Apple Now Selling Unlocked iPhone 4 in U.S.

[MacManTexas56]

Exactly. Here in Singapore my monthly phone bill is about 30 S$, or about $25, that includes all the calls I really make and more data than I know what to do with including tethering .. oh and I got my phone subsidized too, wasn't free, but it had a decent discount.

I do not understand US mobile phone pricing.

However until they start offering discounts for your-own-phone there's no reason to buy one unlocked. Now unlocked is available however .. I hope that the games begin.

it's just crazy to me that you lock yourself into a 24month contract and pay a bunch of fees, yet someone who is on prepaid plan is getting by cheaper and can leave at anytime.

people in the USA need to look at prepaid not as a bad thing. Most everyone i know thinks it's for people with bad credit etc.

 

[RichardF]

Exactly. Here in Singapore my monthly phone bill is about 30 S$, or about $25, that includes all the calls I really make and more data than I know what to do with including tethering .. oh and I got my phone subsidized too, wasn't free, but it had a decent discount.

I do not understand US mobile phone pricing.

However until they start offering discounts for your-own-phone there's no reason to buy one unlocked. Now unlocked is available however .. I hope that the games begin.

They'll argue that the infrastructure investments required to blanket a big country like the USA are much higher and therefore need be recouped somehow, so higher prices.

Not to mention what really makes that montly bill so high in the USA, are the fees they tack on: 20-24% on top of the wireless bill.

How many carriers are there in Singapore and do they each own their network?

 

[bushido]

But if you want to go prepaid or something that is not the standard then it's a good deal.

the problem is that the US barely has any reasonable prepaid offers and u r stuck with AT&T anyway bc of those billion different frequencies bs in the US which don't work on the iPhone

 

[iCrizzo]

Is there a reason they are not selling the 3GS unlocked? It would alleviate the microSIM issue, and would be the first choice for people who want an iPhone that is the most compatible abroad.

They are probably not in production any longer I would assume? What is available now are probably leftovers that never sold or refurbished phones.

 

[Biolizard]

Exactly. Nice to see so many others backing into the subsidy math. Carriers should be more transparent about the subsidy being recouped in the monthly fee and offer a service discount of $20-$30 for anyone who provides their own equipment.

So in the US you have nothing like our (Europe's) 'SIM Only' products where you pay less for the same mins/texts/data if you provide your own phone?

That's daylight robbery....

 

[lmddawson]

sorry if this has already been answered, but does this mean over here in the UK I can buy it from the US apple store unlocked and get it for significantly cheaper?

Will it work all the same over here on Orange?

 

[RichardF]

So in the US you have nothing like our (Europe's) 'SIM Only' products where you pay less for the same mins/texts/data if you provide your own phone?

That's daylight robbery....

I think T-Mobile USA introduced plans last year priced "lower" if you opt to use your own equipement. Lower, relative to the plans they offer for which they subsidise a cell phone to you.

 

[tasset]

people in the USA need to look at prepaid not as a bad thing. Most everyone i know thinks it's for people with bad credit etc.

Yes. I do love the iPhone. But when I see see Virgin Mobile's $25 plan and a no-contract $150 LG Android phone, I shake my head at the disparity between that and the iPhone cost + AT&T/Verizon service fees.

 

[RichardF]

sorry if this has already been answered, but does this mean over here in the UK I can buy it from the US apple store unlocked and get it for significantly cheaper?

Will it work all the same over here on Orange?

Yes, you are spending UK pounds in the USA to buy it at $649 or $749.
How much is that in UK pounds? It's probably cheaper than buying it in the UK.

 

[alent1234]

Yes. I do love the iPhone. But when I see see Virgin Mobile's $25 plan and a no-contract $150 LG Android phone, I shake my head at the disparity between that and the iPhone cost + AT&T/Verizon service fees.

you get what you pay for

AT&T and VZW will charge your minutes only for calls to landlines. calls to cell numbers are "free". with at&t you need the unlimited text/calling plan for this. Virgin will charge you minutes to call other virgin numbers

 

[RichardF]

Yes. I do love the iPhone. But when I see see Virgin Mobile's $25 plan and a no-contract $150 LG Android phone, I shake my head at the disparity between that and the iPhone cost + AT&T/Verizon service fees.

I also have that Optimus V on Virgin. The problem is that it is a CDMA phone and only really useful to me while in the USA. If you travel, you still need another phone.

 

[MacManTexas56]

Yes. I do love the iPhone. But when I see see Virgin Mobile's $25 plan and a no-contract $150 LG Android phone, I shake my head at the disparity between that and the iPhone cost + AT&T/Verizon service fees.

exactly man, i've debated getting that optimus V android phone. Within the next few days i may actually buy it and try it out. If it works decent, i may ebay up my iphone 4.

 

[lmddawson]

Yes, you are spending UK pounds in the USA to buy it at $649 or $749.
How much is that in UK pounds? It's probably cheaper than buying it in the UK.

US$ 649.00 = 395.707579 British pounds

So I could just buy it from Apple US for that price (maybe a bit extra for postage) and that would be it? It would work in the UK on Orange just like a UK one would?

 

[tasset]

I think T-Mobile USA introduced plans last year priced "lower" if you opt to use your own equipement. Lower, relative to the plans they offer for which they subsidise a cell phone to you.

