3G unlocked in Europe

R

rockman15

macrumors newbie
as the 3G iPhone is going to be available in certain european countries unlocked and without the contracts of the US...anyone got an indication of how much its going to be....

i live in italy and have already ad's in the gazetta dello sport for www.unieuro.it to buy your 3G iphone...no prices mentioned though..i assume the same is going to happen to france where its illegal to sell locked phones

thoughts please people!

(sorry ill correct myself before anyone else does, its to reserve your 3G iphone) but still no mention of price!


rocky
 
Very pricey!

U.K. will probably follow the trend, but I'm not sure that there will be many takers at that price level, except from those desperate to unlock and use them on other networks.
 
samab said:
PAYG phones doesn't mean it's a unlocked phone.
Click to expand...
Indeed it does not. In the U.K. the PAYG version will be locked to O2.

PAYG does mean that you can walk out of the store without being bound by a long-term contract and then unlock the iPhone to use it on the network of your choice.
 
3G iphone for sale without contract in Italy!

Vodafone's online shop is offering the 3G iPhone for sale without a contract for 499 (8Gb) and 569 (16Gb)! :rolleyes:

I believe Belgium is also going to offer them without a contract, but no news abou that yet.
 
Belgium is the only country where the iPhone would legally have to be unlocked, and I believe that law is going to be repealed in the next few days.
 
phakebrill said:
what makes you say this?
Click to expand...

Quote:

"The top European court is expected to rule on whether Belgium's prohibition against bundling the sales violates an EU consumer-protection law. Apple would be able to offer exclusive contracts if the court rules against Belgium."

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/16/technology/iphone.php

The hearing for the 2 Belgium cases is this Wednesday.

http://curia.europa.eu/en/actu/calend.htm

Court case number: C-261/07 and C-299/07
 
samab said:
Quote:

"The top European court is expected to rule on whether Belgium's prohibition against bundling the sales violates an EU consumer-protection law. Apple would be able to offer exclusive contracts if the court rules against Belgium."

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/16/technology/iphone.php

The hearing for the 2 Belgium cases is this Wednesday.

http://curia.europa.eu/en/actu/calend.htm

Court case number: C-261/07 and C-299/07
Click to expand...

Good find. This is a step backwards in my opinion. Consumers should be able to buy a device and choose which carrier they want to do business with.

They'll be wanting us to pay to receive calls next! :rolleyes:
 
phakebrill said:
Good find. This is a step backwards in my opinion. Consumers should be able to buy a device and choose which carrier they want to do business with.

They'll be wanting us to pay to receive calls next! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

It's a big step forward. Read the 2 cases --- they have nothing to do mobile phones. You want to buy food or clothing or petro (one Belgium case involves Total Belgium which is a petro chemical company) or magazines (the other Belgium case is about magazines) --- it costs more in Belgium because of this law. Killing the law would mean lower prices for Belgium consumers.

Europe is prepared to charge for receiving calls.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b727f24e-3b0c-11dd-b1a1-0000779fd2ac.html

Remember some European countries used "beauty contest" (Sweden and Ireland) instead of American spectrum auctions --- nobody talks about beauty contest anymore.

Remember European countries specified specific technologies like GSM on spectrum licenses --- well they are all talking about "technology neutral" spectrums now.

Europe is talking about US style of allowing carriers to trade spectrums amongst themselves.

Nobody ever talk about how Europe's simlocking laws are anymore --- not since the iphone was launched in Europe 6 months ago because these laws are useless.

Basically everything Europeans thought about how their mobile world is so much better than the American system --- they are all proven to be incorrect.
 
samab said:
It's a big step forward. Read the 2 cases --- they have nothing to do mobile phones. You want to buy food or clothing or petro (one Belgium case involves Total Belgium which is a petro chemical company) or magazines (the other Belgium case is about magazines) --- it costs more in Belgium because of this law. Killing the law would mean lower prices for Belgium consumers.

