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Unlocked iPhone 5 prices leak on Apple's site

Oops! A search on Apple's Web site brings up the prices, which range from $649 to $849, depending on the amount of memory space offered.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
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Roger Cheng
2 min read
Apple iPhone 5
Want an unlocked version of the iPhone 5? It'll cost you. CNET

Apple's Web site may have unintentionally leaked yet another detail about the iPhone 5: the prices for the unlocked version.

A search on Apple's Web site for "iPhone 5 factory unlocked" initially comes up empty, but a sidebar shows results for the iPhone 5 with prices that would fall in line with past unlocked prices. Apple Insider reader Dhaval Dinani first spotted the results.

The prices range from $649 and $849, depending on the amount of memory space, and the Apple page lists both the GSM and CDMA and the white and black versions of the smartphone.

Screenshot taken by Roger Cheng/CNET

While the iPhone is sold unlocked early on in other countries, Apple typically releases the unlocked version in the U.S. after the device debuts with the various carriers, giving the carriers some window of exclusivity with the iPhone. Consumers who don't want to get stuck in a contract often will prefer to spend the extra money upfront to get the unlocked version.

The GSM version of the iPhone 5, for instance, can work on T-Mobile USA's network, although in many places the network connection is still slow. T-Mobile actually welcomes the iPhone 5 to its network, and has demonstration models in its stores.

It's unclear when Apple will sell the unlocked version of the iPhone 5; supply issues continue to keep the company from getting phones immediately into the hands of its customers.

CNET has contacted Apple for comment on when the unlocked iPhone 5 would be available in the U.S., and we'll update the story when the company responds.