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US iPhone goes Europe

Wuiffi

Wuiffi

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 6, 2011
686
78
So I am from Austria and got a cousin who went to the US as an Au pair. She wants to buy an iPhone 5 and after she gets back (in about 9 months) keep using it in Austria. She asked me which iPhone she should get.
LTE is no big thing here, so that's irrelevant.

1) Am I right that you can buy an Verizon iPhone 5 which works (outside of the US) with every GSM Network and that you can buy it Full Price without contract?

2) How much is Full price? (In Austria you can order it in the Apple online store for 679€ with is about 880$ (including taxes)

2b) How much are the taxes in California? (I think she is somewhere near palo alto and cupertino)

3) And if she goes to an Verizon Store, will she be able to buy one, because I guess she got no US social Security Number etc.


Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions are very welcome and thanks in advance!
 
Yes, the Verizon version is unlocked. The hard part is getting verizon store to sell you one without a contract. Of course, you could sign up for a contract, get the subsidized 16GB phone for $199, 32GB for $299, or 64 GB for $399, cancel the contract immediately and pay a $350 ETF, along with $35 activation fee and one months service, and have an unlocked no contract phone. Otherwise the 16GB is $650, 32 GB $750, and 64 GB is $850 without tax or contract, and tax varies from state to state. You could also go into Apple store and ask to buy a Verizon phone without contract. Doing it either way costs close to the same. So if Verizon wont sell you one without contract, sign up for it, and then cancel.
 
Won't work without SSN, but for Au pair I think she should get one. I was in the US on J1 visa (temporary student work visa) and got an SSN.

I will use one in Austria as well and I'm getting a Verizon phone.
Both AT&T and Verizon will work, they both support all GSM frequencies, but non of them LTE in Austria so it doesn't matter which one she gets. Just no Sprint even if it's unlocked. Many people have said that they have problems sending sms with other sim cards, although the phone was unlocked. Sprint and Apple are still quiet on the issue.

You can google how much the sales tax is, in San Francisco it's 8.75%. In Michigan 6% for example.
 
propalitet said:
Won't work without SSN, but for Au pair I think she should get one. I was in the US on J1 visa (temporary student work visa) and got an SSN.
Click to expand...

So as Au Pair she should have an SSN? Good to know

Off topic: there is only one city in Austria with LTE, so LTE doesn't matter. But in 2013 there will be new lte frequencies (those may work with the iphone)
 
wow thanks guys you are great!!!

But in the US you need quite a lot of stuff to buy a phone!!!
the only thing I needed when ordering at Apple was the money ^^
 
If you are paying full price you do not need anything except money. (around $710 with tax)
 
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