iPhone 3G - can you use it overseas?

Forums › Apple iOS and devices › iPhone 3G - can you use it overseas?

guttix

21 posts

Geek

#23985 12-Jul-2008 13:59

Hey...a little help...

I'm headed overseas to work next year in the UK. If I purchased (or went on a plan) a new iPhone could I then take that phone over with me, and join a plan in the UK using my iPhone?

does that work? (excuse me if it's a dumb question...I ain't all that techie!)

cheers

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#147132 12-Jul-2008 14:01

Please search forums this has been answered many times!

freitasm

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#147134 12-Jul-2008 14:14

If you buy it on a plan you will have to pay to end the plan. And pay to have the phone unlocked too. Why not wait and buy one in the UK?

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guttix

21 posts

Geek

#147135 12-Jul-2008 14:17

patience is meant to be a virtue i guess...

but theoretically I could end the contract, and 'unlock' it?

How much/how do I go about getting it unlocked?

thanks for your help, have had a hunt around the forums and can't find the answers I'm looking for

Sylvie

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#147139 12-Jul-2008 14:35

Hi there, if youe purchased the iPhone 3G in New Zealand, in order to use data you must be an on account customer, you could just add Data to your current plan if you don't already have any. The data plans are on a 24 month term and incur a $160 early disconnection fee. Alternatively you could get the phone on a bigger discount by signing into one of the iPhone plans, make aure you check what early disconnection fee applies to these. Vodafone NZ was unable to lock the iPhone because the Commerce Commission would not allow it. Therefoer you are able to take the iPhone overseas. However, if you purchase a sim card in the UK the iPhone will work (for calls and texts) but not for Data, so you would need to check which provider you wanted to sign with and look at their Data plans.

I hope this helps,

Goosey

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#147141 12-Jul-2008 14:52

Quitix,

May I suggest you take a look @ vodafones website for the answers to all your questions. I had similar questions as you do and found all the answers about plans and breaking plans (with their associated costs). For claification, I called 777 and had a chat to which they confirmed my findings.

HOWEVER they didnt seem to know about the $1 a day data plan (even when he call centre guy was based in auckland)!

Pays to check the information before you call them.

cheers

evandavid

11 posts

Geek

#147257 12-Jul-2008 22:12

Hi Guttix & other geekzone geniuii

I must say that your asking of this question is valid, as although the information is out there, Vodafone haven't exactly addressed this issue with as much clarity as they could have, and it can be difficult to justify a thousand dollar purchase on a "I think it should work".

I am in a similar situation. I have a 5 month research assignment in Washington, DC from August - December. I want to have an iPhone for the time that I am in the USA, however I also want to use it when I return to New Zealand. My understanding is that if I purchase one in the USA from AT&T (I would buy one without a plan @ $699 USD), I will not be able to use it on Vodafone NZ when I get back - assuming no jailbreak, which I would like to stay away from unless there is a compelling reason down the line. This is (as I understand it) because AT&T, unlike Voda NZ, are allowed to tie their phones to their network. Am I correct?

If so, could I go down to a Vodafone NZ store, grab myself an iPhone ($1000 odd dollars NZD), and take it to the USA with me? I would use it there on a plan from a GSM provider until I come back. Would Vodafone NZ let me walk out of the store with an iPhone, paid for out-right, without a plan at all? Or would I have to go onto a cheap plan ('Choose 20', etc), and then cancel it straight away?

I tried calling Vodafone to ask them today, but I wasn't really able to get any straight answers. I am still waiting on a reply to my support email.

Any help is appreciated!

Regards,
Evan

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johnr

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#147269 12-Jul-2008 22:43

I tried calling Vodafone to ask them today, but I wasn't really able to get any straight answers. I am still waiting on a reply to my support email.

Any help is appreciated!

Regards,
Evan

Please remember any carrier can only provide support for when a home country SIMs are in any device! Expecting a carrier to provide support or information if you put another carriers SIM in the device is not done.

John

evandavid

11 posts

Geek

#147276 12-Jul-2008 23:08

I am not personally of the mind that to ask an operator (who is also a retailer of consumer hardware) whether the product they sell is configured in such a way that it could be used on the network of another operator, should the other operator offer support for the handset, is an unreasonable request. It seems entirely rational that Vodafone NZ should be the one to answer the question, as they are performing the pre-sale configuration of the device.

In any case, any information which may actually contribute to the answering of my question would be appreciated.

evandavid

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Geek

#150421 22-Jul-2008 18:01

OK so I just got a reply from Vodafone, for anyone who might come across this post.

According to them, an iPhone purchased outright (for the full $1000+ price tag) in New Zealand will work fine on any international carrier network which supports it, i.e. it is not locked to Vodafone NZ.

Additionally, if you want to buy it here without a plan, you can chuck a friend's Vodafone sim card into it (on contract or prepay), and perform the activation. This won't affect their standard Vodafone account in any way. This will let you use it as an iPod/wifi device until you head off overseas (in my case, just a week or so away, and I lost my iPod nano just a few weeks ago so I just want the iPhone as an iPod right now!)

This gives me the advantage of an iPod in the US for the next few months, which I will be able to bring back to use in NZ when I return.

nzbullet

459 posts

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#150460 22-Jul-2008 20:05

Hey folks,

There are a lot of discussions on the web, Geekzone and I have recieved a lot of emails asking me this:

"Can you buy the iPhone 3G in NZ unlocked for any network from Vodafone NZ?"

