Calling all iPhone users!

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spazz

264 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 16001 19-Sep-2007 18:05

Hey guys :)

I'm seriously considering getting an iPhone early next week from Parallel Imported, so I just wanna know if it's gonna be worth the exorbitant $1499 price tag.. Tell me what you love about it and why you couldn't be without it, basically just gloat that you have one and help me feel justified about putting myself into debt hahaha.. ;D

http://walkingisoverrated.com

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3000 posts

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# 87210 19-Sep-2007 18:21

$1499, OMG..... that's definatly a "gotta have hype" markup. I'll be passing. at $1000 or even a little bit more I might have gotten one as an additional phone. I can always do any high-level hardware hacks to phones myself easily anyway so might try and source a locked one cheaper and make up the jig myself.

The display resolution is 640 x 360 though which is rather nice and would be quite usable for web browsing.
You do not have MMS (pxt) support or 3g data speeds so any web browsing would be 33.6k dial-up speeds.
You can use it through a home wifi network however.
What does seriously tempt me is the touch-screen, I'm tired of all new phones having really hard and nasty buttons so this might be the killer "I'll get one" for myself.

If the N95 had not come out, I would buy an iPhone in a flash though i'd like 16GB preferably.

spazz

264 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 87212 19-Sep-2007 18:28

paradoxsm: $1499, OMG..... that's definatly a "gotta have hype" markup.

Lol tell me about it. But hey, I'm one of those annoying I'd-buy-anything-with-an-Apple-logo people, and I don't have cash or I could do it cheaper, but hmmmm.. xD

http://walkingisoverrated.com

tonyhughes

Hawkes Bay
8477 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

# 87213 19-Sep-2007 18:31

if you are financing it it any way, then you will probably still be paying for it when a new model comes out with 3g and twice the storage, with a brighter screen and whatever improvements Apple makes.

Id love an iPhone, but I will wait till they are half the price, and twice the features/capability.

Early adopters pay dearly with higher prices, and less features, and this definitley seems to be the case with the iPhone.

bonkiebonks

370 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 87214 19-Sep-2007 18:32

I suggest getting the iPhone from toshbuy.com. They sell it for $799+GST, and you can unlock it yourself for free using one of the many unlocking methods that can be found online.

lduncan

189 posts

Master Geek

# 87240 19-Sep-2007 19:56

Avoid parallelimported.co.nz it's an absolute rippoff. toshbuy.com is a better alternative.

Panq

42 posts

Geek

# 87282 19-Sep-2007 23:08

lduncan: Avoid parallelimported.co.nz it's an absolute rippoff. toshbuy.com is a better alternative.

I disagree. Avoid Parallel Imported Ltd because they're jerks, and try to extort money from you for repairs of faulty goods. Otherwise, paying more than is normal could be justified if they were exactly the opposite (extraordinarily nice, I mean).

This is just from my personal experience though. No idea what they'd be like with something cheaper like a cellphone (even a $1400 cellphone).

Quote is not edit... I'm glad we have the option of deleting posts here. :)

spazz

264 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 87284 19-Sep-2007 23:42

Does anyone know what unlock method parallelimported use? One of the reasons I'm hesitant about using one of the online software unlocks is that future iPhone firmware updates from Apple might undo those.. So hopefully parallelimported use a hardware unlock..?

http://walkingisoverrated.com

richms

22768 posts

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# 87285 19-Sep-2007 23:49

I have found parallel imported to be great with mobiles and car audio when things go wrong. One issue I have is that they are selling some goods for use in NZ with a foreign charger and giving you a travel adaptor, rather then supplying an approved NZ charger, but most people don't seem to care that its illegal to do that.

Richard rich.ms

lduncan

189 posts

Master Geek

# 87292 20-Sep-2007 06:29

spazz: Does anyone know what unlock method parallelimported use? One of the reasons I'm hesitant about using one of the online software unlocks is that future iPhone firmware updates from Apple might undo those.. So hopefully parallelimported use a hardware unlock..?

Don't know what method they're using. If they're using the software unlock, it's illegal for them to do so.

The hardware unlock is really just the software unlock in disguise, they both patch the baseband firmware with modified code exactly the same way, the only difference is how they get access to write to the flash memory. All unlock methods can be rendered ineffective by an apple software update, it all depends on how motivated Apple are to block them. Interestingly, the TurboSIM method may be the most resilient to software updates, because it exploits the algorithm used to check SIM details, which actually may not be a bug.

macuser

2120 posts

Uber Geek

# 87328 20-Sep-2007 09:54

Um why not just import yourself? It would cost around $600 for the phone including GST, then you would have to do a free software unlock? And I mean even if Apple Blocks that, it was free? If they do then just buy a TurboSIM?

lduncan

189 posts

Master Geek

# 87330 20-Sep-2007 10:00

Because there's no way you could import one for $600. You'll have to pay GST, currency fees, and shipping... more realistically you're looking at probably around $700 - $750 landed.

My personal opinion is why bother doing it yourself when you can get one in NZ for not much more than that anyway, without the hassle.

jpollock

600 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

# 87341 20-Sep-2007 12:05

Damn, at $1500, you could fly to LA/Hawaii, and buy one yourself!

Even better, you'd probably be able to get a vacation out of it too...

I know I did that when I bought my last laptop. The savings in the price of the laptop paid for the flight. :)

I mean, heck, AirNZ just had a deal to LA for $399 one way!

I want one, but not for a $1000 premium.

---
http://blog.jason.pollock.ca

lduncan

189 posts

Master Geek

# 87342 20-Sep-2007 12:16

that's why someone recommended tosh computers instead.

macuser

2120 posts

Uber Geek

# 87348 20-Sep-2007 12:46

399USD = 541.050 NZD @ 12.37PM 20/9/07

541 x 1.125(GST) = $608.625

I'm sure everyone has at least someone they know who lives in the US to send it over?

I know I do...

lduncan

189 posts

Master Geek

# 87349 20-Sep-2007 12:54

Do you know the cost of freight + insurance? It isn't cheap. Add currency conversion fees, add a cent or two to the exchange rate volatility, and like I said, you're almost at 700 - 750

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