iPhone in US and UK

**randytamayo** · 10-03-2007, 03:17 PM

Just a question.

Will an AT&T iPhone (being used as it is intended to be used - without 3rd party apps) work when used in UK/Germanny/France using T-Mobile SIM in UK, Orange SIM in France etc and vice-versa?

Scenario:

Let's say I am in the US and I use AT&T SIM with my iPhone. I go to UK (in December 07). Can I use a T-Mobile SIM in place of my AT&T SIM?

Idea:
Open line between areas already with iPhones.

**Sponsor** · 10-03-2007 03:17 PM

**josecarlo1129** · 10-03-2007, 03:28 PM

It depends, I tried to swap a sim as a dry-run-thing for I am leaving for a convention later this week and it didn't work at all. It flashes "invalid sim". I seek some infos and they told me that if that's the case I might reactivate my new sim. That's a good question/inquiry actually, randytamayo.

**zChris** · 10-03-2007, 03:39 PM

i highly doubt it. it seems that the iPhone is locked to a particular SIM. my understanding of the lock implemented in the iPhone is that it is based on the SIM itself, which is why the AT&T ICCID (or is it IMSI) is required when doing the turbosim / supersim method.

**edvelarde** · 10-03-2007, 03:42 PM

each iphone that apple will be releasing is network locked to each specific region. so uk iphones wont work in us unless hacked.

**randytamayo** · 10-03-2007, 05:45 PM

Oh, bugger!

I mean if your are a business guy travelling EU + UK, you need 3 iPhones (1 for UK, 1 for Deutschland and 1 for France)? Then another one for the US and Asia and Canada and ...

WTH is Apple thinking!?!

**maryannemoll** · 10-03-2007, 05:47 PM

Honestly, I am stumped, too. Someday this will all make sense. I hope. :slanted:

**reivi400** · 10-03-2007, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by randytamayo

Oh, bugger!

I mean if your are a business guy travelling EU + UK, you need 3 iPhones (1 for UK, 1 for Deutschland and 1 for France)? Then another one for the US and Asia and Canada and ...

WTH is Apple thinking!?!

Maybe they haven't heard of International roaming....

Maybe there will be a series of firmware/software updates in the future which will allow you to roam in countries where the iPhone has been officially released.... But as to when that will be is anybody's guess...

**benzng** · 10-03-2007, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by maryannemoll

Honestly, I am stumped, too. Someday this will all make sense. I hope. :slanted:

i think its because APPLE has a tie up with the local Telco company with regards to their rates. Say with AT&T, apple gets a percentage of the revenue from iphone calls. this is why they lock it up to that particular telco only. With roaming, technically you can choose any telco gsm available and thus apple loses revenue, hence they won't allow it.

I am not 100% sure about this info, but from Apple's business stand point its a huge revenue earner because aside from earning from selling iphones (or not earning much?) they earn from the calls you make out of the iphone. Much like game companies (Sony, Nintendo, Xbox) sometimes they sell their units at cost or near cost because their main earner is the royalty they get in the software sales.

Makes sense?

**randytamayo** · 10-03-2007, 06:12 PM

Well for the record, my PSP can play ANY UMD game bought from ANYWHERE in the world. It is only the movies which are region locked. This is with a virgin out of the box PSP.

Well come to think of it, the anology below does not fit. I think.

Originally Posted by benzng

<snip>
Much like game companies (Sony, Nintendo, Xbox) sometimes they sell their units at cost or near cost because their main earner is the royalty they get in the software sales.

Makes sense?

**den_lim** · 10-03-2007, 06:19 PM

Niyek. Isn't there anyway to remove the lock permanently then? What happens when your contract with AT&T expires after two years? You can't use the phone with another telco? You have to get the new iPhone that comes out at that time if you don't want AT&T?