20% of Apple iPhone unlocked In France
December 6, 2007 | Filed under Cell Phone Information
As we all know the iPhone is now unlocked in a few countries, but will the sales of the unlocked version out do the contract version?
It is said that 20% of the Apple iPhone customers have had their phone unlocked, the phone would set you back around 399 euros with a 2-year contract or for a little extra 749 euros you can have a completely unlocked iPhone that will work on any network(WOW) I sure know what I would go for.
However the UK as usual only has the O2 version from £35 a month, I am not to sure when Britain will get the unlocked version, but hey fellow Brits, just live in hope.
For more information on the unlocked version click here
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“As we all know the iPhone is now unlocked in a few countries …”
Actually, we don’t know this. The iPhone is only officially available unlocked in France. T-Mobile in Germany no longer has to offer an unlocked version following the court ruling this week and will soon stop selling the unlocked version.
Sales of the unlocked version will never outsell those of the locked version. What most people seem to overlook is that Apple will provide software updates and new features over two years. They want you to see the phone as something you keep and actually use, rather than something disposable. You don’t get this if you unlock it. Yes, other companies offer firmware upgrade, but only if enough people complain. With the iPhone, fixes and new features are part of the purchase.
The 20% figure you quoted was about the same in the US. This just tells us that geeks/early adopters want to tinker and will skew the early sales figures. As sales continue, the proportion of unlocked phones will fall as your average consumer will want the features advertised.
My advice? Wait for the developer’s kit and the applications coming from that will show us the true value of the iPhone. At that point, you can really make an informed decision about whether to stay locked or go it alone with an unlocked version.