Anybody has Australia iPhone 3G legally unlocked version?
mind to share your experience on how you get it and how you unlocked it?

I bought 2 sets of 8gb black from Telstra yesterday morning. Requested for unlocking (by phone) at about 11.30am (aus time). Got home at about 3pm but unlocking wasn't activated yet. So I had a nap and dinner before checking if the phones were unlocked at about 7.30pm and they were

how much is the unlocking?

Telstra AUD$150

Optus AUD$80 but can recharge up to $80 or free if you are on a contract

Vodafone AUD$75 but only AUD$50 if you do it online at the Vodafone website (online service currently not available)

But is the unlock really UNLOCK in a sense that the phone can used here locally with Malaysia sim card (Maxis,Celcom,Digi)?

Or UNLOCK is just unlock and can be used on any Australia telco only?

Are you in Australia when the process of unlocking? Can I get it and unlock it in Malaysia using iTunes?

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Added on July 23, 2008, 9:45 am

Ignore my question, you have already answer me from another post. Thanks!

how much for telstra now?

got friend coming back

Can I unlock an iphone 3G if I buy it in US? I am heading to US and wish to get one, very sorry for this noob question. The method u mentioned is a legal unlock? What is the different btw those legal unlock n those illegal unlock by softwares?

@megatron007,
Instead of asking it here, Y don't U go check it out on the websites?! I've posted several times a CNet article; and so has tishaban - there's also so many different threads about this iPhone 3G - if U visited them all U'll have gotten ur answer! *ish*

Also, if U want ur friend to get it from Australia; go for Optus cause it's cheaper than Telstra!

@roticanai,
I'm annoyed at U too for asking the same questions others have oredi asked AND answered! At present, there is NO way of unlocking an iPhone 3G illegally! And the US iPhone 3Gs are locked to AT&T!

Phew, it's getting kinda heated up in here... Guys, it would be a lot better if you could help yourselves to the hundreds of posts already widely spread across this sub forum regarding these questions. A person having to answer the same question over and over again, it's no surprise that Tink's pissed. A little Googling would find you the answers you seek too

........A totally unlocked iPhone 3G can be yours for $AU809 for the 8GB model or $AU949 for the 16GB model........ [OPTUS]

Source : http://apcmag.com/iphone_3g_to_be_sold_unl...n_australia.htm

As for Roti's inquiry regarding the developments in the i3G unlocking scene, progress has been made. So far, the baseband has been successfully extracted according to sources on Hackint0sh, and right now they're in the midst of distributing it to freelances interested in taking a crack at it. A "less-than-legal" unlock is imminent, stay tuned. Also, the differences between in-store unlocks and "illegal" unlocks are only the legalities involved. In some countries like France, Australia and NZ, laws prohibit mobile telecommunications providers from monopolizing specific cell phones, at least not completely. In other words, the workaround by these companies is to offer an unlocked version of the phone as not to limit customers' options and violate the country's laws. In turn, these 'unlocked' versions are priced steeply to compensate for not subscribing onto the 2-year contract plans.

I guess you guys are already familiar enough with the 'other type' of unlocks

@Samanoske Akechi,
Thank You!

I have heard that there is no illegal unlock for iphone, just get confused bcoz there was a thread that posted selling fully unlocked iphone 3G, I tot is an update news or US had offered unlocking service.

Sorry if my question irritate you.

AT&T (US) iphones cannot be unlocked legally.

Vodafone (NZ) iphones are unlocked.

Three (HK) iphones are unlocked.

Optus, Telstra, Vodafone (Aus) iphones can be unlocked legally.

........A totally unlocked iPhone 3G can be yours for $AU809 for the 8GB model or $AU949 for the 16GB model........ [OPTUS]

Sry noob qs or thread hijacking, is this following the phone plan or what or just the phone only? Also, if I get a phone via plan and let's say I don't come back to Australia what would happen? Just curious since we're talking bout Australian phones.

@henry1201,
U won't qualify to even sign a contract plan with the Australian telcos - do U think they're dumb dumbs?

You'll get blacklisted in the credit reporting agencies.

Think you won't be coming back? Think carefully

^^

You'll need credit card details and proof that you are residing in Australia.

you'll have to go thru a credit check with the telco before being allowed to sign on a 2 yr contract/plan. you'll have to fulfill 100 points. this 100 points, you can use your credit card, latest bank statement, photo id, etc.

@RBR & gildil,
I know it isn't eZ to sign for a plan in Australia - the telcos are especially wary of Asian students wanting to take advantage of the system

Yeah...we got "blacklisted" due to all the cases that student sign up, report lost, claim another new phone.

@Kenix L,
mmHmmm.... hence the strict policies

I'm going to Australia at the end of this month. Gonna bring me back one! *drool*

Hmm..I'm still wondering whether to buy it from Japan or Australia...any suggestions?

japan got official unlock ?

@baretta,
No, Japan phone's are simlocked!

In Australia, to get an Optus Pre-paid phone is like finding a dinosaur in modern times. Wait times for prepaid iphones are at least a month or two away.

