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ZDNet / Apple / Story
Apple to sell unlocked iPhone 3GS
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Apple Australia today confirmed it was directly selling unlocked iPhone 3GS devices in both the 16GB and 32GB models from its own outlets.
The unlocked 16GB device will be sold at Apple stores for $879 while the 32GB model's price tag has been at $1040, Apple spokesperson Fiona Martin told ZDNet.com.au this morning. Customers can only purchase the phones outright via a credit card purchase, said Martin.
Telstra has also finally released pricing for Apple's iPhone 3GS after the device went on sale overnight. The 32GB or the 16GB iPhone attracts a $0 upfront fee on its $150 per month two-year Phone Plan Ultimate, which offers around 2000 "standard voice call" minutes, 2000 text local messages and 150MB data.
Its lead offer has come in higher than Optus' and Vodafone's equivalent options. Optus has offered the 32GB version for $0 upfront on its $99 "Timeless" plan, which includes unlimited national calls, SMS and MMS plus a 1.5GB data pack under a two-year contract. Vodafone's 32GB $0 upfront offer under a two-year deal has been priced at $114 per month and includes 2GB data, unlimited calls, and text. Vodafone also structured its upfront costs as monthly charges.
Telstra's pricing schedule divided its deals into three categories: phone-only, the Phone Plan Ultimate, and its 3G and Next G Cap plans.
Telstra Customers that want the 16GB 3GS on a $30 per month phone-only plan face upfront fees of $349, while customers on $80 per month face a $49 fee. The total cost over two years for these packages range between $919 and $1969, or $6000 on the $250 per month plan.
For the 32GB 3GS on the phone-only plan, the upfront fee ranges from $549 for $30 per month, which drops to $49 under the $100 per month plan. Total costs over two years for these deals range from $1269 to $2499.
Telstra's 3G and Next G Cap pricing under a $49 cap attract an upfront fee of $395 for the 16GB model or $549 for the 32GB model. At the high end, customers on a $129 per month plan face upfront fees of $50 for the 16GB model and $199 for the 32GB model.
Browsing packs are charged separately, ranging between $5 per month for a 5MB allowance, $59 for 1GB and $119 for 9GB. If a pack is not chosen, data is charged at $2 per MB.
Telstra has also outlined a number of other packages.
Find the best Apple iPhone 3GS plans available.
Related stories
Talkback
Only by credit card?
Sounds good but what about those (like me) that have cards that pose a limit on daily spending? My visa card has a purchase limit of $1000 per day.
Does that mean that the 32GB iPhone 3GS is off limits for me at this point of time?
Anonymous June 26th, 2009Re: Only by CC
Well, chances are they'd accept the other $40 in cash. Obviously they just don't want to be dealing with hundreds of thousands in their drawers every day.
Another option would be to charge the $40 to another CC (even a friend's, if you don't have a second).
Or lastly, you could contact your CC issuer and get them to remove or raise this limit you have. Even if it is only for a day.
I know that limit would be no good for me seeing I'd by holidays, flights, christmas gifts, etcetera all which would head over 1k in one day...
Anonymous June 26th, 2009Only by CC
You must undoubtedly be a woman.
Universal Law...
Credit Cards & Women = Crisis
But your points are valid. They will complete the remainder of the transaction with legal tender.
Anonymous June 27th, 2009I was wrong, sorry.
Other users on numerous sites have posted that their 32Gig 3Gs from apples stores in capital cities were unlocked, so I guess the Apple tech support person got it wrong, and Next Byte are trying to spin me a tail or just don't realise.
Josh D. June 26th, 2009reseller
Resellers are the last to get this type of info so i wouldn't be surprised about them not knowing the correct answer.
Also, tech support never get given the sales info so that doesn't surprise me either.
I've previously worked for both Apple and one of their resellers.
Anonymous June 27th, 2009@josh D
Yeap, seems ridiculous that they would offer one unlocked and not the other, glad you sorted that out mate.
Anonymous June 29th, 2009online
I wish they wold sell them through the online store. I would happly pay the full price for an iphone but sadly I live in Perth. Sometimes it feels like Apple want to make it hard to buy. But once the rush settles down I am sure there will be options.
