Where to get an unlocked iPhone 3G in AsiaThe iPhone 3G dust may have settled in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and New Zealand, but India, Macau, Singapore and the Philippines are still waiting for the shipment units to arrive later in the year. Now before you board the next flight out to get your hands on the iPhone 3G, there are some things you should know.
Secondly, you'll need to check if the handset is SIM-locked to the carrier. If the telco doesn't provide any option for you to legally unlock the phone, then your chances of getting the iPhone 3G to work with other SIM cards are probably moot. The last thing you'll have to do is activate the handset via iTunes in the country you bought it in. You can't, for example, buy the iPhone 3G in Australia and activate it in Japan. At this time of writing this article, the iPhone 3G from Telstra (Australia) and SoftBank (Japan) are SIM-locked (officially anyway). Which leaves us with Optus (Australia), Vodafone (Australia and New Zealand) and Hutchison Telecom (Hong Kong) to work with. We've done the legwork to calculate how much it will cost you to get an unlocked iPhone 3G in Asia. So if you want to know how much it will cost you, read on. We used the Bloomberg currency converter to convert the costs to US dollars for the final prices, so you can get a better overview of what's available in the different countries. From 3 Hong Kong The catch: According to the Apple Support Web site, Hong Kong is one of two countries (Italy being the other) listed with the iPhone 3G that isn't locked to the carrier. Subscribers will need to pay off the remaining months on their two-year plan if they wish to terminate the contract prematurely. Each customer is limited to the purchase of only one handset.
From Optus in Australia The catch: You'll need to pay A$80 if you wish to network unlock the iPhone 3G within the first six months from activation. The workaround is you recharge the pre-paid phone up to a value of A$80. Either way, the cost is the same.
From Vodafone in Australia The catch: An early exit fee of A$34.50 (multiplied by the number of months left on the contract) applies and there may be an additional charge to unlock the phone. If the handset is hard-locked, a basic fee of A$50 to unlock it at any time (A$25 if you do it online) and an additional A$50 if unlocking is done within six months of purchase apply. The cost of unlocking phones, however, isn't specific to the iPhone 3G, but is across the board for Vodafone in Australia, so this price is only a gauge.
From Vodafone in New Zealand The catch: You'll need to buy the phone in-person at a Vodafone retail store. No bots allowed. And early termination fees apply.
The verdict? Optus in Australia has the best deal at US$777. Although it's slightly cheaper to get it from Vodafone in New Zealand, you'll need to buy the phone in-person at the Vodafone retail store. So you'll need to factor in an air ticket or persuade a Kiwi friend to buy one and ship it to you. If you have more information about what's happening on the ground, hit us up in the comments. Editors' note:Feature has been updated with pricing details from Globe Telecom in the Philippines on August 19.From Globe Telecom in the Philippines The catch: You'll be required to activate the data connection.
Related Stories» Apple iPhone 3G in Asia 03/07/2008» All your iPhone 3G questions answered 21/08/2008 » Apple iPhone 3G midnight launch in Singapore 21/08/2008 |
- Talkback
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paras112 says...
I am waiting to see what it costs in India. . . since the country has pretty much done away with handsets being locked by networks.
It'll be interesting to see if after the Nokia 1610, it's the Iphone 3G which brings back network locks to India,
or whether India only gets unlocked iphones at price tags far more than Apple's $199 and $299 price point.
Can't wait to get my hands on it though, waited for a year so that I didn't have to buy a jailbroken device with half it's features not working.
Jul 10, 2008 17:49
I am waiting to see what it costs in India. . . since the country has pretty much done away with handsets being locked by networks.
It'll be interesting to see if after the Nokia 1610, it's the Iphone 3G which brings back network locks to India,
or whether India only gets unlocked iphones at price tags far more than Apple's $199 and $299 price point.
Can't wait to get my hands on it though, waited for a year so that I didn't have to buy a jailbroken device with half it's features not working.
Jul 10, 2008 17:49
sylclh says...
its such a stupid phone really,,dun c what the high about it..in q 4 days..no better things 2 do....????
u can't video call, no mms,no video recording..come on ...la .this roten apple is doing daylight robbery..
my 2 cents no offence...
