Please install the flash player
Danny Gorog22 November 2007, 9:39 PM
T-Mobile cracks under legal pressure from Vodafone and begins to sell an unlocked iPhone. Catch is, it's nearly three times as expensive.
If you've been waiting for an 'officially' unlocked iPhone to become available, now's your chance. T-Mobile in Germany, after recent legal pressure from Vodafone has announced that it will be selling an unlocked iPhone (presumably version 1.1.2) for €999 or $1695 AUD.
Appleinsider reports that Vodafone on Monday 'obtained a court order that requires rival T-Mobile Germany to sell Apple Inc's iPhone handset to Germans without a service plan.' Specifically, according to DowJones, Vodafone according to their spokesman is 'questioning the iPhone's exclusive use in T-Mobile's network and the use of the device being limited to certain fees within T- Mobile's subscription offerings. Vodafone isn't generally opposed to T-Mobile's exclusivity contract with Apple, but wants to have these new sales practices examined. The restraining order doesn't aim at a total sales stop.'
In a response to the court order, T-Mobile today said they would continue to offer the iPhone on a 24 month contract for €399 but would also now offer an unlocked version of the iPhone for €999. Additionally, Reuters reports that T-Mobile 'will also allow those customers who bought an iPhone since Nov. 19 to unlock the device free of charge so it can be used with other SIM cards. However, that will not enable customers to make use of all the functions that the music-playing and Web-browsing device offers.' It's not clear from this statement whether the 'unlocked' iPhone will be crippled, however network specific features like visual voicemail likely won't work.
Regardless of the result of these actions an unlocked iPhone is set to go on sale in France later this month due to French law which doesn't permit carriers to lock down handsets to one carrier.
Whether or not this is issue is something Apple anticipated, the fact is that iPhones are now available 'legally' unlocked. If you don't care whether or not your iPhone is 'officially' unlocked then you'll find unlocked iPhones everywhere, from
eBay to most electronics stores throughout Asia, for $700+. Compared to most other 'unlocked' smartphones on the market that still represents good value for a phone that, out-of-the-box is easily more capable than others.