where to get a 3G iPhone (apart from O2)

drunkmonkey

Been looking around for a 3g iphone without a contract.. and so far the cheapest i've found is....

€499 from vodafone italy http://iphone.vodafone.it/

€469 from Vodafone NewZeland http://www.vodafone.co.nz/

€445 from Optus in OZ http://personal.optus.com.au/web/ocaportal.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=Template_wRHS&FP=/personal/mobile/prepaidmobile/prepaidmobileappleiphone&site=personal

€375 from 02 UK - Not available yet, just a rumour, probably when stocks are plentifull....

Does anyone know where you can pick up a pre paid one at a good price? Must be some poor country banging them out for below €199....

any help much appreicated..

flodis79

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Must be some poor country banging them out for below €199....

Don't think so.. It is only launched in markets where Apple knows they can get big revenues. And even if you get the phone subsidised to 200 euros, the contract will probably be 50-60 euros per month for 1-2 years.

http://digg.com/apple/iPhone_without_contract_999
Apparently they will cost $999 without a contract!

drunkmonkey

The prices i've listed up there are for pay as you go 3g iphones not contract ones....there not out in india until september but i'd say the pay as you go price there has to be sub €300

Deep Thought

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Been looking around for a 3g iphone without a contract.. and so far the cheapest i've found is....

€499 from vodafone italy http://iphone.vodafone.it/

€469 from Vodafone NewZeland http://www.vodafone.co.nz/

€445 from Optus in OZ http://personal.optus.com.au/web/ocaportal.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=Template_wRHS&FP=/personal/mobile/prepaidmobile/prepaidmobileappleiphone&site=personal

€375 from 02 UK - Not available yet, just a rumour, probably when stocks are plentifull....

Does anyone know where you can pick up a pre paid one at a good price? Must be some poor country banging them out for below €199....

any help much appreicated..

Am I seeing things ?????

iPhone on PAYG on Vodafone ???:eek:

dunkindonuts

Szondi wrote: »

Am I seeing things ?????

iPhone on PAYG on Vodafone ???:eek:

Yes in different countries, different networks have the right to the iphone.

naladaly

so if im an O2 customer here but i dont wanna take the rip off price plan can i but a cheap i phone on ebay or whatever and use it here with my normal price plan with all the features???

drunkmonkey

There not cheap on ebay, there going for crazy money..

best option could be to get a free ryanair flight to Italy and pick up a pay as you go one from vodafone there...

Must ask my local chipper what the story is there tonite, are they locked to vodafone...

lotas

doesent matter if there locked to Vodafone. the unlock is working, and its just a matter of time before its released... Hmmm.... how long would it take to drive to italy... Anyone want one? if i get enough interest, it might be a road trip!

Rob_l

drunkmonkey wrote: »

There not cheap on ebay, there going for crazy money..

best option could be to get a free ryanair flight to Italy and pick up a pay as you go one from vodafone there...

Must ask my local chipper what the story is there tonite, are they locked to vodafone...

yes they would be, to vodafone italia.
you would have to wait for the jailbreaking software for the iphone 3g to be released also.
(maybe its released but i dont know)

elderlemon

Didn't I see something from someone in Brazil yesterday that had the 3g version working on a brazil sim card (iphone isn't sold in Brazil). Basically fooled the phone into thinking it was on an AT&T network by messing with the sim. The guy was on itunes, online and made calls with it.

WezzyB

according to gizmodo.com they have to be unlocked when sold in belgium, so maybe just get a cheapo flight there...
I think they are on sake for about €700

Gekko

if I could get them without any sales restrictions somewhere, I'd definitely buy a couple. Belgium or Italy looking interesting!

drunkmonkey

In Italy you need to physically go into a vodafone store to buy one, that's only restriction....499 is not a bad price but still a little on the high side...

700 no way....it's just a phone....

elderlemon

€509 for the 8gb and €609 for the 16 from France, unlocked and no contract.

drunkmonkey

Where can you buy that in france? Can it be bought online?

I can feel my 3 sim getting all giddy in my pocket:D

elderlemon

see http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/07/17/france_payg_iphone_3g/

drunkmonkey

here it is...

http://www.darty.com/nav/achat/telephonie/iphone/mobile_iphone/apple_iphone_3g_8_go.html

Can't get it through the checkout, must try and find a french person tomorrow, probably buy 3 of them, One for myself and 2 to flog on ebay to pay for mine...

phreak

drunkmonkey wrote: »

here it is...

http://www.darty.com/nav/achat/telephonie/iphone/mobile_iphone/apple_iphone_3g_8_go.html

Can't get it through the checkout, must try and find a french person tomorrow, probably buy 3 of them, and 2 to flog on ebay to pay for my one;)

is it really worth it?

on o2 an 8gig iphone + 18 months on the lowest tarriff = €979

buy one of these, unlock it, if you only topup by 20 a month for 18 months it'll cost you €869. And you get no data with that.

drunkmonkey

phreak wrote: »

is it really worth it?

on o2 an 8gig iphone + 18 months on the lowest tarriff = €979

buy one of these, unlock it, if you only topup by 20 a month for 18 months it'll cost you €869. And you get no data with that.

I think so, I'm on relax 950 with 3 and i'm very happy with my bills so there's no way i'm moving to an 18mt contract with 02.....

I'll make about 400 euro from selling the 2 iphones on ebay so mine will be standing me 100 euro and i'm not tied into any contract...it's a far cry from the 979 i'd have to give 02....

phreak

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I think so, I'm on relax 950 with 3 and i'm very happy with my bills so there's no way i'm moving to an 18mt contract with 02.....