Jul 11, 2008 10:15
its such a stupid phone really,,dun c what the high about it..in q 4 days..no better things 2 do....????
u can't video call, no mms,no video recording..come on ...la .this roten apple is doing daylight robbery..
my 2 cents no offence...
Jul 11, 2008 10:15
iolo003 says...
this phone is pure junk..
all hype and publicity, nothing more..
rather buy N96 than this..
Jul 11, 2008 22:44
this phone is pure junk..
all hype and publicity, nothing more..
rather buy N96 than this..
Jul 11, 2008 22:44
reo174 says...
chill guyz... iphone is not all that bad!
i ve been using the iphone for last couple of months nw. n lemme tell u, the xp has been nothing short of EXCITING!
whn i first gt the device, i did wnder wht the whole fuzz was abt, just cudnt find wht was so interesting. poor camera, no vdo rec, no proper call log, cant set custom ringtones, no mms....
i was almost ready to dump it,whn i realized that all thos shortcomings cud be overcome usng the Installer app. it allowed me to download apps frm the net for FREE. nw i hv video recording, MMS, 3D gamez, custom ringtones, video ringtones, fullfledged Converter ap, Dictionary...... wht more do u need!?!
sure itz a lot over priced, bt i gt mine for 460$, unlockd it myself. i think thtz nt tht bad a deal at all. Iphone is the best mobile device ever guyz, go for it!!
n b4 i sign off, am posting thz comment thru my iphone ;-)
Jul 12, 2008 16:39
chill guyz... iphone is not all that bad!
i ve been using the iphone for last couple of months nw. n lemme tell u, the xp has been nothing short of EXCITING!
whn i first gt the device, i did wnder wht the whole fuzz was abt, just cudnt find wht was so interesting. poor camera, no vdo rec, no proper call log, cant set custom ringtones, no mms....
i was almost ready to dump it,whn i realized that all thos shortcomings cud be overcome usng the Installer app. it allowed me to download apps frm the net for FREE. nw i hv video recording, MMS, 3D gamez, custom ringtones, video ringtones, fullfledged Converter ap, Dictionary...... wht more do u need!?!
sure itz a lot over priced, bt i gt mine for 460$, unlockd it myself. i think thtz nt tht bad a deal at all. Iphone is the best mobile device ever guyz, go for it!!
n b4 i sign off, am posting thz comment thru my iphone ;-)
Jul 12, 2008 16:39
iolo003 says...
are this all the iphone can do?
"video recording, MMS, 3D gamez, custom ringtones, video ringtones, fullfledged Converter ap, Dictionary...... wht more do u need!?!"
poor thing, its not even half to what other phones can do at a cheaper price.. tsk tsk!! what a junk!!
Jul 12, 2008 22:52
are this all the iphone can do?
"video recording, MMS, 3D gamez, custom ringtones, video ringtones, fullfledged Converter ap, Dictionary...... wht more do u need!?!"
poor thing, its not even half to what other phones can do at a cheaper price.. tsk tsk!! what a junk!!
Jul 12, 2008 22:52
isaac976 says...
iolo003, dont get hostile, its just a Iphone, if you dont like it dont mean you have to curse it, I am not a fan of iphone myself, but if you have not used it dont blame it yet, try using it, its pretty good, I have used all the high end phones from all manufacturer, each has thier pro's and con's.
reo174: great to know you found to love the iphone. Good luck in accuiring the 3G one.
Jul 13, 2008 15:20
iolo003, dont get hostile, its just a Iphone, if you dont like it dont mean you have to curse it, I am not a fan of iphone myself, but if you have not used it dont blame it yet, try using it, its pretty good, I have used all the high end phones from all manufacturer, each has thier pro's and con's.
reo174: great to know you found to love the iphone. Good luck in accuiring the 3G one.
Jul 13, 2008 15:20
keanong says...
