[Steve SpotOn]

I see the iPhone is on sale in France and there's an unlocked version. Anyone know if this unlocked version would work in the UK (or any other country)?

Steve

[analogika]

Yes, it will.

For €750.

[Steve SpotOn]

I know it sounds expensive but in the long run could be cheaper than enrolling in the O2 contract here in the UK.
So is it just a case of sticking my existing SIM card in the iPhone and use it on whatever contract I already have? Which bits of the software won't work?
Would it still be under warranty and can be returned to an Apple Centre for repair (should it ever need it)?

Steve

[analogika]

The thing is, you still need to pay your monthly charges, as well as extra data charges if you want to use the phone for what it does best.

Figure that in.

[Peter]

why can't you just import one from USA and unlock it?
its what I did.

[Steve SpotOn]

I'm trying to be legal.
Reading on other sites, the differing laws within Europe are throwing up a few issues. Legally I can hop over to France and buy an unlocked iPhone and expect it to work here in the UK. A few have been trying this in other EU countries with mixed success... I've read of a person in Sweden buying an unlocked phone in Germany but having trouble getting it to work back in Sweden. Some think the unlocked phones will only work in the countries that have released the iPhone (so I should be OK in the UK - but don't fancy being the first to try).

At the moment you can buy unlocked iPhones in France and Germany. The UK ones are locked to O2.

[Peter]

unlocking phones isn't illegal

[Steve SpotOn]

Yes... sorry 'legal' is the wrong word (you can do what you like once you've bought it). But I hope that an 'official' Apple unlocked phone would still have warranty and be able to take advantage of future upgrades.

[philm]

Originally Posted by Peter 

why can't you just import one from USA and unlock it?
its what I did.

Well, one answer is that you can't really get OS 1.1.1 phones easily now, and 1.1.2 phones are unlockable. Another answer is that unlocking phones probably means you are not able to take advantage of future OS improvements (although that remains to be seen). This is not much of an issue for an 'average' phone, but for an iPhone this is very relevant because there are a number of obvious software deficiencies (no MMS, somewhat limited SMS, no video capture, limited bluetooth capabilities) which will presumably be overcome with future OS releases.

I speak as someone with an unlocked iPhone on Orange UK!

[analogika]

Originally Posted by Peter 

why can't you just import one from USA and unlock it?
its what I did.

#1 Warranty
Currently, at least here in Germany, warranty service for iPhones is provided exclusively by T-Com shops, and they won't touch phones not bought from them. An Apple service rep told me that this is all very much in flux, since the phone's arrival in Germany is so recent, but for now, imported iPhones must be returned to the U.S.A. for warranty issues.

#2 No updates
If I'd get an iPhone now, it'd be as much, or even more, for its *potential* as for its current capabilities.
Nobody can guarantee that owners of unlocked iPhones will be able to access future features, since unlocking those depends *entirely* on what are by definition security holes, which Apple obviously MUST close wherever possible.
And even *if* future updates are hacked, there's still the headache of having to keep track of versions and hack status, research exactly how this is done (safely), revert the old software, install the new one, and possibly re-sync everything. All on your own risk, without warranty (because even if the hardware is eventually covered here, software hacks would most definitely void the warranty)...

Avoiding precisely this kind of stuff is why I buy Apple in the first place.


(NB: Not criticizing your choice at all - there are still good reasons to want an iPhone *now*, but just pointing out that there are excellent reasons *not* to import an unlocked one from the U.S.)

[matts360]

Originally Posted by philm 

Well, one answer is that you can't really get OS 1.1.1 phones easily now, and 1.1.2 phones are unlockable. Another answer is that unlocking phones probably means you are not able to take advantage of future OS improvements (although that remains to be seen). This is not much of an issue for an 'average' phone, but for an iPhone this is very relevant because there are a number of obvious software deficiencies (no MMS, somewhat limited SMS, no video capture, limited bluetooth capabilities) which will presumably be overcome with future OS releases.

I speak as someone with an unlocked iPhone on Orange UK!

Hi Phil
Read with interest your statement about Iphone from France and using it with Orange UK. I am thinking about buying an unlocked Iphone from Cyprus, latest version, and need to knwo what limitations I would face trying to get it onto my Orange Sim inthe UK when I return home. Any Problems you faced and how did you manage to tie it to your Orange Sim?

[Steve SpotOn]

Well according to this news article the French phones are locked to use in France.

I've read elsewhere about a UK company that will unlock phones for a price but I think they go down a version of firmware. See here