Anonymous June 27th, 2009online
"Sometimes it feels like Apple want to make it hard to buy" - it's their marketing strategy to make the brand "desirable" and scarce. It's the same strategy that fashion uses to allow one brand to charge +++ for the same product from another brand.
Apple has proved time and again that this works.
Simon July 3rd, 2009still no videocalling
hmm still no videocalling. Smart people like me will not bow down to such an inferior phone. I can just grab a samsung f700 ( touch screen and slide out keyboard!) for $350 from ebay. honestly, I have a 4gb memory card in my phone right now and the only way to fill up the memory is if i decide to throw on 1000 songs or 8 divx movies. you only need 32gb if you want to attempt to make long, mobile video blogs for a year.. There's so many more useful smart phones out there. Anyone who is savvy about mobile phones like me, know apple iphones are only for people who want to make a fashion statement.
Johnny Disaster June 28th, 2009fashion statement
Funny that there's no groundswell of demand for the samsung? The fashion victims out number the nerds by a 1000 to 1. You are undoubtedly correct and the iphone is an inferior product but the public don't care! I know which brand of phone I'd rather be selling...
fashion victim July 3rd, 2009Only Credit Card
Isn't it illegal to refuse cash? Last I checked, my dollar notes had "Legal tender" written on them...
Anonymous June 28th, 2009About cash payments
According to the Reserve Bank of Australia, the legal framework for legal tender in Australia is somewhat unclear. The Reserve Bank Act 1959 and Currency Act 1965 establish that it is not legally required to accept legal tender, even for an existing debt, although failure to do so may be prejudicial in future legal proceedings
Anonymous June 29th, 2009Activation
Are the prices in AU dollars? Is it true that you have to activate the unlocked iPhone only in the country you bought it?
Can I simply buy the 16GB 3GS during my vacation in Australia and use it elsewhere?
Bilguun U. June 30th, 2009iPhone cost
Why can't I buy a 3Gs from America for $199 US, ($240AU), pay the import of a few bucks and then get a plan here? Am I the only one that thinks $879 is a bit too much of a price hike?
Anonymous June 30th, 2009nope
if you get the $199US you are tied to a 2 two year contract, which you can get only if you are US citizen. Even if you got it for 199$ with the contract and cancelled the contract for 179$, your phone would be locked to AT&T - you can use it only with AT&T in the US.
Actually, 879$ AU (700$ US) is not bad for an officially unlocked iPhone 3G S. They sell the Australian officially unlocked iPhone 3G S 16GB for US 1200$+ on eBay.
Anonymous June 30th, 2009Unlocked version avaialability
Is there any way to purchase an unlocked iPhone 3GS from Australia to use in th U.S.? I see most of it on ebay but not quite sure if apple here in the U.S. will honor an unlocked 3GS as far as the support, warranty and activation. Any helpful tips are gladly appreciated...Thanks!
Rome July 1st, 2009yep
As far as I know, buying an officially unlocked iPhone from Australia and using it anywhere in the world should be completely OK. Because it's an unlocked iPhone you wouldn't need activation at all.
Anonymous July 2nd, 2009Confirmation
Thanks for the reply but I just talked to the Apple customer support here in the U.S. and told me that even if the phone is legally unlocked when use here in the U.S. it wont be allowed to do a software update and will locked up the phone....
....Is there any truth to this at all? Any of you have actually used a legally unlocked iphone here in the U.S. and still able to do a software update without locking up the phone?
Thanks again....
Rome July 2nd, 2009Hmm
I thought it should be OK since they sell legally unlocked iPhones from Australia and Italy on eBay for quite a premium - 1200$ US - and the they sell like hot cakes. The locked phones sell for 600-800$ US, so the legally unlocked ones are worth 300-500$ more. Only reason for paying more for the legal ones is that they can be updated without any fears of getting locked again.
The legally unlocked iPhone sellers clearly state that their phones are the only iPhones that can be updated without being locked and that can be used with any carrier without any hassles.
The legally unlocked phones are registered in the Apple's database as unlocked and should not be locked during an update.
