I had a teacher in the early '90s that said the Japanese were the best at reinventing things. They would take something, study it, and remake them better.
> However, in reality, not only does the carrier not mind if the phone keeps being used (as long as it’s on the carrier’s network) but the lock doesn’t expire once the customer pays off their plan.
I recently paid off my AT&T iPhone X and the process to unlock it couldn't have been easier.