Apple is planning to remotely unlock all Canadian iPhones over-the-air on Dec. 1 to comply with new government regulations banning locked iPhones as of that date, according to a leaked document obtained by MobileSyrup. A document obtained from smartphone retailer WOW! Mobile notes that locked iPhones will be “automatically be unlocked over-the-air effective December 1st.”
The Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced in June that all cell phones and other mobile devices sold in Canada must be provided unlocked as of Dec. 1, 2017, and that Canadian cellular carriers would also be prohibited from charging any fees for individual and small business wireless service customers to have their mobile devices unlocked. Several retailers began selling unlocked iPhones in advance of the Dec. 1 deadline, however Apple did not respond to our request for comment when asked what the policy would be for iPhone models sold directly by Apple, however if the document obtained by WOW! Mobile is accurate, it appears that come Dec. 1 it will be irrelevant whether an iPhone was sold locked or unlocked as Apple will simply push out a blanket unlock wirelessly to all iPhones previously locked to Canadian carriers.