Buying iPhone in America for use in Ireland?

yeah-buddy

Hello,
I am living in Chicago at the moment and will be returning to Ireland next week, I have seen that a 3g 16gb iphone is $150 in the apple store and best buy among other places.
I know the is an 18 month contract aswell that you have to sign up to for the phone provider.
But is there a way of buying the iphone for this price and going back to Ireland with it and unlocking it???

Any help greatly appreciated.

bluemachaveli

It can be unlocked alright, but buying it at that price will be next to impossible without the contract. You will buy it for $600+ in other places. But to be honest either a pre-pay or unlocked from eBay will be a better option.

Tom Dunne

It's $150 on a 2-year contract.

It's approx $600 contract free, which can be unlocked for use in Ireland.

Purple Gorilla

yeah-buddy wrote: »

Hello,
I am living in Chicago at the moment and will be returning to Ireland next week, I have seen that a 3g 16gb iphone is $150 in the apple store and best buy among other places.
I know the is an 18 month contract aswell that you have to sign up to for the phone provider.
But is there a way of buying the iphone for this price and going back to Ireland with it and unlocking it???

Any help greatly appreciated.

Yep you can come back to Ireland and unlock it but if you don't have an address in the US where they can bill you to for 18 months, you won't be able to get it on contract. Then you'll be paying like $40 a month for a contract you don't even use.

I'd just suggest buying it contract free over there or if you want to pay a little bit extra, get it here so you don't have to worry about constantly having to unlock it everytime an update comes out and you don't have to worry about it breaking and not being able to repair it with Apple over here

yeah-buddy

I currently have a address in Chicago could I use that and then pull the slip on them without paying the rest of the contract?

I know there prob not that stupid but its worth a shot?

Websters

you can defo do that mate! providers can only block IMEI numbers off masts that they have cells on. But seeing as you'll be far out of their reach here in sunny ireland, you can use it no bother! if your coming back to galway as your location indicates, then the mobile shop above the body shop on shop st does unlocking and repairs of iphones. plus their ****ing sound and a pleasure to deal with if you have any problems! do it dude, and get one over on "the man"

Stuxnet

^ lol

Tom Dunne

yeah-buddy wrote: »

I currently have a address in Chicago could I use that and then pull the slip on them without paying the rest of the contract?

I know there prob not that stupid but its worth a shot?

If you never want to set foot in the US again.

Websters wrote: »

you can defo do that mate! providers can only block IMEI numbers off masts that they have cells on. But seeing as you'll be far out of their reach here in sunny ireland, you can use it no bother! if your coming back to galway as your location indicates, then the mobile shop above the body shop on shop st does unlocking and repairs of iphones. plus their ****ing sound and a pleasure to deal with if you have any problems! do it dude, and get one over on "the man"

If you think it is that difficult to have an IMEI number blacklisted and therefore rendered unusable, you are sadly deluded.

Look up CEIR.

Oh, and we are verging into dodgy territory here. Please do not discuss anything illegal.

Pixelcraft

not only do you need an address, you need a social security number.

Purple Gorilla

yeah-buddy wrote: »

I currently have a address in Chicago could I use that and then pull the slip on them without paying the rest of the contract?

I know there prob not that stupid but its worth a shot?

Simply, no. You cannot do that.