Apple wants you to give the gift of an unlocked iPhone

iPhone 4 is everything they're wishing for—all in one gift. And it's unlocked and contract free, so it works with the carrier of their choice. Reserve iPhone 4 for pickup at the Apple Retail Store, or shop online and get free shipping.

Curiously, clicking on the "Reserve iPhone 4 for pickup" brings you to a page that tells you iPhone 4 isn't currently available for reservation and is instead first come, first served.

Obviously this doesn't apply to anyone in the US since iPhone is still locked to AT&T there, and may stay locked even if it goes to Verizon in 2011. (Bah, humbug!) Still, would you go with the $650 or $750 unlocked model if you could? Or is $199 or $299 on subsidy, along with some Jailbreak/Unlock help from TiPb, the limit of your Christmas cheer?

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.