmed to him that the device was indeed fully unlocked.
This is a tremendous boon to US customers, who have in the past had to argue long and hard for the privilege of detaching their iPhones from their primary carrier's network. Just earlier this month, we reported on AT&T's grudging agreement to unlock some devices to allow their use with other GSM networks. Verizon's unlocked-out-of-the-box stance frees their customers from having to essentially ask permission from their carrier (or resort to complex jailbreaking plus unlocking shenanigans) to use their devices abroad, or to take their devices to another carrier when their contract time is up.
Coupled with the AT&T iPhone 5's limited LTE frequency range, this is yet another reason to recommend new prospective buyers look at picking up an iPhone from Verizon instead of AT&T—if you don't like the Verizon service, you can always pop in an AT&T SIM and switch back to the other carrier. So far, the only downside we can see to using a Verizon-sourced iPhone 5 is the lack of simultaneous voice and data (though Verizon does helpfully point out that you can use voice and data at the same time, provided that data comes in over WiFi).
Having your phone arrive unlocked isn't news for the rest of the world—many other countries, most notably France, have laws mandating the availability of unlocked mobile phones regardless of whether or not those phones are under contract. It's too early to tell if other US carriers will follow Verizon's lead in abandoning the customer-hostile practice of locking, but it is refreshing to have at least one way to purchase a true world-compatible iPhone.
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