AfterDawn: News

Aussies to get unlocked 3G iPhone?

According to Down Under website MacTalk, Australia may be among the first to get its hands on a 3G iPhone that isn't locked to a single provider through an exclusivity deal with Apple. A correspondent of the Aussie site got the information from local resellers who were briefed by Apple earlier this week. The iPhone is expected to become available in Australia in June, according to the report.

While being supported by multiple carriers, Mac resellers will also apparently be allowed to sell the handset too, while in other countries only Apple stores and a carrier with an exclusive deal can sell the item. While the 3G version of the iPhone is not specifically mentioned, speculation points at a June release for a 3G iPhone in general, which means Australia would be unlikely to get an older model just as new one is released.



Also expected from Apple in June is the iPhone 2.0 operating system as well as an over-the-air download service. All of the pointers in the third beta of the iPhone SDK and industry buzz indicates that the next iPhone model will be 3G, and frankly the speculation and anticipation is so widespread now that anything less will be viewed as a disappointing move by the Mac maker.

As for the reason why Apple would decide not to go with an exclusive deal in Australia, the MacTalk correspondent indicated that Apple may have been unable to strike any such deal with a carrier in the country. It is possible however that Apple may be able to persuade one of Australia's multiple 3G providers to stand out from the crowd yet.

If such a deal never arrives the company will have no choice but to offer an unlocked model, or to lock models to each provider in the country, which is probably too much effort for Apple when it doesn't gain from it like it does in other countries.

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Written by: James Delahunty @ 13 Apr 2008 3:43

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• 5 comments

• Hyasuma

  i find it really annoying...personally i like the iphone, and i find it annoying that iphone is only exclusive for AT&T unless you have the unlock version which now days are hard to get because the stupid update.yet they keep making updates this and that so you can only use at&t, why cant they cant just make it easy for everyone else who likes to use other companies such as T-mobile, yet they have to keep on updating this and that. If i have a chance i probably get the 3g version iphone if is going to be unlocked. i hate phones that are just exclusive for one company.

  13.4.2008 18:17 #1

• susieqbbb

  You want to here how everyone got messed over with the iphone.
  
  Apple got messed over when they signed a contract to make cingular the carrier for 5 years including parts and labor.
  
  There Mistake:
  
  Then cingular sold-out to AT&T now under law the contract with cingular should be void because the contract was signed under law by cingular and apple not AT&T and apple which means apple would have had to sign a new contract with at&t in order to sell the iphone.
  
  
  The unlock option.
  
  By using the unlock option perfered by not only people that are using the phone as a phone but as just a ipod the phone has been used more then any other cell phone and AT&T cannot ignore that because if you asked users how many unlocked iphones they have most reply i dont have one but in fact own 2 or three of the devices as not to get busted for unlocking the phone.
  
  
  to make the iphone better.
  
  Unlocked for all service providers no matter country.
  
  updates that give users the option to install there own applications and block known spyware and malware ware for the iphone.
  
  
  Problems in doing this.
  
  Apple is the most stumbern son's of gun's on the face of the earth
  they wont help anyone.

  14.4.2008 02:14 #2

• pmshah

  I think the Australians are smart. If they get the unlocked or rather the plain vanilla variety which was never locked to begin with, it will be the largest reselling platform in the world. People need not go in to buy a dicey device. The question will be the price of the device. If the price difference is reasonable I have a feeling that Singapore & Dubai - world's largest reselling centers - will get tons of these devices via Australia. You are surely going to see a substantial drop in iPhone sales in other countries.

  19.4.2008 22:58 #3

• borhan9

  This is great news. I am in the market for a new phone and i am off contract in 2 weeks i just paid my last bill. soo if this is the case that apple's iphone is not exclusive with any provider i may get this with optus. I'll wait till june. Unlocked is what got me on this. I just hope that the price tag will be reasonable. Although being onlocked could hike up the price.

  28.4.2008 21:07 #4

• intooit

  Here in the states, Apple of course has a solid contract with AT&T so don't expect an officially unlocked iPhone available here any time soon. I've read on three seperate blogs now about this site claiming to have a working iPhone 3G unlock, which doesn't require a SIM card, and achieves this through downgrading the firmware. I'm thinking of trying it out.
  
  If you want an official unlocked phone, the countries I know of so far are China and Australia. The price might make you think twice though!

  20.10.2008 19:56 #5