I guess Apple's brandname is juz too strong that it can beat down the consideration of functionality. Anw, I dun think I will buy it. Personally I wld prefer Samsung Omnia over this. :)
Jul 13, 2008 17:20
I guess Apple's brandname is juz too strong that it can beat down the consideration of functionality. Anw, I dun think I will buy it. Personally I wld prefer Samsung Omnia over this. :)
Jul 13, 2008 17:20
reo174 says...
kno wht... i forgot to add that point. itz Apple Iphone, n thtz all tht matterz! am not a big fan of apple products or somethin, but one cant deny the attention u get when u hv an iphone ;)
@iolo003 - i mentioned those featurez, coz most ppl criticize iphone coz it lackz those features. u can sure use the device to make calls n send sms if thtz wht u r talkin abt...lol.
i wont blame u if u gt urself a chinese handset, with features like touchscreen, TV, blah blah for mere 5K INR - but i don think tht can ever match Apple's brandname - plain n simple.
Good Day.
Jul 14, 2008 01:34
kno wht... i forgot to add that point. itz Apple Iphone, n thtz all tht matterz! am not a big fan of apple products or somethin, but one cant deny the attention u get when u hv an iphone ;)
@iolo003 - i mentioned those featurez, coz most ppl criticize iphone coz it lackz those features. u can sure use the device to make calls n send sms if thtz wht u r talkin abt...lol.
i wont blame u if u gt urself a chinese handset, with features like touchscreen, TV, blah blah for mere 5K INR - but i don think tht can ever match Apple's brandname - plain n simple.
Good Day.
Jul 14, 2008 01:34
iolo003 says...
your paying more for the brand name
okay, cant argue with that, it will fall now as a personal choice, plain and simple.
I have N82, cheaper than iPhone but has the best feature you can be proud of c", talking about the best value for your money..
I'm not encouraging anybody to buy china phones, there nothing but a bunch of imitations and clones.. Here in the Philippines, most of the available clones are iPhones, bringing iPhone makes people think that your bringing the cloned one, to bad but true c",
Jul 14, 2008 08:45
your paying more for the brand name
okay, cant argue with that, it will fall now as a personal choice, plain and simple.
I have N82, cheaper than iPhone but has the best feature you can be proud of c", talking about the best value for your money..
I'm not encouraging anybody to buy china phones, there nothing but a bunch of imitations and clones.. Here in the Philippines, most of the available clones are iPhones, bringing iPhone makes people think that your bringing the cloned one, to bad but true c",
Jul 14, 2008 08:45
12retards says...
Well, for all those freakishly abrasive posters, it's called marketing. You might consider yourself above it all but we all fall to marketing traps every now and then. For example, I'd rather buy an insanely expensive iPhone than any Nokia handset that's bound to be half the price in no time. Apple has a decent product refresh cycle unlike most mobile manufacturers that make their own products obsolete in a couple of months.
For me, on of the strongest points of buying an iPhone is to take advantage of the whole Appl experience niche. Apple has consumers in mind that would probably use the iPhone with their MobileMe service and would probably using a Mac computer as well. I don't think the phone caters to the type of buyer who just buys something because it's new and goes to different telcos buying phones with prepaid plans. It's good to know many people consider features but in reality, how many features do you actually use? Some people keep on clamoring for the video call function. Do you even know who the inventors had in mind when they brought about this innovation? They were thinking about executives who need to have face to face meetings while working off site not a bunch of teenagers who do kissy faces while walking around the mall.
I suppose those of you who taunt the iPhone as junk probably don't wear designer clothes as well. Because if we're all out to consider the best value for a given price, then y'all should be wearing generic stuff.
My point is, it's a purchasing decision. It should be left to the consumer to decide whether to splurge on something expensive. I bet y'all don't think twice when you go out and buy your 200-dollar nike shoes. Also, if you're out to "criticize" a product make sure to base it on useful facts. Comparisons are well and good but people have got to understand who the product is marketed for. I for one use a Mac and I'm currently subscribed to .Mac so it makes a whole lot of sense for me to get the iPhone once it's out here in Singapore.
People often take hits at fanboys but I personally think the problem exists with those who have issues with fanboys. To each his own I say.
