When I heard on the news today that the iPhone is being released in the UK, I was overwhelmed and excited. However being on the vodafone network I was slightly disappointed by the announcement that it would only be released on O2... and for a hefty £269, not bearing the LONG 18 month contract in addition to the £35/month charge AND having to wait around for a few months!
As they announced on the news, the iPhone took so long to be released in the UK because they hoped that there would be a '3G' version of it. Unfortunately, this is not going to happen, so we're resorting back to the same version being sold in the US - the normal GPRS / EDGE 8 GB iphone.
So essentially we're talking not much of a difference in buying the UK vs US version of the iphone. So why wait until Nov 9, when you can get it quicker, faster, cheaper, and UNLOCKED?
Having done some research, we here are iPhone Experts formulated a nifty little strategy for you guys to get the iPhone for less than the £260 contract price, unlocked and all... note that these are just our own experiences and we will not be held liable for any issues you face along the way!
Here are the steps to start enjoying your new iPhone in the UK on ANY network for less money:
1. The iPhone in the US is currently priced at £399 (£199.75). You can get this price directly from Apple.Com. Go there and check out an iphone.
2. Ok... now the problem is that you're supposed to supply an American credit card and an American shipping address. Being in the UK or the EU this kind of defeats the purpose. But no avail! In my case I just got an American friend to order it for me and I paypaled him the money. If you don't know anyone in the States, there are services that can provide shipping at a very small charge. I read someone who used a service called 'FromUS2EU.com' where you can just paypal or bank transfer the money + have it redelivered to you. The total price including fees and iphone come to $453.95 (£226.85) - cheaper than getting contracted in the UK!
3. Now here's the tricky part. You need it to be re-shipped to you in the UK. General advice is to AVOID UPS / DHL etc. Instead, get it shipped by USPS (United States Postal Service). They will not charge a flat brokerage fee like the other couriers. Plus while you are liable for VAT for anything over £18, in this case you have a high chance of not getting charged duty. Note that I am NOT advocating you to make any adjustments to the value or to lie about it, it's just an observation based on what others have said. IF on the other hand, you DO have to end up paying VAT, we are talking around $490 ($245). The shipping charge by USPS should be approximately $25 and should arrive in a week/10 days. You can pay more if you want it faster.
PRICE TALLY: (If charged VAT): iPhone + USPS + VAT = $523.75 (£261.89).
PRICE TALLY: (if not charged VAT): iPhone + USPS = $473.95 (£236.97).
So even in the WORST case scenario (when yo uget charged VAT), the iphone will still be £10 CHEAPER than o2, and you have NO 18 month contract!
And don't forget you'll get it like a whole month before anyone else gets their hands on one...
4. Ok, now you ask, you have this phone which requires an AT&T sim card. How can you get it to work with your UK network?? All you have to do is to follow this guide, which is pretty straightforward. I am sure you can also google search for newer unlock methods by the time you get your phone. The most complicated thing you will have to do is type a username and password in or create a folder on your computer.
http://www.hackint0sh.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=1275. Replace the phone with your UK sim card and now you've got an unlocked iphone a whole month before it's released in the UK with the same specs announced for the Nov 9 launch! Awesome! You've also now got a fully unlocked iPhone! No contract obligation either! And less than you would have to pay for in the UK!
ENJOY! :)
