Unlocked iPhone 3G heading to Australia from Hong Kong

Stephen Withers
Monday, 23 June 2008 10:17

Business IT - Technology

"About 150" people have already registered their interest in an iPhone 3G with Linelink, Robins said, adding that the number is currently growing at between 20 and 30 per day.

When Robins bought himself an iPhone, he realised that the interest shown by other people meant there was a business opportunity waiting to be exploited, and he added imported iPhones to the company's product list, alongside a range of new and refurbished IT and consumer electronics products.

A substantial proportion of the first-generation iPhones sold in the US are thought to have made their way overseas, where they have been unofficially unlocked. One market analyst has suggested as many as half a million of them are in Russia alone. That figure was supposedly based on data from operators of the mobile networks in Russia.

In order to comply with French laws, the first-generation iPhone can be purchased in that country in an officially unlocked form. A €100 ($A163) premium on top of the €649 ($A1061) no-contract price, compared with as little as €399 ($A652) with a contract.

Why doesn't Apple take action against outlets such as Linelink? There are two main theories. One is that they can't be bothered as the numbers are relatively small and doesn't hurt official sales.

Generally speaking, people seem more inclined to go for a new phone at a subsidised price even if it means going onto a new contract if the alternative is to pay hundreds of dollars more for a handset that's not locked to a particular network.

What else might be stopping Apple from calling in the lawyers? See page 3 .