Bringing an Iphone back from the US

ya-ba-da-ba-doo

My uncle lives in the US and is coming over to Ireland in a 5 or 6 weeks. I'm wondering could I get the iphone 4 from the US and get him to bring it over with him or would it be locked?

i would be ordering it from the apple site to his house.

It's so much cheaper over there it's not fair!

Gumbo

no.

have a search on here, same question is asked once every day.

Tom Dunne

From the Apple Website:

• Can I buy an iPhone without an AT&T contract?
  
  No. iPhone requires a two-year AT&T wireless service contract.

Source.

ya-ba-da-ba-doo

shít, sorry.

Bullseye1

But isnt apple selling sim free phones on their website? Couldn't the OP relative order one on the US website and bring it with him? Or are apple not selling sim free phones in the US.

Kevin!

Bullseye1 wrote: »

But isnt apple selling sim free phones on their website? Couldn't the OP relative order one on the US website and bring it with him? Or are apple not selling sim free phones in the US.

Apple aren't selling sim-free phones in the US, but are in Canada.

yesno1234

There has been an unlock released for the iphone 4 so if you were to buy the prepaid iphone 4 from at&t I am sure this would work?

Tom Dunne

yesno1234 wrote: »

There has been an unlock released for the iphone 4 so??

Yes, but the problem is buying it in the first place.

treatyman

i am in boston at the moment and was in the apple shop last night.. could have sworn it said sim free option for 599... I will be back there again later this evening to confirm

ya-ba-da-ba-doo

On the canadian site the prices are the same as the irish site so I wouldn't be bothered with that. Was hoping I could buy one for 199 off the US site and unlock it over here but i'm not signing any contracts!

Gumbo

ya-ba-da-ba-doo wrote: »

On the canadian site the prices are the same as the irish site so I wouldn't be bothered with that. Was hoping I could buy one for 199 off the US site and unlock it over here but i'm not signing any contracts!

you wont even get the option to sign a contract, its just like at home, you need ID, proof of address, bank account and social security number.

ya-ba-da-ba-doo

kceire wrote: »

you wont even get the option to sign a contract, its just like at home, you need ID, proof of address, bank account and social security number.

My uncle could have done that stuff. Not to worry, I thought doing it with no hassle would be a long shot anyway.

Gumbo

ya-ba-da-ba-doo wrote: »

My uncle could have done that stuff. Not to worry, I thought doing it with no hassle would be a long shot anyway.

yes he could of, but then he would be tied into a 2 year contract with AT&T.
maybe get one from one of the providers over here? what network were you planning to use it on?

ya-ba-da-ba-doo

Can't afford to pay €600 at the moment unfortunately.

Gumbo

ya-ba-da-ba-doo wrote: »

Can't afford to pay €600 at the moment unfortunately.

save up or buy one on contract.

from €140 on O2 - http://www.o2online.ie/shop/phones/iphone/iphone-4/?cm_sp=Phones-_-iPhone4-_-HP-Banner4
from €89 on three - http://www.three.ie/iphone/index.htm
from €69 on Vodafone - http://www.vodafone.ie/df/paymonthly/new/index.jsp?handset=I16B4&manufacturerSelected=ALL

ya-ba-da-ba-doo

kceire wrote: »

save up or buy one on contract.

from €140 on O2 - http://www.o2online.ie/shop/phones/iphone/iphone-4/?cm_sp=Phones-_-iPhone4-_-HP-Banner4
from €89 on three - http://www.three.ie/iphone/index.htm
from €69 on Vodafone - http://www.vodafone.ie/df/paymonthly/new/index.jsp?handset=I16B4&manufacturerSelected=ALL

Cheers. Might consider it if I get some dosh. Seriously broke at the moment! Not even funny..

hshortt

You can walk into a US Apple Store and buy the iPhone as a 'gift' without signing a contract. You could then potentially use the new tools to unlock it.

From the US iPhone Store page.
For those who are not eligible for an early upgrade or who wish to buy iPhone as a gift, the prices are $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB).
Link to page here

It's point number 2 in the small print at the bottom.

Cheers

Gumbo

hshortt wrote: »

You can walk into a US Apple Store and buy the iPhone as a 'gift' without signing a contract. You could then potentially use the new tools to unlock it.

From the US iPhone Store page.
For those who are not eligible for an early upgrade or who wish to buy iPhone as a gift, the prices are $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB).
Link to page here

It's point number 2 in the small print at the bottom.

Cheers

8Gb is a 3Gs not a 4.

from the apple site :

Can I buy an iPhone without an AT&T contract?
No. iPhone requires a two-year AT&T wireless service contract.

when you try buy as a gift it tells you to buy a gift card instead - http://store.apple.com/us/personalize/iphone?mco=MTM3NDk1NTI&product=MB891LL/B

but when the new owner (person who the gift is for) goes to buy it, it will need to be activated using an AT&T card and subject to the contract conditions.

heres a question though - can you buy as gift, collect it and use a PAYG AT&T sim to activate it?

hshortt

But if you buy as a 'gift', in person at a physical store you'll be handed the iPhone. In that iPhone will already be an AT&T Micro Sim. You'll be able to active the phone with that SIM.

Phone will be locked to AT&T.

sundaypapers

This site puts the cost thing into perspective:

http://www.tuaw.com/2010/08/03/iphone-4-prices-from-around-the-world/

The US is not included as the device is locked to the AT&T network.

To be honest even if you could do it, the cost savings aren't huge. Plus you have a problem with warranty. Buy it in-country.