Sprint explains iPhone 4S unlocking policy

We first reported that Sprint will be offering unlocked iPhone 4S’s, then we then reported that Sprint would not be offering unlocked iPhone 4S’s, only Verizon would and is after the customer has stayed with them for at least 60 days and are in good standing with the carrier. As it turns out, Sprint will be offering unlocked iPhone 4S’s through a rather complicated and somewhat messy solution.

It seems at the launch of the iPhone 4S, the device will initially be unlocked, with a SIM lock being pushed to the device shortly after, thus making it locked to the carrier. However, Sprint has said that they will be able to unlock the device for their customers for international use if the need arises, and much like Verizon’s rules, the customer needs to be in good standing with the carrier, which from our understanding means no unpaid bills, no late payments, etc.