Jul 14, 2008 16:28
Well, for all those freakishly abrasive posters, it's called marketing. You might consider yourself above it all but we all fall to marketing traps every now and then. For example, I'd rather buy an insanely expensive iPhone than any Nokia handset that's bound to be half the price in no time. Apple has a decent product refresh cycle unlike most mobile manufacturers that make their own products obsolete in a couple of months.
For me, on of the strongest points of buying an iPhone is to take advantage of the whole Appl experience niche. Apple has consumers in mind that would probably use the iPhone with their MobileMe service and would probably using a Mac computer as well. I don't think the phone caters to the type of buyer who just buys something because it's new and goes to different telcos buying phones with prepaid plans. It's good to know many people consider features but in reality, how many features do you actually use? Some people keep on clamoring for the video call function. Do you even know who the inventors had in mind when they brought about this innovation? They were thinking about executives who need to have face to face meetings while working off site not a bunch of teenagers who do kissy faces while walking around the mall.
I suppose those of you who taunt the iPhone as junk probably don't wear designer clothes as well. Because if we're all out to consider the best value for a given price, then y'all should be wearing generic stuff.
My point is, it's a purchasing decision. It should be left to the consumer to decide whether to splurge on something expensive. I bet y'all don't think twice when you go out and buy your 200-dollar nike shoes. Also, if you're out to "criticize" a product make sure to base it on useful facts. Comparisons are well and good but people have got to understand who the product is marketed for. I for one use a Mac and I'm currently subscribed to .Mac so it makes a whole lot of sense for me to get the iPhone once it's out here in Singapore.
People often take hits at fanboys but I personally think the problem exists with those who have issues with fanboys. To each his own I say.
Jul 14, 2008 16:28
dash7869 says...
sorry where does it say on the website that Optus allows the outright purchaseo of the iPhone without plan?
it's not allowed right? because i might head over next week...
Jul 17, 2008 15:23
sorry where does it say on the website that Optus allows the outright purchaseo of the iPhone without plan?
it's not allowed right? because i might head over next week...
Jul 17, 2008 15:23
damiankoh says...
hi dash7869, optus offers the pre-paid version of the iphone, so technically all you need to do is to network-unlock the set..
Jul 17, 2008 16:09
hi dash7869, optus offers the pre-paid version of the iphone, so technically all you need to do is to network-unlock the set..
Jul 17, 2008 16:09
dash7869 says...
very cool, thanks for your prompt response Damian.
One more question, what about future updates of the device? i cant do it via itunes when i am back in singapore or can i?
Jul 17, 2008 16:24
very cool, thanks for your prompt response Damian.
One more question, what about future updates of the device? i cant do it via itunes when i am back in singapore or can i?
Jul 17, 2008 16:24
Phyo says...
tired of waiting and end up with HTC diamond. :D
Jul 17, 2008 21:46
tired of waiting and end up with HTC diamond. :D
Jul 17, 2008 21:46
skramer says...
For those travelling to Europe, T-Mobile in the Netherlands offers the iPhone 3G for free with a 45 Euro per month subscription............. Of course SIM-locked.
Jul 18, 2008 03:04
For those travelling to Europe, T-Mobile in the Netherlands offers the iPhone 3G for free with a 45 Euro per month subscription............. Of course SIM-locked.
Jul 18, 2008 03:04
dash7869 says...
not to be a wet blanket or add fuel to the fanboys bashing fire but for more awareness
www.engadget.com...
nonetheless i am still going to get it.. best if by next week :)
Jul 18, 2008 15:04
not to be a wet blanket or add fuel to the fanboys bashing fire but for more awareness
www.engadget.com...
nonetheless i am still going to get it.. best if by next week :)
Jul 18, 2008 15:04
itconsultant says...
I think a phone, is a phone, is a phone. Why the fuss and unhappy comments by some reviewers here?
Different people have different needs. A Toyota brings me from point A to B. A Ferrari also brings me from point A to B. Just because I can't afford Ferrari, is it fair for me to say Ferrari is a piece of junk and a waste of money?
Just because I like apple, is it fair for me to condemn orange; especially when I haven't even tasted an orange?
If I'm a basic user and just needing a $80 phone, is it fair for me to critique on people who are willing to buy a $400/S1000 phone?
People pay thousands of dollars for Vertu. Can I say they're crazy?
