Existing users, 
Officially unlocked iPhones not really unlocked
Posted 13 December 2007 @ 12pm in News
It turns out that the officially (Apple-sanctioned) unlocked iPhone you bought for 649 Euros (about US$965) from Orange in France — which, according to some reports, accounts for up to 20% of total iPhone sales in France — is not really unlocked. It retains a country lock, meaning the device will only allow use of SIM cards for carriers that operate in France. In other words, you can’t take your French, “unlocked” iPhone to Spain, the United States, or anywhere else, pop in a foreign SIM card, and make calls on a local carrier — you’re still stuck paying international roaming fees to your French carrier.
Attempting to use a foreign SIM card with one of these partially-unlocked phones will result in an inability to make phone calls, use SMS functionality, etc.
This is almost certainly a restriction imposed by Apple, loathe to see “unlocked” phones shipped from France to the US or other countries where exclusive contracts are in place with local carriers.
France is the only country where you can purchase an “unlocked” iPhone. In the US, UK and Germany (the only other markets where the iPhone is available), Apple holds exclusive contracts with AT&T, O2 and T-Mobile respectively. French law forbids the sale of one item that requires the purchase of another.
Purchasing an “unlocked” phone in France requires that you provide name, address, and iPhone’s IMEI number to Orange customer service, which will unlock the iPhone in about 5 days. A message will be sent to you, indicating that you need to restore your iPhone, at which point iTunes will inform you that your phone has been unlocked.
Feedback? info@iphoneatlas.com.
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8 Comments
Posted by williamr
14 December 2007 @ 7am
Can you site a source for this information? If this were true, then the unlocked iPhone would not conform to EU regulations.
Posted by quicknik
14 December 2007 @ 12pm
This country-lock situation has me laughing at all the wiseguys who thought they could pull yet another fast one on Apple. This is seriously funny to me. I mean, come on! First of all, whiney, arrogant, self-entitled consumers — who feel that Apple “owes” them an unlocked phone, as if — need to get over themselves. Secondly, this is yet another example of why I have so much respect for Apple as a company: they think of EVERYTHING; they do NOTHING half-ass. Now the choice is this: buy their products and share in that respect, or give ‘em the finger but then go buy your toys ELSEWHERE!… you can’t have both!
Posted by pdwr
14 December 2007 @ 4pm
Well, quicknik, the laugh is on you I’m afraid, my friend. There are many thousands of totally unlocked iPhones out there already, unlocked with purely software solutions with almost full functionality, lacking only the Visual Voicemail functionality. So you can have both! They cost only about US$50 to unlock and you can do it yourself. And you’re free. This big brother control-marketing might be OK for Windows punters because they’re used to having no choices and nagware and viruses to give them nightmares, but any real Apple enthusiast is familiar with the rebel-may-care undercurrent of Apple products… until now with the iPhone. Everyone loves the Apple products but not many Apple users will put up with the big brother mentality for long. Hence the several excellent unlocking systems available on the net just by Googling “unlock iphone”. I’ve seen some first hand they work a treat in any country on any carrier. Why? Not because these hackers are wanting to topple or even annoy Apple but because they’re supporting the fundamental Apple ethos by making such products even more desirable by applying their skills to the next challenge and providing alternatives to people who do want to have FREE CHOICE. Two guys in the 80’s did exactly that… and Apple Computer was born. It’s about being individual and free and smart and supporting free choice, which all Apple products have been… until this marketing fiasco with the latest brilliant Apple product, the iPhone. It’s not about the cost of the iPhone, or Apple owing anyone anything, it’s about a longstanding philosophy of alternatives and choice that Apple themselves seem to have (temporarily, I hope) forgotten.
Posted by don.trammell2
15 December 2007 @ 5pm
@quicknik,
I do not know what is worse your ineptitude or you out an out stupidity. Apple does plenty half ass. Go look at the Apple TV sales and then think again moron. The iPhone is less a phone and more an iPod than anything else. I bet you think Iraq has WMD as well. Do yourself a favor and don’t post any more. Your ignorance is showing.
I can forgive the author of the “Orange iPhones not really unlocked” for being lazy, and well maybe related to you. It would have been simply easy to call Orange and ask, but I guess there was a deadline approaching and facts were not important, thus the crap that was posted. I don’t know which is worse. The moron that wrote the article or the complete idiot that believed it.
Posted by don.trammell2
15 December 2007 @ 6pm
Write a correct and you will get moderation. Quid pro quo.
Posted by williamr
15 December 2007 @ 6pm
From iLounge:
Unlocked iPhones sold by Orange not ‘country locked’
Dec. 14, 2007
Contrary to a claim published today, iLounge has confirmed with Orange that unlocked iPhones sold by the company are not limited to French-only SIM cards. A story claimed that unlocked iPhones sold by Orange were somehow ”country locked,” and unable to work with SIM cards other than those from other French carriers. “Once legally (through Orange Customer Service) unlocked, the iPhone will operate with any SIM card, including foreign ones. But some applications like ‘Visual Voice Mail’ may not work abroad,” Orange’s Louis-Michel Aymard told iLounge in an email. In addition to offering clarification to the unlocking issue, Aymard also told iLounge that the percentage of unlocked iPhones sold by Orange was “a lot smaller than 20%.”
Posted by don.trammell2
16 December 2007 @ 3am
You can wait all you want. The chances of me retracting, re-writing, moderating are zero point zero. I have no intentions of changing what I wrote. If I am wrong, then you can remove the post, but I stand by every comment I wrote. You are cordially invited to prove me wrong.
Posted by don.trammell2
16 December 2007 @ 3am
Nice post williamr. I am sure it was not hard for you to dig up the facts.