For contracts, is another story. Most are pretty well stocked now.

So if you are eager for an iphone that won't tie you down to a contract in the next month or two, go into a big Telstra shop, say you want to buy it outright, and call a number and pay $150 to unlock it legally.

It costs $70 more than the cheapest option available (Optus), but at least u get it 1 or two months earlier at least than other people who are waiting for Optus prepaid stocks to appear.

Fact of life.

ya..Blacklisted I heard, that's why I was looking for some clarification here hehe..cos I've been hearing a lot of stories about ppl signing up for plans and before their plan ends etc, they got out of Australia already (closing off all bank accounts and such)

Currently there's iPhone by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

So guess i'll have to get it from Australia then..

@bossnass15,
NZ also can

New Zealand is the best...straight out of the box unlocked..

In fact NZ is the one that has cheapest unlocked version of iphone 3G!

Your only problem would be GETTING there. A trip to NZ compared to AU could easily compensate for the lower pricing.

anyone can share details of purchasing 3G iphone from NZ.

Like price, which store and city, whether locked / unlocked etc.

I will be in auckland next week

you can try and PM Cocklea and ask him for iPhone availability in his shop in Auckland city.... the price and unlocked status is posted many times in this forum. just search for it!

Wow, you might have quite a number of PMs accumulating in your inbox as we speak Any plans on getting some for the people back home here in Malaysia?

Hey i might be going to australia for holiday too...
But based on what i read here..Optus is not selling iphones without contract yet?

Yes, Optus does.

The downside is that Optus require another AUD80 topup to do the unlock for you. And by "doing the unlock for you" here means, you have to wait up to 10 days for the unlock code to arrive through your iTunes, so you will need a valid Australian iTunes account.

Whoa...any way to get a valid australian itunes account..?

Optus is selling iphones without contract...

It's just that at least for the next month or two, stocks for those would be very few as they try to give priority to people who want to sign onto 24 month contracts.

OK read thru stringfellow's thread and just realised that it is not as easy as just going to NZ to get the phone.

Must actually track down stores that carry unlocked phones and from my reading they are mostly in the suburbs and not in the city centre.

Dont want to promise anything but will try to carry back a few units and only then offer them here.

Let me offer one piece of free advice: Dont post them in this side of the forum. You'll draw flak from many quarters, jealous sellers and even the governing bodies in here too. Dont end up like me.

Legitimately, an AU credit/debit card and a valid Australian address would do nicely Otherwise, perhaps you could request the assistance of a relative on Australian soil?

Or a free Australian song coupon. Even rarer than the American ones. Good luck, I'm not touching that with a ten-foot pole.

haha, they have some sort of free itunes coupon with Kitkat purchased for the last month in NZ and Australia....but too bad it is expired now....

actually if that person is IN australia, i think they could buy an australian itunes gift card fairly easily. most big stores have them, just search in the digital part of a store, like Big W or something. or apple stores.

1-2 months waiting time for optus prepaid? oh my....

Indeed, but to actually "cash-in" or USE the gift cards, you will need a pre-existing Australian iTunes account. And the problem here is getting the account in the first place

really? when i registered my us itunes store, i don't think i even entered a credit card. just some bogus us address. if the process is similar everywhere, it should've worked. but perhaps the requirements could differ for australia, i'm not sure.

but then again, couldn't you just change countries if you already have a 'legitimate' itunes account? like myself, IF i decide to purchase an iphone, couldn't i just change my preferred store to australia & use the existing account to do the unlock?

Well, assuming you only intend to use Gift Cards to fill up your credits, then yes, I believe a credit/debit card number wouldn't be required during registration of the account. Sorry, my bad...

it doesn't take 10 days for the unlock code to arrive. recommended turnaround time by the telcos (optus included) is 72 hours but most of them are unlocked within 7 hours.

don't need Australian iTunes account to restore/sync the phone when the phone is unlocked. there is NO unlock code sent to you.

for optus, they will send you an sms saying that the iphone has been unlocked. for vodafone and telstra, they don't even inform you that the iphone is unlocked. you just have to keep trying/checking using iTunes.

I only installed iTunes 7.7 without registering for the account and I manage to restore/sync the phone to check that the iphone has been unlocked.

Read I posted "up to 10 days", that was what quoted to Optus subscribers when they state their intention on unlocking. Dont shoot the messenger.

How does the iTunes know your iPhone is unlocked, if it is not a mechanism sent via iTunes? Dont tell me it is done OTA (over-the-air)? Surely the SMS sent is not the key to unlocking it, but only as a news-reporting mechanism to say that your iPhone is unlocked?

Whatever it is, it is not 7 to 72 hours. If the doomed "Tumpang" does happen, and should I did it from Australia, imagine me having to unwrap 15 iPhones and connect them one by one to iTunes to make sure it is unlocked. I'm sure those who want their iPhones, want themin pristine, unwrapped condition, I myself understand the pleasure of unwrapping my own present.

Nevertheless, it is an alternative, though not an alternative I'd like to pursue.