Jerome

i had it unlocked since that was seemingly the "cool" thing to do with them at the time (i was also considering switching carriers anyway, and i have the blackberry as a back up so i gave it a shot). everything was cool until i downloaded one of the "updates". needless to say it didn't work after that. it was a hassle to get it back working again, but it only works with cingular. as soon as somebody finds a way to unlock it, apple will counter with one of those updates and will brick that sh*t instantaneously. i think it's also stipulated now that you must sign a contract prior to purchasing the phone anyway, so it's kind of a moot point. if you really want it, just switch carriers. if not, then just get something else. it's really nothing all that special. my old jasjar is still the best phone i ever had. there's plenty of better phones out there on the open market (although nothing really special below the $700 range).

edit: not taking into account costs like tax, shipping, etc.