The answer to this is YES.

Just to clarify, I went to Vodafone on Colombo Street In ChCh, asked them if it was unlocked for any network if I bought it outright. They said yes so I purchased a 16GB white one at full retail price ($1129), with no contract, the boz still sealed. I took it home and activated it with iTunes. I was in and out of the shop in 5 minutes.
I decided I needed to test that it really was, just in case they were wrong, and tried it with a O2 sim card, a Telecom roaming sim card and an Orange UK sim card. All were accepted by the iPhone and I got service with them all, with the exception of the Telecom Roaming one as this only works when you are out of the country.
NONE of them, including the Telecom one, gave me an "incorrect sim" or "invalid sim" message. iTunes even asked me if I wanted to download a carrier update for my Telecom one.

So to answer this question again. The answer is YES you can buy the iPhone 3G, with no contract and unlocked for any network.

To prove this I have also posted a video to YouTube showing me swaping the sims, click here to watch.

Cheers
nzbullet
Note: My thoughts and comments are my own and not of anyone else including my employer

PostmanPatsCat

58 posts

Master Geek

#150501 22-Jul-2008 22:31

nzbullet: Hey folks,

There are a lot of discussions on the web, Geekzone and I have recieved a lot of emails asking me this:

"Can you buy the iPhone 3G in NZ unlocked for any network from Vodafone NZ?"

The answer to this is YES.

Just to clarify, I went to Vodafone on Colombo Street In ChCh, asked them if it was unlocked for any network if I bought it outright. They said yes so I purchased a 16GB white one at full retail price ($1129), with no contract, the boz still sealed. I took it home and activated it with iTunes. I was in and out of the shop in 5 minutes.
I decided I needed to test that it really was, just in case they were wrong, and tried it with a O2 sim card, a Telecom roaming sim card and an Orange UK sim card. All were accepted by the iPhone and I got service with them all, with the exception of the Telecom Roaming one as this only works when you are out of the country.
NONE of them, including the Telecom one, gave me an "incorrect sim" or "invalid sim" message. iTunes even asked me if I wanted to download a carrier update for my Telecom one.

So to answer this question again. The answer is YES you can buy the iPhone 3G, with no contract and unlocked for any network.

To prove this I have also posted a video to YouTube showing me swaping the sims, click here to watch.

Thanks for the video! and thats a beautiful phone.... you've sold me on the white.

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johnr

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#150504 22-Jul-2008 22:40

Even if you get a iphone 3G on contract for $199 they are still NOT SIM locked

I advised this on the day they were released.

nzbullet

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#150543 23-Jul-2008 08:42

PostmanPatsCat:
Thanks for the video! and thats a beautiful phone.... you've sold me on the white.

I preferred the white because the finger prints on the back don't show nearly as much.

johnr: Even if you get a iphone 3G on contract for $199 they are still NOT SIM locked

I advised this on the day they were released.

Sorry johnr, I meant to say that as well.

Hopefully (but probably not) this will now stop people starting any new threads about this subject. I'm sure this has been asked 3 or 4 times in different threads, in which it has been answered each time.

Cheers
nzbullet
Note: My thoughts and comments are my own and not of anyone else including my employer

scho047

144 posts

Master Geek

#150561 23-Jul-2008 09:51

thats a great vid and thanks for the info! its much needed assurance.....

am just about convinced as to that i should so go get one! haha...

but have couple of minor questions to ask..

i know i should find the right thread for it.. but cant seem to locate it.... so pleaes do excuse me for writing it here...

one...

how does gps actually work?... i hear that its not like normal gps device where it relies on satellite alone so you will be chewing up on your data... is this correct? or are there ways to overcome that and actually just use the gps alone?

two...

whats the real battery life like? from actual user point of views...

three...

can you actually limit the data you want iphone to use so you wont get a surprise bill at the end of the month?

lastly...

what size.. and what colour??? for mare 150$ difference i was thinking 16gb... but is it really worth it... ?? and white or black??

ok sorry for asking questions on wrong thread... perhaps someone can direct me to the right ones...

thanks.

MattD

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#150570 23-Jul-2008 10:19

scho047: thats a great vid and thanks for the info! its much needed assurance.....?
am just about convinced as to that i should so go get one! haha...?

but have couple of minor questions to ask..

i know i should find the right thread for it.. but cant seem to locate it.... so pleaes do excuse me for writing it here...

one...
how does gps actually work?... i hear that its not like normal gps device where it relies on satellite alone so you will be chewing up on your data... is this correct? or are there ways to overcome that and actually just use the gps alone??

No worries, would say best place to ask.
GPS will also work 'like normal gps' if you do not have data enabled on your phone. It also includes support for A-GPS or Assisted GPS.

two...

whats the real battery life like? from actual user point of views...

Not comprehensive, but seems to last over a day, but not making a lot of calls at moment, however is on wifi most of the time. 3G off.
Others may be able to give you better result. Will also depend upon the signal strength of 3G. I was told that in lower signal you use more battery power (needs to be confirmed)

three...
can you actually limit the data you want iphone to use so you wont get a surprise bill at the end of the month??

Don't think so. By default it uses Wifi and then 3G and then GPRS. You cannot switch data off, but can change APN to DUMMY

Refer to other thread on how to change APN to restrict data at any time.

lastly...
what size.. and what colour??? for mare 150$ difference i was thinking 16gb... but is it really worth it... ?? and white or black???

only you can answer that one... whatever takes your fancy. Make your own mind up.