Ever since Apple iPhone was released in US back in June, there has been a great anticipation on when it is going to be released in Australia. According to unofficial sources on the Internet, we probably will not see this most desirable Apple gadget in Australia until sometime in 2008. Moreover it is likely that it will be locked to a specific network, like AT&T in US, O2 in UK and T-Mobile in German.
Should you wait? For myself I have absolutely no desire of an Apple iPhone — at least not at its price point. However there are many who simply cannot wait, and have already started importing retail packaged iPhone from US, terminated the contract with AT&T, unlocked the phone and then used them in Australia’s GSM network! It did not take long for the entire process to be streamlined into a business, and “unlocked iPhone” deals started to appear on OzBargain.
- 08/09/2007 — $1,400 from Quikshop
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Quikshop started it first. Actually I am not sure whether they were the first one commercialise this process but I spotted them first when I searched for iPhone on Shopbot. At $1,400 it is more than double the price of buying iPhone out-right + cost to terminate the contract. I am not sure how many suckers have bought from them at this price, and Quikshop has already dropped the price to $999.
- 17/09/2007 — $999 from ShoppingSquare
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ShoppingSquare seems to be taking big orders of importing unlocked iPhones from US. $999 seems to be quite reasonable comparing to Quikshop and furthermore then are providing 1 year limited warranty in Australia. Not sure how ShoppingSquare does it but I think it should give buyers a peace of mind just in case your new iPhone turns into iBrick during an update. They have since dropped the price to $979.
- 20/09/2007 — $979 from OzBazaar.com
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You know it! It did not take long for importers to compete on price. OzBazaar.com is bringing the price down to $979, merely $20 cheaper than ShoppingSquare but with unknown status on warranties. They did drop the price to $898 soon afterwards. Delivery is $19.95
- 25/09/2007 — $899 from Nobeta Place
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iPhone under $900?! Only if you are willing to buy from an online store with no “About Us” section nor any ABN information. Nobeta Place is actually a Western Australia operation but will you part your hard earned cash ($899!!) with these guys? The price war has certainly started, and they have just dropped their price to $869.
- 25/09/2007 — $650 from VoiTech
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I guess it is about time for a company to introduce extreme pricing to eliminate competition. VoiTech is selling locked iPhone for $649.99, provided that you are a Whirlpool or OCAU member (see the relevant iPhone buying thread at WP). You can also get unlocked version for $799.99, but why bother when there is already an Open Source GUI application that can do it for you?
Since the pricing has been posted, they have subsequently increased the price of locked version to $679.99, but also introduced refurbished iPhone at $639.99 locked or $749.99 unlocked. Cheapest by a big margin. Many people have received their phone on Whirlpool’s thread so they have to be genuine.
$640 for a refurbished locked iPhone + open source unlocking application — tempted? What I can’t understand is — why pay so much for a high-end phone when data can only travel at GPRS speed? Haven’t we all moved into HSDPA for mobile broadband already? What will you feel when all your pals with their latest 3.5G phone watching YouTube online, but your iPhone can barely make VoIP calls?
“But iPhone is so cool!” Here is an alternative — CECT P168 for USD$159 delivered from DealExtreme, and most people won’t be able to tell the difference from a distance. I think that will be the path I’ll go for, until HSDPA phones dropped down to $200 mark.
Update 28/09/2007: Just noticed that many iPhone related .com.au domains have been registered and ranked well when you search for buying iPhones related terms on search engines.
One interesting website is BuyIphone.com.au which came top in SERP, and sells 8GB iPhone for $950 (with nation-wide free delivery). It’s relatively expensive, moreover it is nothing but an affiliate site to Aussie iPhones with 10% commission. I have not yet been able to locate Aussie iPhones in MoneyBackCo‘s database (probably a new merchant), but even at 10% moneyback it is still more expensive than the best offer.
Anyway. For all of you who want to make money online maybe it’s not too late to make affiliation websites that sell someone else’s imported and unlocked iPhones. However at OzBargain, we’ll just report the cheapest deal :)
Update #2: iPhone firmware update 1.1.1 came out, but don’t get your imported unlocked phone bricked. Not sure how are all these Australian importers going to handle all these bricked phones after the upgrade.
