(3G) Open unlocked phones in South Africa

**janlouis** · 10-10-2008 10:01 PM

Hi

For everybody interested, you can buy a fully unlocked Iphone from Apple in South Africa for US$590 when you claim back your VAT when leaving South Africa.

This phone is sold without a contract and is already activated when you take it out of the box.

I updated my new phone to 2.1 and had now Internet connection at the time. The phone was requesting to be activated in Itunes.

I restored the Internet connection, connected the phone and after about 10 seconds the phone showed the network and went to the springboard. A message appeared on the screen that said that the phone is now activated and open for use!

Will a South Africa sim card in a phone purchased outside SA have the same effect? Perhaps it will and this will be the way to open the phones?

**tinhbantotvn** · 10-10-2008 10:51 PM

Did you open the phone? i hear that Apple attached some kind of sim unlock in the phone....Please report back what you got. Thankz

**Babo** · 10-11-2008 04:32 AM

I think apple will not put something to unlock the phone

**Edoras** · 10-12-2008 02:02 AM

Can someone who purchased the South African iPhone 3G check the Model number whether belong to either one the list shown below?

MB489SO/A
MB496SO/A
MB500SO/A

Thanks.

**GranpaD** · 10-12-2008 05:56 PM

Since the beginning of the month Vodacom have been selling unlocked iPhones, they do not acknowledge this openly, but with a nod and a wink. I have tested on alternative networks in SA and on vodafone in the UK. Together with the Hong Kong sale of unlocked iphones does this herald a change of business model?

2G FW 2.1 unlocked and jailbroken pwn
3G FW 2.1 unlocked and jailbroken winpwn

**GranpaD** · 10-12-2008 07:27 PM

My model # is MB489SO, if that helps!

**Q8Music** · 10-12-2008 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by tinhbantotvn

Did you open the phone? i hear that Apple attached some kind of sim unlock in the phone....Please report back what you got. Thankz

there is no any sim cards in it i have officially unlocked and activated from itunes

**janlouis** · 10-12-2008 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by Babo

I think apple will not put something to unlock the phone

I think that you are right. After I initially updated and was not connected to the internet, the phone required to be connected to Itunes to be updated. When I connected, the phone "unlocked" itself.