There's one thing we all must be aware of before passing any comments - the 'Shiok' factor.
The 'shiok' feeling cannot be valued. Different people have different degree of that 'shiok' feeling and hence some are willing to pay more just for that feeling.
So guys, be cool and objective about our comments.
I'm a Mac user. Does it mean I'll buy an iPhone? Maybe, especially when all the current technical glitches with iPhone and Mobileme have been ironed out.
By the way, phone with technical glitches doesn't mean the phone is no good. When Nokia, SE, HTC, Samsung and the like launched their first phone, it was not without problem. So be cool! :)
Jul 19, 2008 09:57
I think a phone, is a phone, is a phone. Why the fuss and unhappy comments by some reviewers here?
Different people have different needs. A Toyota brings me from point A to B. A Ferrari also brings me from point A to B. Just because I can't afford Ferrari, is it fair for me to say Ferrari is a piece of junk and a waste of money?
Just because I like apple, is it fair for me to condemn orange; especially when I haven't even tasted an orange?
If I'm a basic user and just needing a $80 phone, is it fair for me to critique on people who are willing to buy a $400/S1000 phone?
People pay thousands of dollars for Vertu. Can I say they're crazy?
There's one thing we all must be aware of before passing any comments - the 'Shiok' factor.
The 'shiok' feeling cannot be valued. Different people have different degree of that 'shiok' feeling and hence some are willing to pay more just for that feeling.
So guys, be cool and objective about our comments.
I'm a Mac user. Does it mean I'll buy an iPhone? Maybe, especially when all the current technical glitches with iPhone and Mobileme have been ironed out.
By the way, phone with technical glitches doesn't mean the phone is no good. When Nokia, SE, HTC, Samsung and the like launched their first phone, it was not without problem. So be cool! :)
Jul 19, 2008 09:57
brucescanner says...
just don't listen to "iolo003" comments or opinions, all he did was troll and bash other brands. An obvious trait of a fanatic. He's been doing the same thing on other mobile website...
Jul 20, 2008 02:15
just don't listen to "iolo003" comments or opinions, all he did was troll and bash other brands. An obvious trait of a fanatic. He's been doing the same thing on other mobile website...
Jul 20, 2008 02:15
sevenich says...
Wow, some heated exchanges we have here. Anyway, first, I don't own an iPhone, but I own an iPod Touch, an iPod video and an iPod Nano. Apple's strength, aside from its terrific product design, is its software. IT'S THE USER INTERFACE. When you flip your fingers on the screen, the device moves seamlessly, this is sci-fi right in our hands today. And that's just talking about one feature. It's the iPhone's killer feature - its software. Macs have commanded its own following simply because Windows is still far from becoming the software that users will love. The iPhone is raising the bar on Nokia and Samsung not much from the product features arena, but on the product design and software buckets. There is now a frenzy to come up with touchscreen phones... why? Come to think of it, until the iPhone came out, it was difficult to find mobile phones with touchscreen capability. None of them are as smooth, as colorful, as responsive as the iPhone's. S60 is just about to release its touchscreen version, let's wait if it will unseat Apple's software prowess.
Jul 22, 2008 21:54
Wow, some heated exchanges we have here. Anyway, first, I don't own an iPhone, but I own an iPod Touch, an iPod video and an iPod Nano. Apple's strength, aside from its terrific product design, is its software. IT'S THE USER INTERFACE. When you flip your fingers on the screen, the device moves seamlessly, this is sci-fi right in our hands today. And that's just talking about one feature. It's the iPhone's killer feature - its software. Macs have commanded its own following simply because Windows is still far from becoming the software that users will love. The iPhone is raising the bar on Nokia and Samsung not much from the product features arena, but on the product design and software buckets. There is now a frenzy to come up with touchscreen phones... why? Come to think of it, until the iPhone came out, it was difficult to find mobile phones with touchscreen capability. None of them are as smooth, as colorful, as responsive as the iPhone's. S60 is just about to release its touchscreen version, let's wait if it will unseat Apple's software prowess.
Jul 22, 2008 21:54
tkenji says...