Europe is prepared to charge for receiving calls.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b727f24e-3b0c-11dd-b1a1-0000779fd2ac.html

Remember some European countries used "beauty contest" (Sweden and Ireland) instead of American spectrum auctions --- nobody talks about beauty contest anymore.

Remember European countries specified specific technologies like GSM on spectrum licenses --- well they are all talking about "technology neutral" spectrums now.

Europe is talking about US style of allowing carriers to trade spectrums amongst themselves.

Nobody ever talk about how Europe's simlocking laws are anymore --- not since the iphone was launched in Europe 6 months ago because these laws are useless.

Basically everything Europeans thought about how their mobile world is so much better than the American system --- they are all proven to be incorrect.
Click to expand...

I couldn't read the articles - I still can't - they wouldn't/won't load for some reason. I shouldn't have assumed.

I was being sarcastic with the receiving calls comment... sorry.
 
phakebrill said:
I couldn't read the articles - I still can't - they wouldn't/won't load for some reason. I shouldn't have assumed.

I was being sarcastic with the receiving calls comment... sorry.
Click to expand...

Google "viviane reding" on the news section --- she is preparing to adopt the US style of charging incoming calls.
 
PayG restrictions

Does anybody know the restrictions that will be enforced to the pay as you go 3g iphones?

Would I be able to buy an Italian vodafone 3g iphone and then use a British vodafone sim card in it for example?
 
elpayaso said:
Does anybody know the restrictions that will be enforced to the pay as you go 3g iphones?

Would I be able to buy an Italian vodafone 3g iphone and then use a British vodafone sim card in it for example?
Click to expand...

I'm hoping that the UK iPhone will be cheaper - otherwise they can shove it.
 
Well, for me it's the Italian 569 iPhone or no iPhone at all. For some strange reason Slovenia isn't in Apple's plans for releasing the iPhone. People might think, it's because we have an underdeveloped infrastructure, well think again, as this is far from the truth.
3G has been fully functional in Slovenia since early 2003 and whole Slovenia was covered by 2004. And if there is anything we have on a quite high level, it's the informational network (mobile networks and home internet providers).

There is however on thing, our providers are used to demand high prices for highend phones. N95 was 400 euro + 2 years of basic contract (you pay as much as you use). An iPhone for 150 euro would certianly ruin this strategy, as it would be a more high tech phone than any at the price of a feature phone.

So my only option is the Vodaphone iPhone. Do we know for certain that Vodaphone's iPhones will be unlocked. I know there have been rumors, but I have yet to see any real proof.
 
samab said:
Google "viviane reding" on the news section --- she is preparing to adopt the US style of charging incoming calls.
Click to expand...

Nah! It's the telco's having a hissy fit, and Reding calling their bluff. It's about making termination charges visible, which Reding wouldn't mind, 'cos visibility encourages competion. But the telco's, though they're threatening it, won't want to implement it, 'cos it'll shrink the market.
 
memesmith said:
Nah! It's the telco's having a hissy fit, and Reding calling their bluff. It's about making termination charges visible, which Reding wouldn't mind, 'cos visibility encourages competion. But the telco's, though they're threatening it, won't want to implement it, 'cos it'll shrink the market.
Click to expand...

It won't shrink the market --- not when the mobile market in Europe is something like 110-120% penetration rate.

What it means is that instead of Europeans carrying multiple SIM cards around (one for making calls and another one for receiving them) --- they will have just one SIM card.

The idiotic "mobile penetration" rate will fall down to "actual people" level --- but the market is going to stay the same.

Caller pays systems DO encourage faster adoptions in mobile phones --- but when the number of SIM cards outnumber actual population, it cease to have any real benefit in terms of "technology adoption".

Zero termination charge PLUS receiver pays --- that will lead to lower mobile charges. Brits pay 40% on mobile charges than Americans --- even though Americans pay for incoming calls.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2140132/Mobile-phone-users-may-pay-to-receive-calls.html
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Back
Top