Unlocked iPhones in Germany and France still locked, kind of

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 03:05:35 +0000

It turns out that those “unlocked” iPhones from France’s Orange and Germany’s short-lived unlocked iPhone offering from T-Mobile weren’t really all they were cracked up to be. You see, we had cracked them up to be truly unlocked iPhones capable of surfing any network in the world. Truly unlocked iPhones would have been an international iPhone fan-boy’s wet-dream. Alas, Apple had an Ace up their sleeve - all those unlocked iPhones are apparently still locked to their country of origin. With Germany’s T-Mobile having recently resumed sales of exclusive , locked iPhones, France’s Orange is the world’s only source of Apple-sanctioned “unlocked” iPhones. Unfortunately, enterprising iPhone users thinking about buying an unlocked Orange iPhone and using it in another country will find out the hard way that the 749 Euro unlocked iPhone won’t work outside of France. Apple likely acquiesced to France’s telecom regulations by allowing unlocking iPhones to work with any wireless operator - as long as the non-Orange network was within French borders. Anyone out there actually make a trip to France in hopes of using a fully-operational and firmware-upgradeable iPhone in, say, the US? Our condolences to your wallet. But then again, you should have known better. Apple-unlocked iPhones sounded too good to be true, and it seems it was too good indeed. [Via: iPhone Atlas ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:T-Mobile set to face-off with Vodafone over locked iPhones in Germany - November 29Want an unlocked iPhone? Just go to France. Orange France to sell carrier-unlocked iPhonesT-Mobile victorious over Vodafone - German court overturns injunction; keeps iPhone's locked, exclusive to T-MobileGerman court delays ruling on T-Mobile iPhone injunctionFrance's Orange expects to sell [...]

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Unlocked iPhones in Germany and France still locked, kind of