More 3G iPhone and iPhone tips and tricks could be found at i-phone-resource.blogspot.com as well......
And if anyone's looking for the 3G iPhone manual, can download it from www.lostmymanual.org
i'll try to add in more great sites as i discover them. =)
Jul 25, 2008 11:39
More 3G iPhone and iPhone tips and tricks could be found at i-phone-resource.blogspot.com as well......
And if anyone's looking for the 3G iPhone manual, can download it from www.lostmymanual.org
i'll try to add in more great sites as i discover them. =)
Jul 25, 2008 11:39
tkenji says...
btw, just before i forget, you can download the latest mod for HTC Diamond as well from htc-resource.blogspot.com
but better read the fine print first!
Jul 25, 2008 11:40
btw, just before i forget, you can download the latest mod for HTC Diamond as well from htc-resource.blogspot.com
but better read the fine print first!
Jul 25, 2008 11:40
chris7569 says...
Not sure about the battery life for the 3g iphone but my 6 months old iphone is already having problem with the battery. Full charge only last one day with 10% usage and 90% standby. Since iphone is available almost anywhere now. It lost the cool factor.. No mms and video recording???.. Come on...
Jul 25, 2008 23:00
Not sure about the battery life for the 3g iphone but my 6 months old iphone is already having problem with the battery. Full charge only last one day with 10% usage and 90% standby. Since iphone is available almost anywhere now. It lost the cool factor.. No mms and video recording???.. Come on...
Jul 25, 2008 23:00
spoa1202 says...
i wonder when will it be available in the philippines?
Jul 29, 2008 05:27
i wonder when will it be available in the philippines?
Jul 29, 2008 05:27
t0mi3 says...
Let say if i get 3g iphone from Optus Australia and it is unlocked by Optus itself, would it be able to fully utilize all functions in the iphone? The "unlock" included "jailbreak"?
As far as my concern if iphone is unlocked by 3rd party software, once they update to 2.0firmware or such, the iphone will be locked again. So if it is unlocked by Optus itself, would the same thing happen?
To test weather the unlock is successful, if i put my Maxis sim card into the unlocked 3g iphone, the phone shows either 1 operator in Australia, that means it can use it in M'sia?
Thanking in advance.
Jul 30, 2008 09:05
Let say if i get 3g iphone from Optus Australia and it is unlocked by Optus itself, would it be able to fully utilize all functions in the iphone? The "unlock" included "jailbreak"?
As far as my concern if iphone is unlocked by 3rd party software, once they update to 2.0firmware or such, the iphone will be locked again. So if it is unlocked by Optus itself, would the same thing happen?
To test weather the unlock is successful, if i put my Maxis sim card into the unlocked 3g iphone, the phone shows either 1 operator in Australia, that means it can use it in M'sia?
Thanking in advance.
Jul 30, 2008 09:05
wildy says...
More 3G iPhone and iPhone tips and tricks could be found at i-phone-resource.blogspot.com as well......
And if anyone's looking for the 3G iPhone manual, can download it from www.lostmymanual.org
i'll try to add in more great sites as i discover them. =)
Aug 02, 2008 05:20
More 3G iPhone and iPhone tips and tricks could be found at i-phone-resource.blogspot.com as well......
And if anyone's looking for the 3G iPhone manual, can download it from www.lostmymanual.org
i'll try to add in more great sites as i discover them. =)
Aug 02, 2008 05:20
HouseBum says...
Globe Philippines has released info about 3G iPhone Prepaid Kits
8GB - 41,899 Php
16GB - 48,899 Php
source:newsinfo.inquirer.net...
Aug 06, 2008 17:35
Globe Philippines has released info about 3G iPhone Prepaid Kits
8GB - 41,899 Php
16GB - 48,899 Php
source:newsinfo.inquirer.net...
Aug 06, 2008 17:35
limbeer says...
You can get a legit unlocked 3G iPhone off the Hong Kong Apple Store now, as per my post on www.techgoondu.com...
Sep 27, 2008 13:02
You can get a legit unlocked 3G iPhone off the Hong Kong Apple Store now, as per my post on www.techgoondu.com...
Sep 27, 2008 13:02
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