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Engadget: UK iPhone will be offered as unlocked
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I have just spoken to Expansys UK, and they confirmed to me that they will be selling an Unlocked version of the iPhone, they wouldn't give me any further details regarding pricing or release dates.
Expansys UK Offering Unlocked IPhone According to Engadget
It will be interesting to see if this is true or not.
I suspect that they could possibly be selling an unlocked version(as most mobile phones in the UK are available like this), which will cost quite a bit more that the iPhone on a contract with whichever provider gets it in the UK.
Expansys UK Offering Unlocked IPhone According to Engadget
It will be interesting to see if this is true or not.
I suspect that they could possibly be selling an unlocked version(as most mobile phones in the UK are available like this), which will cost quite a bit more that the iPhone on a contract with whichever provider gets it in the UK.
Not amazing if they don't want to face civil or perhaps even criminal penalties in the EU. The EU has laws and regulations about locking phones to carriers. As in, you're not supposed to do that. Phones are supposed to work on any carriers with networks that support that phone's network type.
Bottom line: I don't think they can sell it locked in the UK (Any British reading this, correct me if I'm wrong.)
Guess who's buying a UK iPhone?
Seriously, though, phones are not in the category of things that are brutally overpriced when comparing cost in pounds to dollars, are they?
Seriously, though, phones are not in the category of things that are brutally overpriced when comparing cost in pounds to dollars, are they?
Guess who's buying a UK iPhone?
Seriously, though, phones are not in the category of things that are brutally overpriced when comparing cost in pounds to dollars, are they?
Hard to say, because so many are subsidized in the States by the carriers.
I probably wasn't clear. I know that with certain arrangements and services, phones can be sold locked to carriers, but it isn't required that any phone sold in the EU also be sold in an unlocked version that can be used on any supporting carrier. Not that you can't lock a phone to a network, but that you can't only sell the locked version of the phone?
At any rate, perhaps some of these laws are still administered country by country.
Nice for the UK though. I certainly wish I could use an iPhone with T-Mobile plan with an added data plan, Visual Voicemail capability or no.
Guess who's buying a UK iPhone?
Seriously, though, phones are not in the category of things that are brutally overpriced when comparing cost in pounds to dollars, are they?
Won't you get a bit screwed by the exchange rate. Just had a look at the K800 on both amazon .co.uk and .com in the UK it is £190 or $387 (not the cheapest you can get it sim free) and in the US it is $442. Just one example so can't take a general trend form it.
Same over here, in fact no one i know have ever paid money for a phone all have been free.
Ok now I get the original statement, as to the answer i am not certain. The laws are specific to each country.
Looks like a non-story. Just like assuming they'd chosen O2 based on the ability to pre-order on that network on some sites.
Yeah, I was being slightly facetious. With any luck, someone will crack it and it'll be a non-issue.
I do wonder... if Apple sells this unlocked in Europe, whether that means that they've developed a way to work visual voicemail (and any other features that are "special," although I can't think of any) with everyone? If it's just visual voicemail I lose, I think I would still seriously consider buying someone's used iPhone, say in 1.5 years, if it could be unlocked to work on T-Mo/USA.
Apparently, it can't. It's a SIM card, but it's some sort of proprietary SIM card. You can't even copy contact data off other carrier's SIM cards, or even use other AT&T phones' SIM cards. They locked it down hard.
Yeah, I've been following that. It seems very interesting, although I wouldn't put the nail in the coffin yet. Give them time, you never know what they'll come up with.
The iPhone's sim isn't proprietary, the os uses the sim to "sign" or verify use. The iPhone uses a standard gsm sim.
wonder how much more will it be? anyway, it can't be $2000 more, which people will have to spend on a contract.