Hope this info helps..Will the sellers really get the chance to bring in the new 3g iphone being unlocked and jailbreaked? And the price? Read this~


All purchases from now on are subject to 24-month or 18-month contract with the carrier plus there's the in-store activation (even Apple stores, yes).

So you just can't possibly walk in, grab yourself an iPhone and then use it with another carrier (after some proper jailbreaking and unlocking that is). As it seems, things are not looking good for the black market.

It's estimated that millions of the first-gen iPhone have reached black markets world wide. It was a thriving industry and it was all supported by one thing - Apple Stores offered the iPhones without the need to sign a contract in the store itself. Instead, the contract was signed on your home computer via iTunes - black market iPhones never went through that process.

All that has changed now - that means the price of the iPhone 3G on the black market would soar through the ceiling.

That's because in order for the black market to get even a single iPhone, somebody has to sign up with a carrier and pay the monthly contract fees.

And worst of all, there is no commitment-free price that would allow you to get the handset for slighly more bucks but totally contract-free.

Speaking of contract fees, AT&T in USA and O2 in UK have already made their iPhone plans available.

AT&T will be offering the iPhone with its standard voice plans, which start at 40 US dollars. Additional 3G data plan is needed in order to make use of the 3G/HSDPA internet browsing - those plans start at 30 US dollars. So in US you are looking at 1680 US dollars minimum additional fees just to enjoy the iPhone 3G. If those 3G plans are optional, then it's 960 US dollars. Add to that the 199 US dollars initial price and you are all set with a Black market-ready 1200 US dollars iPhone 3G 8GB.

But let's take a look over to the Old Continent. O2 UK will be selling the 8GB iPhone 3G for 99 GBP and the 16GB iPhone 3G for 158 GBP. Those prices exactly match the overseas price tags in US.

Good enough! But let's take a look at the O2 monthly plans. The lowest tariff plan will set you back 30 GBP a month (around 60 US dollars) for an 18-month contract. That accounts for a black market iPhone price tag of around 640 GBP or 1280 US dollars. Now that is a lot of money - more than anything a SIM-free high-end handset by any other brand would set you back.

O2 have gone even further and are offering the iPhone 3G for free to customers who sign up with their premium plans which start at 45 GBP (or a total of 1080 GBP for 18 months).

We suppose that now you get the whole picture - if you happen to live in one of the countries that will offer it legit, the iPhone 3G will most likely be a nice deal. A black market iPhone will most probably be wickedly expensive.

This post has been edited by stephen5577: Jun 11 2008, 03:29 AM

aww that's bad news alright. What a waste of my 3 months wait for the new iphone =.=

That's even bad news to those sellers now taking orders and also to those who sold their current iphone and planned to buy the 3g version..

This post has been edited by stephen5577: Jun 11 2008, 02:47 AM

There are actually a few ways through prepaid and EU unlocked phones but I can't be arsed to type it out all over again. It's at the FAQ page here:

http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/685137

Bottom line is, you can still get your hands on a 3G iPhone but it won't be at $199, I think more towards the $4-500 mark but at this point, it's all speculation, we'll have to wait and see...

The price will expensive as hell..Wonder is the price of the 8gb will be over RM2k+..

What do you mean by eu laws? I currently live in germany and i know nothing about that lol. Can you tell me any loophole that will allow me to buy 3giphone here without making a new contract(i already have contract so no thanks to new contract).

It could be but logically thinking, RM2k+ is not really that expensive for an iPhone that is not tied down to a contract. When you compare the iPhone to the windows mobile phones currently on the market now, RM2k+ feels like a fair price. The iPhone has no warranty though..

It's just that we were too spoiled and pampered by the 1st generation's pricing. There could be a way around this though, we'll just have to wait and see..

---

Added on June 11, 2008, 3:01 amEU trade laws forbids locking phones to a single carrier. That means consumers must have the option of purchasing an unlocked phone. The court ruled in Germany/France, I think, that there must be an unlocked iPhone, so they offered unlocked iPhones.

Of course, without the carrier subsidy that comes with signing a contract, the price is mad expensive. 749 euro in France and 600 euro in Germany..

This post has been edited by blackchides: Jun 11 2008, 03:01 AM

I agree with you~ we are really pampered by the current gen's pricing~

Sorry, my bad, it was 999 euro in Germany!!

Source:

http://www.macrumors.com/2007/11/21/t-mobi...nes-in-germany/

WTH?? 999euro (US $1,477) ? wow..that is 1 insane price to pay for~

This post has been edited by stephen5577: Jun 11 2008, 03:09 AM

we need to concentrate all 3g iphone news..
this is getting out of hand...
can you guys please stop creating new threads and post in the existing threads please ?

and btw, read this form...
http://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320193/...0/rrd210213.htm

important sentences are:
Apple has signed multi-year agreements with carriers authorizing them to distribute and provide network services for iPhones in over 70 countries. These agreements are generally not exclusive with a specific carrier, except in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, and certain other countries.

Then should i close this topic? Just let me know