16 GB iPhone, want to import to The Netherlands, can I...

[Flying Dutchman]

Dear all,

I've been waiting for this moment quite some time. Now its there; the 16GB iPhone. At this point I have quite some interest in the import of the iPhone. Here's a couple of questions;

1 Is it possible to import it from the UK? I'd like to do so, for the simple reason that it is a lot closer , but I heard some rumors about the UK iPhone, that you have to close the contract in the store or something? Is this true?
2 If buying the new 16GB iPhone, it will have 1.1.3 installed, and baseband 4.6 or so, can I downgrade, and if so, how to? I know this has been posted everywhere but it says everywhere first UPGRADE to 1.1.3 then downgrade to 1.1.2 or even 1.1.1. How does this work?
3 What application do I need for the iPhone to work with a Dutch sim (or any other then O2/AT&T sim for that matter)? TurboSim or NextSim or...?

Thanks and sorry if posted before but I really can't see the trees through the forest anymore

 

[munroe]

For the moment your biggest problem will be unlocking the iPhone to work with your Dutch SIM. Until a few minutes ago, I would have said it's not possible yet, but there's talk about a "'NEW 6.0 XSIM" that will unlock OOTB 1.1.3, so I suggest you check into that.

As for closing the contract in the store, that's the first I've heard of it. Surely they wouldn't be doing that in an Apple retail store!? (Maybe my geography is off, but aren't France and Germany both closer to the Netherlands than the UK - adjacent, even?)

As for jailbreaking, there aren't many stories about doing it with an OOTB 1.1.3, and I've read several threads that suggest it's not completely reliable.

 

[Flying Dutchman]

For the moment your biggest problem will be unlocking the iPhone to work with your Dutch SIM. Until a few minutes ago, I would have said it's not possible yet, but there's talk about a "'NEW 6.0 XSIM" that will unlock OOTB 1.1.3, so I suggest you check into that.

As for closing the contract in the store, that's the first I've heard of it. Surely they wouldn't be doing that in an Apple retail store!? (Maybe my geography is off, but aren't France and Germany both closer to the Netherlands than the UK - adjacent, even?)

As for jailbreaking, there aren't many stories about doing it with an OOTB 1.1.3, and I've read several threads that suggest it's not completely reliable.

France and Germany are indeed closer, but I'm not gonna go over to any country just for the phone, so if possible, I'll make it a holiday, and if I have to choose between france germany and Britain, its Britain for sure

 

[HackBook]

You don't close the contract in store in the UK. It's all done via iTunes, same as in the US.