I think you should ask about this issue from a more knowledgeable Apple staff and say that you're an Australian, who owns an unlocked iPhone and is planning to move to the US (not an American wanting to buy an unlocked iPhone from eBay.)
Alternativaley, you could aks eBay iPhone powersellers.
Anonymous July 3rd, 2009Can I Purchase an Iphone from APPLE.AU?
Hi There:
Is it possible for a US resident to purchase an officially unlocked Iphone @ APPLE.AU? I tried to purchase one but I could not continue because the address form was preset for AU residents only. Do you know other means of purchasing it directly from APPLE.AU?
Magnus July 8th, 2009buying unlocked iPhones
You might have a look at some of the Hong Kong resellers - I have ads re unlocked phones for sale
Anonymous July 12th, 2009Is it true that it locks itself for life to whatever SIM you put in?
I heard that these iPhone 3GS Unlocked from apple.au lock themselves to whatever network's SIM card you put in, then remain locked for life to that network. E.g. if you put a T-Mobile SIM in, it will lock to T-Mobile and you won't be able to use another SIM card from, say, Orange in the future.
Can anyone who physically has one of these new apple.au unlocked 3GS please try this with a different SIM card and let us all know if it is 'properly' unlocked or not?
Thanks! :)
Anonymous July 9th, 2009Does Apple really sell unlocked iPhones in AU?
Im thinking of buying an iPhone 3GS at the Australian Apple online store, get it shipped to a friends address who will send it to Germany.
Im quite confused though cause Apple says on the following list:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1937
that all iphones in Australia are locked to a carrier and can be unlocked, what means they arent when you get them.
Is that correct and can sombody confirm or uncofirm it? I wouldnt be happy if I get the iphone which is locked ^^
Hope somebody of you can help me.
Thanks
Anonymous July 10th, 2009unlocked iphone - worldwide shipping
The Apple online store only ships to the "home" country of that store. So if you are not in Hong Kong or Australia, you may want to buy the unlocked iPhone 3GS here:
http://tinyurl.com/iphone3GSyesasia
They ship worldwide. But it's not cheap!
Tina L. July 15th, 2009Geting one in america
Hey all Im going to America these holidays and i was thinking of buying a iphone 3gs 32 gig and i was wondering if i would be able to buy it unlocked there or somehow unlock it in Australia?
Anonymous October 1st, 2009Travelling with unlocked iphone
The guy at the Sydney Apple Store definitely told me that I could buy an unlocked phone, travel to the US and use a US SIM card there, then come back to Australia and switch back to my carrier here. I questioned him quite closely about this as I do a lot of travelling. So Apple's official position is that the legally unlocked phone will go with several networks worldwide, as long as the networks are compatible.
Anonymous October 29th, 2009Where to buy?
I'm looking to upgrade to a 3Gs. Are there any shops you can just walk in off the street and buy a legally unlocked iphone, or do you have to buy it online form the apple store? I'm OS at the moment, so not up to date with where to buy in Australia when I get back. Only be back for a week and if I buy from the online store it might not get to me before I have to go OS again... Any help greatly appreciated.
Anonymous November 13th, 2009Why is it so expensive?
And dont tell me in big words: "'Cause it's good". I want to know why I would want to pay so much. And, yes, I am interested in the product.
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This is incorrect
"The unlocked 16GB device will be sold at Apple stores for $879 while the 32GB model's price tag has been at $1040, Apple spokesperson Fiona Martin told ZDNet.com.au this morning. Customers can only purchase the phones outright via a credit card purchase, said Martin."
This statement is incorrect according to both Apple Technical Support and information received from my local Next Byte store (Apple Premium Reseller).
Apple and Next Byte have both stated that the $1040 32GB iPhone 3GS will be locked to a carrier, and the purchaser will need to contact the carrier to have the device unlocked.
I was hoping if you could kindly correct this information so it doesn't mislead other readers.
Thanks!
Confirmed: Apple selling unlocked iPhones
Just bought an unlocked 32GB iPhone 3GS from the Apple Store in Sydney. Put my 3 SIM card in it and it's working perfectly.