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Unlocked iPhones in Germany and France still locked, kind of

Categories: Apple, Devices, iPhone, Orange, T-Mobile
By: , IntoMobile
Friday, December 14th, 2007 at 9:05 PM

unlocked iPhone from France Orange still locked to French carriersIt 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]

About The Author

Will Park

Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...

  • Ben

    what the F**K !!!!! :shock:

    What is that greedy mofo Jobs thinking ? Maybe I didn’t get it right, but did it EVER occur to little Stevey, that there might actually be french people who bought their unlocked I-phone in France, that occasionally leave their country ?

    This whole I-phone marketing thing has gone from greedy coup to unholy obscene perversity.

    How can anyone in their right minds ever buy an I-Phone ( even if it’s a nice phone ) or any other Apple products ? I certainly will not.