Belgian iPhone sellers ask 615 euro for 16GB

[Blackjack07]

Hey,

I am from Belgium, but I am in the USA for another week, ending my exchange program, and I am interested in buying an iPhone in Belgium.
I checked the company that has the monopoly of selling the phones, and their ask 525 euro for the 8GB Phone, and 615 euro for the 16Gb one (black or white). On top of this, you have to get a monthly payment plan, which adds another 15-45 euro. I am ok with paying that monthly plan, but paying that high amount for the phone is just crazy!

I'm not familiar if you can buy phones here in the US, without a monthly plan. I wonder if I could walk up to the phone company in belgium, and ask them to get the monthly plan on that phone....

What are the other options I have ?

Thank you for taking your time to read/answer this !

Blackjack

 

[lakaiordie]

for that price i think you're better off buying one in the apple store for the unsubsidized price

 

[nctalkinghead]

FWIT...I visited my daughter in Brussels in Feb and took my jailbroken 2g iPhone. We popped the sim from her Belgium wireless carrier - don't know the name - and all was fine. She has no data plan on her account, so she just received calls and texts while I was there.

 

[r6girl]

iPhones sold in Belgium are factory-unlocked (see Apple's own list here – the 4th column indicates lock status) so it's expected that they have a higher price than those sold in countries where they are locked to a specific carrier and subsidized by that carrier.

You should contact the carriers in Belgium again – they should have an option where a contract is not required. Actually, looking at Mobistar's Belgian site (in French as I do not know Dutch), the prices you list are for iPhones without a contract, and their prices for an iPhone with a monthly plan are much lower. You should look at them again.

 

[Blackjack07]

I just got off the phone from our local Mobistar Store, and they told me that even though you buy a plan with them, they do not give a discount on the phone. And that store is one of the major stores near me, so I dont think it is just that store, but every store in Belgium.

Now here is the one million dollar question:

Is the iPhone really worth 615 (I want the 16GB) euro's ? Plus additional costs for texting and surfing? In the US, it seems way cheaper then here in Europe, they are trying to make so much money here... it's insane.

I've used the phone so many times, and I know I love it, but it is such a big bite out of my budjet.

What to do?

B07

 

[kAoTiX]

Personally I would go for the Belgium 16GB model as your chances of getting a US iPhone is pretty slim considering you'd have a hard time putting a Belgium sim card in it.

Also, the Belgium ones are factory unlocked as r6girl said which honestly is a big bonus. If you travelled to the US again in the future or anywhere else for that matter you would have no trouble using a different sim card.

Ultimately it is up to you if you can afford to spend that kind of money with a new model coming out soon.

 

[Blackjack07]

Ultimately it is up to you if you can afford to spend that kind of money with a new model coming out soon.

Soon in the US, means about a year until Europe right ?
I guess I will have to talk to some people that own one here in Belgium.

Thx

 

[Ivan P]

Soon in the US, means about a year until Europe right ?

With Apple it tends to be worldwide on the same day. The iPhone is already out in Belgium, clearly, so the new model should be out there the same day as it is in America.

 

[kAoTiX]

Soon in the US, means about a year until Europe right ?
I guess I will have to talk to some people that own one here in Belgium.

Thx

Who's to say I mean't buy one from Belgium when it's released. I could have mean't get one from the US when it is released.

But yeh, I think it will be out everywhere on the same date. Apple are good like that.