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Moved to Europe - how to get iPhone4 to work with SIMs here
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I think you can buy them unlocked in Italy too... you could in the days of the 3G/GS anyway....
maybe, I could be wrong, i think Italy is one of those that you need to use it on the carrier for at least 6 month before they are force my law to unlock it but they don't have sell it unlocked. Again I could be way off. In any case, if you are Moving permanently to europe it will be worth it to sell the currently locked phone and get either one that is locked on that new country or a unlocked one instead of be messing with the software unlocked every software release. IMO.
Ok, sounds like I need to sack up and just buy one here, send mine back to the US and sell it on ebay...
Well, that's going to take some time. Anyone have suggestions on how to add international data plan through ATT in the meantime? I am currently being charged 19.99/MB which is insane. I've heard they have much less expensive arrangments if you call them up and opt for it rather than just roaming. However, I'm affraid to call them up I know I'll be on hold forever paying insane international roaming minute rates. But I can't find anything on their web site to do anything online.
Well, that's going to take some time. Anyone have suggestions on how to add international data plan through ATT in the meantime? I am currently being charged 19.99/MB which is insane. I've heard they have much less expensive arrangments if you call them up and opt for it rather than just roaming. However, I'm affraid to call them up I know I'll be on hold forever paying insane international roaming minute rates. But I can't find anything on their web site to do anything online.
That's extortionate!
I tried to add an international 'bolt-on' with O2 UK a while ago. I called them up when I was already abroad and roaming. They said the 'bolt-on' can only be added while you're on your home network, so they couldn't add it as I was already roaming (I was advised, next time, to call them up 10 days before flying away...).
Hopefully for you it's not the same with AT&T...
I can already tell him AT&T will not under no circumstances
will they do it. this is the worst part of there policy's. Also the most ridiculous. but in the US it is what it is. TS list it on Ebay in the US but explain you are shipping it from Italy. no reason to Ship Italy to the US then to wear ever. Also somebody in Italy might be willing to buy it worth a try. Just look at some auctions on ebay to get the price subtract shipping and try a local craigslist or what ever you have there. just say it is currently locked to AT&T in the US blah blah. I try to avoid Ebay when it comes to iPhones false claims like never got it etc.
You can buy a chunk of data from AT&T but you do have to call them to set it up.
When I moved to the Netherlands 2 years ago I sold my AT&T locked 3G for $400 on ebay to an American. I then picked up a replacement for free with contract on T-Mobile. Dutch law allows you to unlock any phone for free after 12 months so I did that and sold it for 300 and got an iPhone 4 with contract with Vodafone. The Vodafone phone is simlock free from the beginning. If you do it right you can probably make some money.
Additionally, most European countries have really reasonable data rates on prepaid sim cards so you can use cheap data outside of Italy.
Also, get a google voice number and you can use the Talkatone app as a google voice VOIP client to call any number in the US and Canada for free over your data connection. The google voice app will let you sms but it isn't a voip client. I'm also a fan of Textfree with voice as an app for free sms and mms to US numbers.
Because you won't find on apple's site the following info:
Italy
Italy has SIM locking laws requiring that carriers must specify the amount of subsidies, and allowing subscribers to obtain unlocking codes after 9 months by paying 1/2 of the listed subsidies. The SIM lock must be removed within 18 months
Vodafone
I walked into a Vodafone here in Italy and it is 500 for an iphone 4 if you sign a 30 month contract. It is something even more insane like 700 without the contract That's ~$900 500 is ~$650
Now I am on 100MB for $100/month data with AT&T. Voice is $1.29/minute international. I'm not using the voice at all probably basically because I don't even know anyone who speaks English yet anyway. This is too much and unsustainable, of course, and now I am almost out of the 100MB.
Anyway, what would you guys do if you were in my spot? Is there any halfway affordable way of getting an iPhone 4 in Italy? I'm just shocked by this. I'm a student so don't have money to throw around. Yet, being in new country where can't talk to anyone and everything is confusing as hell the iPhone particularly its navigation has been more useful (feel like indispensable) than ever.
I walked into a Vodafone here in Italy and it is 500 for an iphone 4 if you sign a 30 month contract. It is something even more insane like 700 without the contract
That's ~$900 500 is ~$650Now I am on 100MB for $100/month data with AT&T. Voice is $1.29/minute international. I'm not using the voice at all probably basically because I don't even know anyone who speaks English yet anyway. This is too much and unsustainable, of course, and now I am almost out of the 100MB.
Anyway, what would you guys do if you were in my spot? Is there any halfway affordable way of getting an iPhone 4 in Italy? I'm just shocked by this. I'm a student so don't have money to throw around. Yet, being in new country where can't talk to anyone and everything is confusing as hell the iPhone particularly its navigation has been more useful (feel like indispensable) than ever.
How is the wifi there? 100mb is not allot of data so what do you need it for? I'm wondering if you could use a touch via wifi and maybe a dumb phone. Sounds like the iPhone isn't really doing allot for you. You could use skype for making calls in ether the iPhone or the touch on wifi of course.
I'm using the data for getting around. I'm most of all using it for Google Maps. But I'm also using it some for searching out addresses etc. As I don't know the language and this plce is confusing with million tiny streets etc, the data is 99% of the value of the iPhone for me. No wi-fi available to me while getting around -- only at home and at work.
honestly for that I go with a GPS one time investment and no more data worries. Sorry just hate to see you giving all that money to AT&T and if you accidentally ATT is really going to sock it too you. you need to find some folks that speak English there to help you out... just trying to give you other ideas to help you out.. how long are you going to be there is it permanent or just to study.