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iPhone 3Gs - Italy and Belgium - unlocked?

They're being released in New Zealand on July 10th (via Vodafone).

Factory unlocked (legal + in Apple's databases as so).

16GB: NZ$1179 (US$744)
32GB: NZ$1379 (US$870)

Those are the prices for the raw phone.
 
cojomo2 said:
Cheers man. Are you living in Brussels? In your opinion, what is the best option for me? I live in Ireland, I have already been to Brussels earlier this week but I couldnt find one. I can get a cheap flight to brussels with 10 days notice..ive been thinking about going over again in 10 days but I think I'll just end up going home empty handed again. If I ring Macline, do you think they will hold 1 for me if I pay a deposit? Only problem is they will probably want a belgian contact no. which I dont have, and even if I did, when they ring me I wouldnt be able to get over till 10 days after that point.

any ideas? I dont really want to wait, but i can book a very cheap flight now for around the 11th August, do you think stock would be readily available by then?

Thanks
Click to expand...

macline at the moment dont know when the next deliveries will be

although i heard a rumour it will be next week

they said they will ring me when they have stock

i will let you know when i get any info ...

i also have been ringing round various mobistar outlets they have the same story they dont know when the next delivewry will be .....

again if i hear anything i will let the forum know

i have also noticed that on belgian ebay the phones avaialble have diminished ..when more appear that will also be a sign new stock has arrived in belgium

:)
 
Well, nothing doing today in Leuven, which isn't a shock. I stopped at Easy-M, which was advertising, like Mobistar, that they had no stock of the 3GS. However, I did have a word with them and they have an email address that you can use to place a reservation which they will honour (first come, first served, of course), which is iphone@easy-m.be. When making the reservation it is asked that you provide the following information:

  • iPhone 3GS Capacity & Colour
  • Store for Collection (Vaartkom (Leuven), Bond (Leuven), Mechelen, Herentals or Turnhout)
  • Your Name, Address and Contact Telephone Number (preferably GSM)
Interestingly, the guy in the store said that they had been expecting a supply of 300 devices from Mobistar and they only received 16, which gives you an idea of how crappy the supply of 3GSs to Belgium has been.

I'm hoping to pick one up by the 15th July (which is when we go on vacation) but I'm feeling less confident about this.

Oh, and no, I don't know how long the Easy-M waiting list is. I asked the question but either the guy didn't know or he didn't want to depress me.
 
MakX said:
They're being released in New Zealand on July 10th (via Vodafone).

Factory unlocked (legal + in Apple's databases as so).

16GB: NZ$1179 (US$744)
32GB: NZ$1379 (US$870)

Those are the prices for the raw phone.
Click to expand...

Hmm, that's a bit cheaper than Belgium, although not by much.
 
Belgium Stock Arrived But Probably Gone

Well, the Mobistar Centre in Leuven had nothing when I went there this morning but the thread on the subject of stock in Belgium on belgium-iphone.com seems to indicate that some Mobistar locations had stock today. Sounds like a bit arrived but not very much. What impact this will have on future stocks next week is unclear but let's hope that this wasn't all for another week.

http://translate.google.co.uk/trans...id=7bcc98cba482cd5b8b128ed318880999&start=135
 
Does anyone have any experience on returning an iphone bought in Italy and used elsewhere outside the country? I'm reading horror stories about reception, rattling sound, weak battery etc. on other threads and thinking what would I do if it happened to me?
 
icay said:
Does anyone have any experience on returning an iphone bought in Italy and used elsewhere outside the country? I'm reading horror stories about reception, rattling sound, weak battery etc. on other threads and thinking what would I do if it happened to me?
Click to expand...

That depends a lot in what mood Apple is that day :D

To me (and a friend of mine) Apple told that the phone has to be returned to Italy for service or they could just refund the money in our case (read earlier posts by me). Well then the Italy guy said that they won't accept phones with post, so you would have to be in italy and have a italian address an phone number to get it serviced.

Well I called yesterday again and this time the girl in the phone told that he can send me the RMA number and the sticker for the package and UPS/TNT would come to pick it up. Then it goes to Apple and after that they would have refunded my money. Didn't take that route, just sold the phone with a nice 1.5 times as much i payed for it =)
 
us44ever said:
Just found one website selling iphone 3GS.. can anyone confirm if its legit??
( http://virginmobile-telecom.com/online/store/upload/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=105 )
Click to expand...

Very shady (and cheap) looking website, cashing in on the Virgin Mobile name. The returns policy mentions that items have to be returned by UPS Ground or USPS (both are US terminology), odd for a UK-based company that they claim to be. Additionally, their contact number is an 070xx 'follow me' type number rather than a landline, another reason to be suspicious.

