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iPhone is SO cheap on ebay uk

T

timmillwood

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 7, 2006
955
1
When the iPhone comes out in the UK it will be £269 on an 18 month contract. But the US iPhones can be obtained on ebay for only £300+£20 postage unlocked.

my boss just got one and I was having a play today, i really want one, i think i will get one unlocked on ebay rather than on contract, well worth the extra £50 to not be tied into the 18 months.
 
timmillwood said:
When the iPhone comes out in the UK it will be £269 on an 18 month contract. But the US iPhones can be obtained on ebay for only £300+£20 postage unlocked.

my boss just got one and I was having a play today, i really want one, i think i will get one unlocked on ebay rather than on contract, well worth the extra £50 to not be tied into the 18 months.
Click to expand...

I got my 8gb for 208£ including postage... now that IS cheap, (plus the buyer gave me $20 for posting it late)

so the total price was the same as an 8GB iPod Touch :)
 
timmillwood said:
When the iPhone comes out in the UK it will be £269 on an 18 month contract. But the US iPhones can be obtained on ebay for only £300+£20 postage unlocked.

my boss just got one and I was having a play today, i really want one, i think i will get one unlocked on ebay rather than on contract, well worth the extra £50 to not be tied into the 18 months.
Click to expand...
Don't forget the possibility of getting hit for import duties (VAT and a handling charge). That would add a tidy sum to your outlay, possibly another £65 or so.
 
You'll be able to buy the iPhone without a contract anyway (in so much as you don't have to sign for a contract at the same time), so I don't quite see the point of paying the extra? All you're paying for is having it already unlocked (and no guarantee that it will stay that way).
 
TheChillPill said:
You'll be able to buy the iPhone without a contract anyway (in so much as you don't have to sign for a contract at the same time), so I don't quite see the point of paying the extra? All you're paying for is having it already unlocked (and no guarantee that it will stay that way).
Click to expand...

u sure about that
 
yep thats correct, you buy the iPhone for £269 in any Apple, O2 or CPW shop and take it home and do the contract trough iTunes, nothing else is done in=store, just purchasing the phone.
 
so if i wait a few weeks i can get myself a UK iPhone for £269, unlock it when i get home, and put an prepay sim in and never sign up with o2?
 
timmillwood said:
so if i wait a few weeks i can get myself a UK iPhone for £269, unlock it when i get home, and put an prepay sim in and never sign up with o2?
Click to expand...

yes, assuming it has 1.1.1 on it. they might have a new version and then it will depend if the hackers can unlock that.
 
sananda said:
yes, assuming it has 1.1.1 on it. they might have a new version and then it will depend if the hackers can unlock that.
Click to expand...

From UK training sessions we already know it will have at least 1.1.2 on it. So, currently, there is no known working unlock.
 
TheChillPill said:
You'll be able to buy the iPhone without a contract anyway (in so much as you don't have to sign for a contract at the same time), so I don't quite see the point of paying the extra? All you're paying for is having it already unlocked (and no guarantee that it will stay that way).
Click to expand...

You do you mean it can become locked again?
 
could I buy an iPhone locked to o2 and put an o2 sim in it and not sign up fro contract
 
CD3660 said:
No, this cannot be done, otherwise we would all do that and go with a much better tariff.
Click to expand...

If o2 are doing this, surely they could block people from unlocking the iPhone and using an o2 SIM in it?

So basically, if you buy and iPhone and unlock it, you have to use another provider?
 
I'm more than happy to queue up on the 9th Nov - plus I intend to use an o2 iPhone contract to make things easier - not having to update/jailbreak/etc... all the time with each software update.

However, if I can get a cheap one off eBay before the release... I may do this.

If I get a US iPhone, when I go through the activation process (after Nov 9th of course) will it still work the same, or will it know the difference between UK and US iPhones?

Any ideas?
 
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