As a quick rundown, i purchased a factory unlocked iphone 4 direct from apple.This was recently replaced under apple care and i have concerns as to if the new one is unlocked or not.

I just put a sim card from another carrier into my phone and it asked to be connected to itunes - i pressume this is to activate/download the carrier settings for that carrier?

what i need to know is if this is the normal process? i have to connect to itunes for every different carrier?

if so what happens if i travel abroad and want to use a local carrier/network? i have to connect to itunes set up as new phone and loose all my phone data? what if i dont have access to a computer with itunes, i dont want to travel with a laptop when i have internet/email access on my phone. isnt that the point in having an unlocked phone, the freedom to hot swap sim cards?

I called apple store diect and they told me this is how they work? personally i feel she just fobbed me off/didnt know but to be fair i do not know from experience if this is true or not.

hopefully i have been misinformed and they have just locked it incorrectly when they replaced the phone for me, in which case i can just get them to correct it.