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Orange Announces iPhone France and Unlocking Options
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LOL I dont think I have ever met a european who wasn't proud to be one
Macula said:And what's best is that Germans don't even have to cross the border, they can simply order iPhones from French mail order companies. Should Apple or Orange really try to prevent that, the EU will come after them.
Indeed. Proud to be European.
LOL I dont think I have ever met a european who wasn't proud to be one
Get yourself down to St Pancras, get the Eurostar, make a weekend of it
Might be a good idea actually, always wanted to go to Paris!
I have an unlocked one atm imported from the US, but I want to update when they release the third-party apps firmware without waiting ages for the hackers to hack it (if they even do). So I might just do that next year
"Reality is a bitch" calling Captain Obvious!
"Reality is a bitch" calling Captain Obvious!
Urgent message for you: Please pick up!
<Start Urgent Message>
- The iPhone is DoA (Dead on Arrival) in Europe
- Repeat
- The iPhone is DoA in Europe
- RDF is gone
- Repeat
- The RDF has been depleted. World domination-plans are shattered.
- Consumerprotection-laws are being enforced
- Repeat
- Consumerprotection-laws are being enforced
- Acknowledge failure
- Repeat
- Acknowledge abysmal failure. Go outside and get a clue, you ****!
<End Urgent Message>
"Reality is a bitch" calling Captain Obvious!
Urgent message for you: Please pick up!
<Start Urgent Message>
- The iPhone is DoA (Dead on Arrival) in Europe
- Repeat
- The iPhone is DoA in Europe
- RDF is gone
- Repeat
- The RDF has been depleted. World domination-plans are shattered.
- Consumerprotection-laws are being enforced
- Repeat
- Consumerprotection-laws are being enforced
- Acknowledge failure
- Repeat
- Acknowledge abysmal failure. Go outside and get a clue, you ****!
<End Urgent Message>
What the heck is a "euro"?
Ah, that'll be the currency that everyone's investing in now because the dollar is dead
Well seems to be that there's no reason now for Apple not to push the iPhone into the rest of Europe. I'm still thinking to get one from the US - $399 comes out at 275ish right now which looks pretty attractive compared to 750 and perhaps worth the risj on hacking.
Now there are unlocked phones out there couldn't one take the firmware from one and flash it into a US phone somehow?
Although there is free movement between each EU (*most) countries without a passport (except UK ), the country 'borders' still exist - which is what I really meant ( i.e., the border that defines each countries territory ).
I don't believe I showed my passport when I went to the UK, but it was back in 2001 so I can't really remember.
Ah, that'll be the currency that everyone's investing in now because the dollar is dead
Well not dead but the euro does seem to be the up and coming currency. It seems even Apple has taken notice.
You have to show it unless your traveling between Ireland and the UK... The UK is not part of the Shingen Zone so a passport is required even for EU residence.
What the heck is a "euro"?
That's the money you'll be paying your oil in, in a couple of years.
Hell, even US rappers are showing off with stacks of euro's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPKs26Z29nU
I think an ID is sufficient but I am not sure. Switzerland is also not a member of the Schengen zone (but soon will be, despite not being an EU member) and crossing the border between Switzerland and the EU only requires an ID not a passport.
UK and Ireland aren't part of Schengen treaty, so yes there is still passport control (To make it even more confusing--->Iceland and Norway aren't in EU but are part of Schengen border treaty).
French unlocked iphone is only locally unlocked!!
Before all people start driving and flying to France...
...I don't want to spoil the party....
...but on a french forum this afternoon I asked what this unlocking means exactly.
http://www.iphon.fr/post/2007/11/28/Forfaits-iPhone-confirmes-:-en-ligne-sur-le-site-Orange?pub=1
My question is number 81, answer followed on number 82.
They answered that its a local unlocking ! It means the iphone is unlocked to allow people to use other French sim cards, which mean, you can use the iphone with any french phone carrier you prefer.
I asked, so if i put my Belgian sim of my belgian carrier inside, what happens then?
Answer: it will be locked !
Is there anyone that can confirm this?
Before all people start driving and flying to France...
...I don't want to spoil the party....
...but on a french forum this afternoon I asked what this unlocking means exactly.
http://www.iphon.fr/post/2007/11/28/Forfaits-iPhone-confirmes-:-en-ligne-sur-le-site-Orange?pub=1
My question is number 81, answer followed on number 82.
They answered that its a local unlocking ! It means the iphone is unlocked to allow people to use other French sim cards, which mean, you can use the iphone with any french phone carrier you prefer.
I asked, so if i put my Belgian sim of my belgian carrier inside, what happens then?
Answer: it will be locked !
Is there anyone that can confirm this?
Turn an US iphone into a legal French iphone
On the same forum I read this:
"Il est possible d'activer son iphone US sur itunes pour le faire fonctionner avec une sim Orange et revenir dans la légalité la plus totale et finis les desimlockage a chaque mise a jour."
It says that its possible to activate a US iphone through iTunes to make it work with an French Orange sim and turn it back into a full legal status. At the end you will be able to unlock it as announced...
That's an interesting idea.....
On the same forum I read this:
"Il est possible d'activer son iphone US sur itunes pour le faire fonctionner avec une sim Orange et revenir dans la légalité la plus totale et finis les desimlockage a chaque mise a jour."
It says that its possible to activate a US iphone through iTunes to make it work with an French Orange sim and turn it back into a full legal status. At the end you will be able to unlock it as announced...
That's an interesting idea.....
This is rubbish. An unlocked phone means you can put ANY sim card in and it works.
But surely when you plug a US iPhone into iTunes it only shows you AT&T stuff? I'm pretty sure when I plugged in my UK iPhone I only saw o2.
EDIT: just read the French site, and they're talking about putting an Orange SIM in first.
I agree its not what we all want, but i am not convinced this is just rubbish. Technically I think they could do lock locally. Anyone?
I don't have the answer but it's a worthwhile question. This is, after all, French local law, not the EU at work and under French law, for all we know, the requirement to unlock may only be to allow other French carriers to compete for your custom.
Why should a local law be bothered about foreign competition? That is what EU directives are for.
It rubbish ... there is no way they can only unlock it for French SIM cards. For one it's way to much work for them to identify and categorize which SIM cards can be used on an unlocked phone. Second, I'm sure they would be hit with complaints and lawsuits. The biggest reason for people wanting unlocked phones is so they can put in local SIM cards when they are out of the country.
Okay, I live a half an hour from the French border. Is it fine to you I go buy an iPhone, and if it works with my Belgian sim I keep it. And if it doesn't work I can ask you for my costs? Deal?
Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised its really locally unlocked. Why would it be difficult? Each carrier must have its own kind of identity number, no?
How many carriers in the world? 1000? Its only a short list to check...
Please do!
Surely there are enough European MacRumors members who are willing to pay a small fee to know for SURE.
If the French iPhone can be unlocked WITHOUT ANY DRAWBACKS, I am pretty sure many Europeans will suddenly love to visit Paris on their Christmas holiday.... me included.
OK, I have a hacked iPhone now, but I would love to get a fully supported iPhone which I can keep updating, complete warranty, and the knowledge that once the real iPhone-apps will come along I can install and enjoy every single one of them.
Presumably, there is no "unlocked" firmware - it's just the same as normal. The thing is Apple know how to generate real "unlock codes" based on the unique IMEI to send to the phone to tell it to unlock itself. The hackers can't generate these code themelves (it's very cryptologically difficult), so are getting around it by tricking the phone into thinking it is unlocked by messing with its firmware.
So having offically unlocked phones out in the wild doesn't really help the hackers efforts all that much, as far as I know.