Buy iPhone 3G Unlocked
Not every place on Earth penalizes you when you buy an unlocked iPhone 3G. In Hong Kong, doing this is perfectly within the bounds of the law. In fact, in that region, every cell phone that you buy, including the iPhone 3G, is unlocked. This means that if you purchase a cell phone in Hong Kong you will be free to use any local carrier’s network.
Unlocked cellphones explained
The principle behind an unlocked iPhone 3G is very simple. When any cell phone is locked, it will allow you to insert only one kind of SIM card ? the one affiliated with the carrier with which the phone is linked to. Therefore, a locked cell phone can only be used in that particular carrier’s network. When you buy an unlocked iPhone 3G, you will be able to use that phone in practically any network.
A typical example is an iPhone 3G. When you buy it, presumably from AT&T, then you can only use the iPhone 3G within the AT&T network. Even if you replace the AT&T SIM with one belonging to a different network, your iPhone 3G will not be usable.
Perfectly legal
Hong Kong is known for its penchant for cell phones. And as it leads most of the world in terms of cell phone models and usage, it also stands out with its peculiar cell phone policies. For there, cell phones are bought unlocked. This means, when you buy an iPhone 3G from a shop in Hong Kong, don’t be surprised to find it unlocked. To further prove that this arrangement is perfectly acceptable there, take note that Apple has recently released unlocked iPhone 3G phones in that region.
The catch
Of course, while this all sounds so fine and dandy, it doesn’t come without a price ? literally. If you buy an unlocked iPhone 3G in Hong Kong, it is going to cost you more than if you bought it in the US, and that doesn’t yet include your fare to get there. You see, when you buy a phone in the US, the phones are cheaper because the carriers pay for that extra price in order for the potential subscriber to be enticed into locking in to their network.
How to buy an unlocked iPhone 3G
Now, if you’re one who would prefer to have the freedom of choice then there should be no reason why you wouldn’t buy an unlocked iPhone 3G. If there’s one thing that might be inevitable here it’s the possibility that, due to the immense popularity of the iPhone, Apple will be pressured into offering unlocked iPhone 3G’s to other markets as well. So stay put. You might not need to go to Hong Kong to buy an unlocked iPhone 3G.
