iPhone 5 from USA

culabula

guil wrote: »

Look we seem to be getting wires crossed here probably because my lack of putting what I'm thinking in to writing but I didn't know you could organise a replacement of an iPhone through apple in cork. I know you can with a mac but. Anytime someone is looking for apple support for an iPhone they are always given the 1850 number.

From reading previous posts here before it appears all iPhones for repair go direct to apple in the UK where a replacement is sent from

Well, as far as I know they do (in some way). As recently as four weeks ago I had to bring a new 4S into Three in Grafton St who came up with their usual dawdling and said, as they always do, "we have to send it back to Apple in Cork".

That is what I have always heard and base my premise on that but for all I know, you could be 100% accurate and they find their way to the UK.

In Belfast a phone will be swapped out in the store on the spot and if it is a model locked to Three IRL (for example), it will be locked to same as soon as you boot up again.

The only new issue is this one of LTE devices bought in Amerikay. PITA.

imtdub

PCros wrote: »

Hi all,

Thinking of buying the unlocked iPhone from the states as its much cheaper.

I have someone over there coming back at the end of April so they can bring it back with them. Is it possible to purchase the phone on the US Apple Store from here and have it delivered to a US address without any complications?

Yes, just get a GSM iPhone and it'll work perfectly.

ironclaw

imtdub wrote: »

Yes, just get a GSM iPhone and it'll work perfectly.

Kinda highlights the complete lack of consumer understanding when it comes to new tech. Why do people buy things they don't fully understand?

whiterebel

Apple in Cork don't repair anything. It is the European HQ for Finance, Logistics, Customer Support, Tech Support, etc.
Their customer service is in Cork, as well as using Bangalore in India.
They manufacture Mac Pros (until recently) only in Cork. Even if you buy one in Ireland from the Applestore, they have to ship it to the UK, who will then deliver it back to Ireland........
iPhones etc are sent back to the UK for repair.
Different machines go to different 3rd party repair companies.
When iPhones started first, the only repair centres were in the US, that's why they weren't on sale here - they hadn't got the service end sorted out. It was the same with the original iPod, and I think the iPad 1 was initially restricted to the country it was bought in.
if Three told me today was Monday I still wouldn't believe them......:(

ironclaw

Here's the thing though, if the iPhone can be used worldwide i.e Edge, 3G, GSM why did they put a different LTE chip in the US / Euro versions? Are the freq. that far apart? I'm an Elec Engineer and it wouldn't make sense to me to fabricate different chips if at all possible.

Zapp Brannigan

ironclaw wrote: »

Here's the thing though, if the iPhone can be used worldwide i.e Edge, 3G, GSM why did they put a different LTE chip in the US / Euro versions? Are the freq. that far apart? I'm an Elec Engineer and it wouldn't make sense to me to fabricate different chips if at all possible.

Remember when GSM was banded by region, hence dual band, tri-band and quad-band phones.

Like any new technology the chips, or in this case radios I believe, are expensive so it will take a while for phones to have a multi-band LTE chip.

ironclaw

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

Remember when GSM was banded by region, hence dual band, tri-band and quad-band phones.

Like any new technology the chips, or in this case radios I believe, are expensive so it will take a while for phones to have a multi-band LTE chip.

Multiband LTE chips exist. Seems like an odd move by Apple.

But here is the official support and model numbers:

http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

imtdub

ironclaw wrote: »

Here's the thing though, if the iPhone can be used worldwide i.e Edge, 3G, GSM why did they put a different LTE chip in the US / Euro versions? Are the freq. that far apart? I'm an Elec Engineer and it wouldn't make sense to me to fabricate different chips if at all possible.

Kinda highlights how much Elec Engineers know about technology themselves in various countries...

Btw by GSM I meant AT&T iPhone as the Verizon versions doesn't work on Irish Networks.

guil

imtdub wrote: »

Kinda highlights how much Elec Engineers know about technology themselves in various countries...

Btw by GSM I meant AT&T iPhone as the Verizon versions doesn't work on Irish Networks.

What else could you of meant by GSM? It's all well and good getting it cheaper but if anything goes wrong with you have to go back to the US or whatever region it was bought in

PCros

Many thanks for all the above input. I will probably go ahead a purchase - the only main concern would be having to send it back to the USA if there was a problem, but as a poster mentioned iPhones are pretty solid.

In terms of the LTE thing, not the biggest issue as I have wifi connections at home, work, family and friends houses and nearly every 2nd bar, restaurant has wifi these days.

Worth the saving of €200.00

ironclaw

PCros wrote: »

Worth the saving of €200.00

I'm a tech head myself and even I see the value of a €200 saving. It wouldn't put me off buying one if I was in the States. When iPhone 6 comes out, the saving you make now will stand to you on the depreciation. You basically saving yourself the depreciation now with the downside of having a potential issue if you ever need a warranty job done.

PCros

ironclaw wrote: »

When iPhone 6 comes out, the saving you make now will stand to you on the depreciation. You basically saving yourself the depreciation now with the downside of having a potential issue if you ever need a warranty job done.

Very true, didn't even think of it that way!