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The U.K. iPhone 4 Thread
- Thread starter CD3660
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I don't think the PAYG prices are subsidied, if you look at the prices on the Italian apple store http://store.apple.com/it/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone?mco=OTY2ODA2OQ they are almost the same as the UK prices after conversion to £. Italian phones can't be locked to a network.
I think your right. But as it's already been mentioned, the carriers want to lock you in to them exclusively so will make up silly numbers for an unlocked phone. I can understand the carriers wanting to do this. But the only reason I can imagine Apple would want this is to prevent unlocked phones going abroad where there are different legislations in place.
Oh awesome! I thought we had to wait until tomorrow for that. Ok now there's one more person refreshing pages.
Even though they can't lock the phones to the networks in some countries, the fact remains that most PAYG customers will still stay with the provider they buy the phone from because they don't know they have an option to change or aren't savvy enough/having got the time to compare the competition once they've purchased.
Your best bet would be to either:
Sign up for notification on Oranges site.
Or
Ring them.
All signs are pointing to pre-orders and shipping to home address as PAYG only from the Apple Online store.
Networks don't seem to be indicating they will ship out a pre-ordered upgrade.
That could change of course...
As per:
http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/iphone-4-uk-price-to-be-announced-on-monday-12-06-2010/
Fingers crossed!!!
Yeah I expressed my interest on the day it was announced and I've rung them a few times but they're being so coy. Some don't know anything, some claim they aren't taking pre-orders and the others just say ring on the 15th. I'm in surgery all day tomorrow so I hope I don't miss out!
If O2 and other carriers offer an unlocking service from day one, either with a fee or without, all this talk of the difference between SIM free and PAYG is irrelevant. Remember, when the other iPhones were launched it was not possible to get an official, factory unlocked iPhone in the UK. The result was that companies like play.com sourced iPhones from other countries, like Italy, that did sell factory unlocked iPhones, and sold them at huge premium. As soon as O2 offered an unlocking service no-one needed to buy from play.com anymore.
I don't believe the price for PAYG and SIM free is different. The SIM free models were simply sourced from outside of the UK, and so had extra costs in sourcing and importing them, plus the third party profit margin. Here in Saudi, all iPhones are sold by the official provider factory unlocked, the top model has always cost SR2999, which is about £545 at todays exchange. You just go to the shop, buy the phone, use the SIM provided or bung any other one you want in. So you can see, the prices are comparable in other parts of the world that sell factory unlocked iPhones from official providers.
I don't believe the price for PAYG and SIM free is different. The SIM free models were simply sourced from outside of the UK, and so had extra costs in sourcing and importing them, plus the third party profit margin. Here in Saudi, all iPhones are sold by the official provider factory unlocked, the top model has always cost SR2999, which is about £545 at todays exchange. You just go to the shop, buy the phone, use the SIM provided or bung any other one you want in. So you can see, the prices are comparable in other parts of the world that sell factory unlocked iPhones from official providers.
Still waiting for my e-mail from O2 on how to swap your SIM
I predict that this will be so exciting they'll have to split it over 2 days. Everyone else will be taking pre-orders tomorrow, O2 will be on "Swapping your SIM Part II with the Guy who Wanted to be an Apple Store Genius but was too Ugly"
I spoke to local orange shop this mornin whilst in town an she said they were not takin pre-orders till monday and then you could leave a £60 deposit to make sure you get a phone.
the PLU's at CPW only have PAYG for Orange at the moment, nothing for o2 or Vodafone (who haven't got a 3GS on PAYG)