Is The Difference Really Just Software?

[HelixOmnimedia]

Hey,

Over the last few days I've been mentally arguing with myself about getting an iPhone... My friend is going to the states at the end of the month, so I could get her to bring me one back. No Problems.
But then there's that constant issue of "will it become an expensive paperweight in the future with updates".

Can't remember where I read it, probably here, but someone said that the iPhone (USA) and iPhone (UK) are exactly the same - there is no difference at all.
So I was thinking... if that is the case, when the UK 02 iPhone is release what are the chances of getting the "UK 02 Software" onto the phone bought from the US... making the US iPhone a UK one, but deleting and replacing it with the UK one - making it fully work over here without the worry of blocking it in the future?

Does that make sense?

 

[theliksta]

Hi

Thats

 

[Daremo]

I don't think there's anyone who can honestly answer this until the phone is released on November 9th. Anyone talking right now is pure speculation. Everyone is ASSUMING the US iPhone and the UK phone are the same. Well, one thing for sure is the SIM card on the inside will be different. And until the US phone are actually updated, we don't know if 1.1.1 is a European only update. US could be 1.1.2... All guessing for now.

 

[lampcov]

IT is all speculation of course, but the fact that different SIMs will be installed for each carrier at the factory leads me to belive that while the software in the phone is likely to be identical, the baseband or modem firmware will be different for each carrier allowing. Flashing them "carrier specific" at manufacturing time isn't a big deal at all.

Look at other locked phones. The N75 for ATT has ATT physical branding and firmware including all the ATT Apps, the unlocked N75 is physically unbranded and has completely different software.

Based on this, it's my assumption that the carrier will not be able to make an "ATT" iPhone become an "O2" iPhone, no will they want to from a hardware revenue point of view.

I am afriad that the current batch of unlocked iPhones could end up stuck at the current firmware revision, and that there will be a lot of unhappy users in Europe (and the US to an extent) who in 60 days will be able to buy an iPhone on a local carrier that is fully supported. And yes, I understand the advantages of unlocking as I travel between the US, Europe, and Asia and hate paying ATT for roaming. I am on the side of unlocking. (DOn't want to start a flame war)

 

[GTiPhone]

What in the world would be the point of this? What are you going to save, a hundred bucks? Some things just aren't worth the thought effort.

You face losing a lot of money if it does not work exactly the way you think it will. Just wait til the 9th and buy one at the local store. Problem solved.