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Apple i-phone Question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steppenwolf
  • Start date Start date
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Steppenwolf

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I have an Apple i-phone question, and I'm a little out of my element here.

A friend in Italy asked me to send her an Apple i-phone with blocker, since it apparently won't be available in Italy for some time. It sounds simple, but I don't think it'll work. For one, the voltage difference between Europe and the US means she'll have to use a converter every time she recharges the battery or fry that thing in split-seconds. Then I think there is a 2-year service agreement, and I doubt it'll be available for someone living in Italy if it's bought and signed-for in the US.

I realize i-phones are new on the market, but does anyone know if this is possible? I do plan to check directly with vendors; since I'm logged in to JUB and we are multi-national, I thought somebody might have insight here.
 
The iPhone is a quad frequency phone using the GSM international phone standard. Cell phones in the US work at GSM 1900 or 850. Cell phones in Europe work on GSM 900 or 1800. An unlocked iPhone should be capable of working on any of several Italian wireless phone carriers, the largest being Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM). I don't know TIM's policiy regarding the iPhone, but I doubt they would have a problem arranging service for such a phone. Even if TIM should have some kind of agreement with Apple not to connect any iPhones before their official release in Italy, I believe you could set up TIM service anyway by arranging service with some cheap TIM phone, then just transfer the SIM card from the cheap TIM phone to the unlocked iPhone.

Cell phones in Europe tend to be purchased without a contract, much like the pay-as-you-go phone plans now just beginning to gain popularity in America. Any American with an unlocked quad frequency GSM phone traveling to Italy can purchase a SIM card from one of the Italian wireless phone companies. (You can do this even before you leave the USA. Often, you'll run into people in international airports trying to sell you these cards before you leave.) You then put that SIM card in your unlocked phone in place of your existing American SIM card, and your American GSM cell phone is now have a fully active Italian mobile phone, with a local number in Italy. You will have whatever number of minutes you purchased when you bought the SIM card; but you can, of course, buy additional minutes if you should need them.

It is very important that the iPhone be unlocked, or it will refuse to work with any provider other than ATT. You are correct that ATT will not agree to offer a two year contract to a person outside the United States. You can probably purchase an unlocked iPhone on ebay, but I don't know what that would cost. Alternatively, you could buy a locked phone from someone and unlock it yourself. The technique for doing this is posted on the internet. I understand it is not terribly difficult to unlock your iPhone, but I believe it does involve taking the phone apart and cutting at least one wire. Apple has also threatened to disable all unlocked iPhones with the next software update, so it is conceivable your friend might suddenly find her phone nonfuctional, if she should unthinkingly update the software on her phone.

My general impression is that cell phone service in Italy is much better than it is in the USA. Phones in Italy work well out into the bay of Venice and even through mile-long train tunnels in the mountains. It's amazing.

How do you answer a phone in Italy? "Pronto!" ("Ready!")


http://www.lifeinitaly.com/Travel/cell-phone-in-italy.asp

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=9401
 
Thank you very much for that detailed answer, Centurion! This helps a lot. I'll pass your answer on to my friend and let her decide whether she wants to take the risk.
 
As far as unlocking the iPhone, sure it can be done but the last software update broke those phones. Apples official stance was that they wouldn't prohibit peeps from writing apps but on the other hand they don't support it. The unlocking thing was much more than a software change.
Tell her to wait for the 3G model due next year which she will be able to get locally.
 
I had the iPhone, but had to return it because AT&T was so bad in my area. I wish it was available here in the US for T-Mobile.
 
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