Link. Good answers to this from Macintouch readers: “… Tell Mr. Gordon that Apple does track unlocked iPhone status for phones that are unlocked by the carrier. Second-level Apple support did this for me when I was having problems with a T-mobile SIM in my iPhone 4. First-level support apparently does not have access to this database.

…Not true — at least not for iPhones replaced under warranty. Under those conditions, the characteristics of the original phone (locked status, AppleCare, etc) are automatically transferred to the replacement phone. Once an iPhone is unlocked (after sale, by carrier’s request), it appears as such in Apple’s product database. For example, I paid $80 to unlock officially an iPhone 4 originally sold locked to Vodafone UK; when it required replacement under warranty, the local Austin, TX Apple Store gave me an American iPhone 4 and unlocked it.

If Apple won’t do this for an out-of-warranty iPhone, perhaps JG should contact Apple Executive Relations and request an exception. Anyone in an Apple Store can see on their handheld checkout device whether an iPhone is locked or not, and there’s a simple checkbox that determines whether a replacement phone is locked or not…”

Macintouch readership is the best.