If you need to buy one from within the UK, I'd be more inclined to try Handtec, although I will try my luck with getting one in Belgium in a month's time.

Sahajesh
 
sahajesh said:
Very shady (and cheap) looking website, cashing in on the Virgin Mobile name. The returns policy mentions that items have to be returned by UPS Ground or USPS (both are US terminology), odd for a UK-based company that they claim to be. Additionally, their contact number is an 070xx 'follow me' type number rather than a landline, another reason to be suspicious.

If you need to buy one from within the UK, I'd be more inclined to try Handtec, although I will try my luck with getting one in Belgium in a month's time.

Sahajesh
Click to expand...

Thanks Sahajesh... just a question.. Is there any websites selling from Belgium or one's need to be physically there to buy in store?
 
This is another site (UK based) that sell unlocked iphone. Price is £850 for 32GB (16 GB £100 cheaper). Actually, i was considering buying from this website, before i found handtec. However in an email the guy said that he was going to sell it for £799. So it looks like the demand is high, thus he raised the price (and yeah, he is a guy ;) his name is Callum :D)

Edit: he used to have the ISIS sign, but he doesn't now!

http://phonedevil.com/
 
Makes you wonder why handtec are so much cheaper compared to the rest, yet they are claiming their stock is the same as the Italian iPhones.
 
AVFC said:
Makes you wonder why handtec are so much cheaper compared to the rest, yet they are claiming their stock is the same as the Italian iPhones.
Click to expand...

And Expansys raised the price from £909 to £914.99 :eek: and nothing is available till the 19th of July.

I see what you mean, but Handtec looks very legitimate. I will really be very very very surprised if they are fraud. Also one of the members here mentioned that he/she always bought from them and that they are legitimate. In addition, the price they are selling is still more expansive than Italy, so maybe they are hoping that by lowering the price they will be able to compete with the likes of play.com and expansys. Because, lets face; if they put the price up, who would you rather buy from? I might be trying to convince myself that everything will be OK, but as i said, before if i was fooled by them, then i hope that my credit card will protect me :cool:

This is a link for the feedback section: most are positives, however from the negative comments, it looks that when things go very bad they may not be much of help; http://www.google.co.uk/products/re...192c7860ac3f8ac6&sort=1&cat=merchants&range=1
 
dream said:
nothing yet :confused:

I am still waiting :(
Click to expand...

I have contacted them about that, and they said that because i opened an account after i purchased the iphones then i won't be able to monitor the status. i.e. i should have created an account and then bought the phones. So they said if i have an issue i can contact them directly.
 
Lycanthrope said:
This doesn't seem to expensive?

http://cgi.befr.ebay.be/NEW-iPhone-...3?hash=item1c0ad158de&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116
Click to expand...

I bought from these guys before they raised their prices. I can indeed confirm that it is legitimate.

They had an office in the UK, so I also didn't have to pay an import duty as they post from their UK office.

It took about 6 days to arrive, and they have MSN and SKYPE to talk with the seler. Although their English isnt great and they were not too sure of when I would receive. It arrived eventually and I am happy with the service. Not sure what would happen if I have to get a warranty replacement though.
 
as i am finding it difficult to get a factory unlocked version, im thinking of just buying one pre pay on o2 and using purplera1n to jailbreak and unlock...

is there any major downsides to this?
 
cojomo2 said:
as i am finding it difficult to get a factory unlocked version, im thinking of just buying one pre pay on o2 and using purplera1n to jailbreak and unlock...

is there any major downsides to this?
Click to expand...

if you go down the unlocking route -software (ultrasn0w)

there can be issues
you are locked to the ultrasn0w based firmware you cannot upgrade to the latest software untill ultrasn0w has been upgraded . each apple release is designed to close an ultrasn0w loophole and thus lock your phone again ..
you can have other software issues but by and large the phone will work as an unlocked iphone :)
 
u49aa2 said:
I have contacted them about that, and they said that because i opened an account after i purchased the iphones then i won't be able to monitor the status. i.e. i should have created an account and then bought the phones. So they said if i have an issue i can contact them directly.
Click to expand...

expansys changed the estimated period of availability of iphone 3GS 16 GB.

Yesterday it was "Availability: Estimated 1 Day" which means that today it was supposed to be in the stock!!

I checked the web site today and it is written there "Availability: Estimated 4 Days" :confused:

Source: http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=183741

I really wonder why they changed the availability date? does it mean that the requested stock by UK resellers is not delivered yet from italy, australia, belgium and handtec will change promised shipping dates also?
 
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