I'll make about 400 euro from selling the 2 iphones on ebay so mine will be standing me 100 euro and i'm not tied into any contract...it's a far cry from the 979 i'd have to give 02....

but wouldn't the €100 iphone tarriff not be better than relax 950 tarriff plus you get your phone for 49 euro

iphone €100 euro tarrif
Calls: 700 mins
Texts: 250
Data: 1Gb
phone: €49

relax 950 €99
i know you can use your units in any way you want but for example:
Calls: 350 ish
Texts: 250 ish
Data: 500mb
phone: €509, plus you've broken the warrenty


I'm open to correction regarding the relax 950 plan as i've never had any dealings with 3.

drunkmonkey

phreak wrote: »

but wouldn't the €100 iphone tarriff not be better than relax 950 tarriff plus you get your phone for 49 euro

iphone €100 euro tarrif
Calls: 700 mins
Texts: 250
Data: 1Gb
phone: €49

relax 950 €99
i know you can use your units in any way you want but for example:
Calls: 350 ish
Texts: 250 ish
Data: 500mb
phone: €509, plus you've broken the warrenty


I'm open to correction regarding the relax 950 plan as i've never had any dealings with 3.

I don't think there similar tarrifs, 02 marketing department would have you believe they are but there really 2 completly different propositions...

You've got the extra flexibility with 3 and loads of extra free stuff....

I'm not going to use 1gb of data on my phone every month a lot of the content on 3 is free and dosn't come out of your data allowance..(for example when i'm using skype that does not come out of my units or use data, If I read the news that free, all those kinda things are chargable on 02 or will tear your 1gb data allowance to shreads)

All I do is surf a few sites, play live poker and grab my emails on the go.....might use 100mb of data on my phone on average......that still leaves me with 800 Minutes and 150 picture or video texts, plus 3000 free skype minutes and texts, msn messenger, free content through planet 3 & 3000 free 3 to 3 minutes....overall I think you get a shed load more with relax 950...

I'd miss planet 3 if I ever left for 02...it's now a part of my phone....i'd rarley buy a paper these days, it's all there for free....

Think i'll stick to my plan, the phones from france are factory unlocked so I won't be breaking the warranty by jail breaking them,
3 are the exclusive provider of the iphone in Hong Kong so everything should work fine....

phreak

its not actually unlocked, just doesn't require a contract...read this: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/07/17/france_payg_iphone_3g/

drunkmonkey

The have to unlock it under french law....so there's no problem...

Waiting on a price from the states tomorrow, reckon it's going to be good....

TrueDub

drunkmonkey wrote: »

The have to unlock it under french law....so there's no problem...

They can charge you for the privilege though...

Dades

Mr.S wrote: »

would you really bother flying to another country to buy a phone?

+ 1

I think your stubbornness in relation to signing a contract with O2 is blinding you to the practicalities of what you say you're going to do. I was the same, before I actually did the sums and realised moving to the €45 tariff would only cost me about €10 extra p/m, max, based on my call history.

Villain

Yep same here Dades, being a customer with Vodafone for 7 years, they have been undercharging me for over a year i.e. charging me €45 a month instead of €69 but the Iphone with O2 at €45 a month will cover my text, call and most data needs so its off to O2 I go as soon as they get some bloody phones, although I might be in luck, my mates girlfriend works in a Carphonewarehouse shop and they aren't letting people pre-order so teh first in the store is mine as she has my contract, etc all done

Cyrus

but what if he is in a 3 contract? he would incur costs to cancel it

so sim free makes most sense

cdebru

drunkmonkey wrote: »

The have to unlock it under french law....so there's no problem...

Waiting on a price from the states tomorrow, reckon it's going to be good....

It has to be unlocked for any french Network not the same as an unlocked phone that can be used anywhere in the world

Thats the way the first gen iphone that was unlocked in France worked it could be used on any French network if you wanted to use it in Ireland you still had to jailbreak it and unlock it

As of right now there is no unlock available for the 3g iphone it will be possible to jailbreak it with the next release of pwnage but that is not the same as an unlock.

At the moment you would be taking a risk buying a 3g iphone more than likely it can be unlocked but it could be a while

The Brazil thing is already discredited it is not a real unlock it is using a sim adaptor and the company behind it is admitting that the signal is patchy

Cyrus

cdebru wrote: »

It has to be unlocked for any french Network not the same as an unlocked phone that can be used anywhere in the world

Thats the way the first gen iphone that was unlocked in France worked it could be used on any French network if you wanted to use it in Ireland you still had to jailbreak it and unlock it

As of right now there is no unlock available for the 3g iphone it will be possible to jailbreak it with the next release of pwnage but that is not the same as an unlock.

At the moment you would be taking a risk buying a 3g iphone more than likely it can be unlocked but it could be a while

The Brazil thing is already discredited it is not a real unlock it is using a sim adaptor and the company behind it is admitting that the signal is patchy

so you are telling me that its possible to lock a phone to a number of operators from one country?

thehomeofDob

I would rather an unlocked iPhone so I can bring it over to Meteor. I only top up by 20 a month, but I send 100+ texts a day to Meteor numbers. o2's price plans won't give me that ability?

Dades

Cyrus wrote: »

but what if he is in a 3 contract? he would incur costs to cancel it

I assume this would have been mentioned in his original cost breakdown.

thehomeofDob wrote: »

I would rather an unlocked iPhone so I can bring it over to Meteor. I only top up by 20 a month, but I send 100+ texts a day to Meteor numbers. o2's price plans won't give me that ability?

I think everyone would rather an unlocked phone, tbf. Also I thought I read, here maybe, that you could get text add-ons for the iPhone tariffs?

100+ texts a day?! I'd be less worried about my tariff and more concerned about finding the best texting handset!