Buy US iPhone to use abroad

[iGrf]

I know there have been a lot of threads like this one before, but there is just too much information out there

I'm living in Belgium and iPhones are not available here, easiest option would be to buy an officially unlocked one in France for 750€ (=1000USD) but that's just too much for a phone ....

anyway next plan would be to buy one in the US (during a biz trip), take it home and unlock it.

Now here are the questions :

- Can I buy one as a foreigner in an apple store ?

- Can I just buy it and take it home without registering for an AT&T contract in the store ?

- I've seen some tools to activate the phone without the use of iTunes so that's covered. right ?

- Last question : Is there already a tool to unlock firmware 1.1.2 ? and is this loaded on all new phones ?


thanks a lot for your comments/help,
Greg


PS : I know it's kinda illegal and shouldn't be done etc etc but I really would like an iPhone but it's just not for sale here....

 

[ImNoSuperMan]

I'm living in Belgium and iPhones are not available here, easiest option would be to buy an officially unlocked one in France for 750€ (=1000USD) but that's just too much for a phone ....

Not if you compare to other non subsidized smartphones.

- Can I buy one as a foreigner in an apple store ?

Yup. You wont have any problems.

- Can I just buy it and take it home without registering for an AT&T contract in the store ?

Again yes if you are buying from Apple Store. Not sure if you can buy from ATT store without a contract though. So just play safe and get from apple store

- I've seen some tools to activate the phone without the use of iTunes so that's covered. right ?

All iphones to date can be activated without iTunes/ATT contract

- Last question : Is there already a tool to unlock firmware 1.1.2 ? and is this loaded on all new phones ?

Unfortunately this is where the good part ends. All new iPhones come with 1.1.2 firmware which has not been unlocked till now and all the efforts to unlock it have been failed(except for hardware unlock or some Turbo sim unlock.) And it seems it might take anywhere between 2 weeks to 2 months(or maybe even more) before a software unlock arrives.

Try getting an iPhone from week 43 or earlier if you can find one though it `ll be really unlikely you`d find one.

You have been a little late for the iPhone. Should`ve got one as soos as the first unlock came. I got one asap but my bro wanted to wait and check out my iPhone in person before ordering one for himself. So by the time I asked my friend to get another one 1.1.2 was already out and now I have a 450$ paper weight(though jailbreaking is possible on it I`ve decided to not try anything on it until a software unlock comes)

 

[iGrf]

Thanks for your response, makes it a lot more clear now

Not if you compare to other non subsidized smartphones.

Yeah you have point there, but in orde to spend that much money on it I would want it to be available in Belgium so I can just go to the shop around the corner if anything would go wrong with it.
As subsidized phones are not legal in Belgium it will take a while before you will see the first iPhones appearing here.

Unfortunately this is where the good part ends. All new iPhones come with 1.1.2 firmware which has not been unlocked till now and all the efforts to unlock it have been failed(except for hardware unlock or some Turbo sim unlock.) And it seems it might take anywhere between 2 weeks to 2 months(or maybe even more) before a software unlock arrives.

So to recap I can buy one and activate it but not unlock it (yet).

But once it's activated I can use is as a iPod touch right ? only the cellphone part would not work ?

G

 

[ImNoSuperMan]

So to recap I can buy one and activate it but not unlock it (yet).

But once it's activated I can use is as a iPod touch right ? only the cellphone part would not work ?

G

Yup you can without any doubt. Though the jailbreak break method is not as simple as 1.1.1 but still it`s do able.

Just get the iPhone. Nothing to worry. At most you`ll be paying 100$ for a Turbo sim in case an unlock never comes.

And there is hope that 1.1.2 unlock is possible. Take a look at this blog. So nothing to worry. Just get the iPhone. I bought one as soon as it was unlocked coz I know iPhone wont be launched in India for a long long time. Similar is the case for Belgium and bout 160+ other countries in the world.

 

[iGrf]

Ok thanks, that's exactly want I was hoping to hear

 

[tony3005]

Before you buy

Make sure that you select the right store to buy from!:
http://diepgangnl.blogspot.com/