Apple, AT&T Try to Plug iPhone Revenue Gap

Shares of Apple were up $1.68 to $173.06 Wednesday. Apple's stock is up about 16.7 % in the last three months.

Rival Research In Motion(RIMM Quote) has stayed mostly flat during the same period while smart phone makers Palm(PALM Quote) and Motorola(MOT Quote) have been down about 12% and 25% respectively. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down about 3% during the same period.

To be sure, unlocked iPhones may not completely disappear, say analysts. Even in countries where the 3G iPhone is available through Apple authorized carriers, some users may want to get an unlocked phone for use on another carrier of their choice.

"There will always be a market for unlocked phones," says Dulaney, "but it is going to be trickier than in the past."