i am studying in new york city and obviously cannot wait to get my hands on the new iphone. BUT: if I have to leave the US in one year, what happens to my phone? and to my plan? as far as I know it is possible to have the att plan cancelled without the early termination fee if you have significant reasons (such as leaving the country for good...), BUT will my iphone work in Germany then? is there a different 3g-system? and will it be locked after i terminated my att plan??
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iphone 3G - what if I move abroad in one year?
- Thread starter annamac
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Are you sure you can even get a contract? Last I checked you needed a SSN. Either way in a year, you would cancel your contract, sell your current iPhone and buy a new one when you get home.
buy, sell, and buy again - no other way?
I am pretty sure I can get a contract, as far as I know they want a deposit, if you dont have a SSN or credit history (but good point, I need to check again...). But is there no other way? sounds very disappointing to me.... since i will not get back the full price, i'd rather just keep the thing. (exchange rate and everything)
edited: here is an example for iphone without ssn, but i am not sure whether that would apply to the 3g phone as well...
http://www.thesheep.co.uk/2007/10/08/a-foreigners-guide-to-iphone-on-att/
I am pretty sure I can get a contract, as far as I know they want a deposit, if you dont have a SSN or credit history (but good point, I need to check again...). But is there no other way? sounds very disappointing to me.... since i will not get back the full price, i'd rather just keep the thing. (exchange rate and everything)
edited: here is an example for iphone without ssn, but i am not sure whether that would apply to the 3g phone as well...
http://www.thesheep.co.uk/2007/10/08/a-foreigners-guide-to-iphone-on-att/
You probably can pay a deposit, but it's not like $100 deposit. Probably be around $500. A lot of money just to use a phone. Would be better to just get a 1st gen phone.
Not if it's locked. But who knows in a year it may be unlockable. No one knows as no one has a 3G phone yet meaning no devs have got a chance to hack it. You're going to have to wait until July 11, possibly longer until you have a definite answer.
Well, I've never tried this, but the iPhone is software locked, non? The 2G iPhone is physically the same everywhere, and the 3G is triband HSPA, so it too is expected to be the same. So if you take a US one, get a German computer with iTunes on it, and then have the iTunes restore the iPhone, wouldn't it restore it to the firmware version that works on (is locked to) the German carriers? Or will it refuse to do this?
So you're saying theoretically now, you can buy a new iPhone from ATT. Use a computer that has a British iTunes account, put in a O2 sim card and activate it on O2?
If this is true, and it holds true for the 3G version then yeah it would be possible.
But for the sake of cheapness. Wouldn't it be cheaper to get a used 1st gen, unlock it and use prepay for a year, then whence moved back to Germany decide if he wants to continue using the old one or upgrade?
If this is true, and it holds true for the 3G version then yeah it would be possible.
But for the sake of cheapness. Wouldn't it be cheaper to get a used 1st gen, unlock it and use prepay for a year, then whence moved back to Germany decide if he wants to continue using the old one or upgrade?
why would it be cheaper to buy a used 1st gen one, and then buy a new one in a year? (and having to switch to T-Mobile in Germany ...) - upgrading wouldnt work since i am no T-Mobile customer right now.
Instead I would like to: buy a new one now (when the exchange rate for the dollar is quite good), and restore it to Germany's System in one year...
Well ok, that is, if the restoring works. of course. or hoping someone found out how to unlock it till then...
Instead I would like to: buy a new one now (when the exchange rate for the dollar is quite good), and restore it to Germany's System in one year...
Well ok, that is, if the restoring works. of course. or hoping someone found out how to unlock it till then...
Actually, I don't know. The only people who could verify it would be people who live someplace where iPhone service is offered but bought their iPhone in some other place where it was offered, which unfortunately is not many people.
cheaper as in, you find one a good price, pay a minimal monthly fee, use free wifi, and not have to pay a contract cancellation fee.