Top post Scott
Not worth it.
Unlocked 8GB Iphones for $789 delivered.
http://www.nobetaplace.com/store/product.php?productid=30340&cat=444
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The Iphone g3 is scheduled to retail at US $199 (AU $212.68) world wide.
Why waste so much money getting it unlocked?
Hey D Paulino, why do we have to pay over $700 for our iphone when you americans pay $199US for it. Going to try ebay.
can anyone tell what the actual price og iphone in Australia.
or it is thw orice of locked or unlocked iphone???????????????????
Hey guys, I am a Yank in Australia, but I generally know my phones and techie devices – pretty much world wide. Windows mobile 5 and 6 devices, Pocket pc, etc.. I have an HTC TyTN (Unlocked), an HTC Hermes, and an Unlocked AT&T Tilt (aka HTC Kaiser, aka TyTN ll), but am now wanting an iPhone. I have no idea where d paulino or Steven of Australia are getting UNLOCKED AND CONTRACT FREE iPhones for $199. I have not seen that anywhere in the US, AND I LOOK FROM EBAY to APPLE TO MOBILE PLANET USA and UK and many German and Japanese outlets, and A LOT OF UNDERGROUND SITES (which i won’t name because most of them are friends of mine), ALL APPLE AND MAC HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE STORES AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT PRICE – $199AU or $US, – FOR AN UNLOCKED AND THE KEY PHRASE HERE IS “CONTRACT FREE” iPhone. I have recently arrived back in Australia, specifically, Surfers Paradise. And as of Saturday, 6 September, I can tell you for sure that Optus is selling the iPhone 8GB, NO CONTRACT FOR $749.00AU- (WHICH VODAPHONE, APPLE, AT&T-U.S. WILL NOT DO FOR ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY), and $80 they will Unlock it. THAT’S RIGHT, UNLOCKED WITH OR WITHOUT CONTRACT for $749.00AU. Now if there is a better deal for an UNLOCKED, NO CONTRACT 3G iPhone 8GB, SOMEONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHERE AND IF THEY HAVE ANY STOCK – ’cause OPTUS DOES!
I hate to be redundant, and i certainly don’t want to appear rude. But let me be clear. If Steven from Australia, or d paulino know where to get APLLE BRANDED, UNLOCKED, NO CONTRACT iPHONES, in the US or AUSTRALIA, (OR TIMBUCKTOO for that matter) for $199AU or US, I would appreciate a heads up on that, cause I’ll personally buy ALL THEY CAN FIND! I DON’T CARE AND HOPE THERE IS 1000 of them at that Price. JUST LET ME KNOW WHERE AND WHEN TO BE WITH THE CASH!
Wallace G Wilkinson Jr. – Surfers Paradise, Australia.
BestBuy are selling iPhones for about $200 in the USA, but they are ALL with contract….it's near impossible to go to a USA store and buy an iPhone WITHOUT a contract, can't get prepaid either. I was hoping to get an iPhone when I head over in late May, so I could get it unlocked and use it back over here on a Three or Optus or something, prepaid card, but there's no way i'm able to….unless you get it on eBay, but then the prices,e specially once converted to Aus $'s at the moment, are pretty much the same as if i'd bought one here in AUs.
Now just for the record, if an iPhone is unlocked…that means I can use it on ANY phone company, doesn't it? Prepaid OR contract? Does it also mean that if I buy a cheap $50 pre-paid phone in the USA, that I could put the simcard from that phone, into the iPhone to use it on the US phone server? Or does it need to be jailbroken to do this?
Any help is GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks guys!
Julie
hi i wondered if anyone can help i have just come back from australia off my travels when i was out there i got a 3g iphone my problem is it does not take my uk 02 sim card can anyone help in how to fix this cheers chris
It funny to read this thread and look back to 2007 when the iPhone was so expensive and slow!
One site I always recommend is iphoneauctions.com.au – shows all the iPhones up for sale on eBay, all grouped together.
Man, I used to have the original iPhone. There is no way I would have even tried GPRS! Dial up would have been quicker.
If my brother in New York buys me an iPhone, and sends it to me, can I use it in West Australia?