They did, and they were lambasted for trying to have their cake and eat it too. They offered the bring-your-own-phone plans at a $20 discount in comparison to the contract rates. That is not nearly enough when the phones were still Tmobile locked and branded, and there would be no other carrier in the US to take your phone to anyway if you were to switch. So in effect their monthly service revenue stayed the same just minus the subsidy. Big whoop. And what did that get them? Customer defection and on the verge of being acquired.
They should have taken their balls out of their wives purse and provided a $40-$50 unlimited everything plan.

 

[MacManTexas56]

you get what you pay for

AT&T and VZW will charge your minutes only for calls to landlines. calls to cell numbers are "free". with at&t you need the unlimited text/calling plan for this. Virgin will charge you minutes to call other virgin numbers

yeah but you are paying at minimum $39.99 JUST for voice. to get the unlimited mobile to any mobile you have to pay $20 unlimited text to get it. Data is not included whatsoever. Add another $25 for data and your at $84.99 and taxes and fees are not included. after fees/taxes your sitting at $100/month phone bill.

 

[endhalf]

US$ 649.00 = 395.707579 British pounds

So I could just buy it from Apple US for that price (maybe a bit extra for postage) and that would be it? It would work in the UK on Orange just like a UK one would?

Apple in USA doesn't ship to Europe...

 

[OllyW]

US$ 649.00 = 395.707579 British pounds

So I could just buy it from Apple US for that price (maybe a bit extra for postage) and that would be it? It would work in the UK on Orange just like a UK one would?

The US Apple Store won't mail it to the UK. If you can find someone to sell it to you remember you will probably have to pay 20% VAT once it hits customs in the UK.

 

[Benjamins]

US$ 649.00 = 395.707579 British pounds

So I could just buy it from Apple US for that price (maybe a bit extra for postage) and that would be it? It would work in the UK on Orange just like a UK one would?

I see no reason why not.

 

[RichardF]

US$ 649.00 = 395.707579 British pounds

So I could just buy it from Apple US for that price (maybe a bit extra for postage) and that would be it? It would work in the UK on Orange just like a UK one would?

I think so. What frequencies does Orange UK operate on?

The iPhone 4 supports on UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

 

[lmddawson]

The US Apple Store won't mail it to the UK. If you can find someone to sell it to you remember you will probably have to pay 20% VAT once it hits customs in the UK.

Knew there'd be a catch. Ah well, back to Ebay I go. Thanks guys! Might aswell just wait for the 5 now anyway, huh?

 

[RichardF]

They did, and they were lambasted for trying to have their cake and eat it too. They offered the bring-your-own-phone plans at a $20 discount in comparison to the contract rates. That is not nearly enough when the phones were still Tmobile locked and branded, and there would be no other carrier in the US to take your phone to anyway if you were to switch. So in effect their monthly service revenue stayed the same just minus the subsidy. Big whoop. And what did that get them? Customer defection and on the verge of being acquired.
They should have taken their balls out of their wives purse and provided a $40-$50 unlimited everything plan.

Right. That's the pre-paid Simple Mobile outfit, which uses T-Mobile's network.

 

[SBlue1]

Unlocked iPhone are CHEAP. Please calculate your Total Cost of Ownership over two years.

with my first phone way back 15 years ago it was cheaper to buy a subsidized 2-year-contract phone than it was to buy the phone without a contract.

nowadays with these cheap phone companies around competing and having all these discounts on the contracts it does not pay off anymore to buy a phone with a contract. at least with top brand high end phones or if you are not a teenie sending 500 messages and talking 2000 minutes a month.

just an example: vodafone offers the iphone for 100 euros, with 24 months contracts for 59 euros (all unlimited flatrates included though). this is 1516 in total costs in the end after the two years.

a small provider gives you a contract for some talking and unlimited internet for just 15 euros a month for two years. then you buy the iphone by yourself for 629 euros. this will make a total of 989 euros. now vodafone has a similar offer for the same price. so if you buy the phone seperately you save 550 euros, even with big name companies.

 

[RichardF]

Knew there'd be a catch. Ah well, back to Ebay I go. Thanks guys! Might aswell just wait for the 5 now anyway, huh?

PM me, I am in NYC and I can FedEx it to you.

 

[tasset]

you get what you pay for

AT&T and VZW will charge your minutes only for calls to landlines. calls to cell numbers are "free". with at&t you need the unlimited text/calling plan for this. Virgin will charge you minutes to call other virgin numbers

Get what you pay for..
Let me give some positives and negatives, since I actually have been using both the iPhone with AT&T and Optimus V with Virgin.
Negatives- using the Sprint network, possibly slower 3G depending where you live.
Obviously the camera, screen, ecosystem is head and shoulders above the Optimus.
Positives- the $25 plan includes unlimited data and text. Only 300 minutes, BUT this works stunningly well for unlimited minutes.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.gvoip

 

[RichardF]

exactly man, i've debated getting that optimus V android phone. Within the next few days i may actually buy it and try it out. If it works decent, i may ebay up my iphone 4.

The sound and build quality are really just so-so. Battery life is also terrible (even after you perform that trick to prolongue it: put it in Flight Mode and back to normal after each reboot).