hello mobile experts,

I need to compare iphone options after moving from germany. I used to have a 2-year contract with deutsche telekom which cost me a lot of money to get out from and wasn't convenient in the first place, either. So, now that I'm here I'd like to explore other possibilities which give me more freedom, as - if I understand correctly - here you can have iphone without a contract.

I hope that someone out there can tell me if the following cunning plan is completely unrealistic or if it can work and how.

1. I buy a black iphone 16 GB as cheaply as possible (apple store?)

2. I shop around for the cheapest and most convenient SIM prepaid SIM card (micro-card, right?) - any tips as to which provider has the best, if at all possible?

3. I use my iphone as follows:
phone, sms (normal, also for calling to other countries)
occasionally surfing and downloading mails
(I am in a wifi surrounding most of the day, so it shouldn't weigh too much)

4. the million dollar question is if I can use my iphone in another country, specifically Italy, just changing the SIM card. ie I buy a SIM card for italy and one for CH and alternate according to where I am.

is this science fiction?? please say no...

thanks very much for any advice

have you unlocked the iPhone? That is has your old provider released the lock and urged you to sync with iTunes?

if you have a pre-pay deal with data, you can do what you want.

if you don't have data on the plan then you can call but you rely on wifi for the data.

HTH

interesting! my dream sounds possible...
I am buying the iphone new from the apple store or from wherever it's cheaper. do I have to ask them to unlock it, or does it come unlocked at source?
and one last thing, where do I buy this fantastic card with or without data use?

thanks a lot

What is cheap to you? I saw Orange selling not-contract iPhone 4's (16 GB, black) yesterday for something like 700-800 CHFs.

Assuming you find a iPhone in a price that works for you, most places (Orange, Swisscom, etc.) have pre-paid plans that include data. Mine is through Orange My PrePay: http://shop.orange.ch/en/subscriptio...t/prepayplans/ - data is 2 CHF day (on the days it is used)

Oh, and those iPhones were used and didn't look like they were simlocked. Don't know about Apple.

actually consider Orange PAYG where you can get a 39 franc Android phone. in your long post, I missed that you don't have the iPhone yet

thanks!

sorry for the long post, I wasn't sure how much info was needed, because until now I have managed to learn so little. these shop assistant can't speak high german, apparently and my swiss german ist simply not adequate for such technical details. so I just watch their lips move...

actually until now I had iphone 3G (now broken and too expensive to mend) and am not considering leaving apple for anything in the world

at the apple store you can buy iphone 4 for 649 which I find not cheap but acceptable with a prepaid if this helps me dodge a tyrannical contract.
so it seems they have it cheaper than the providers??

used iphones? how phoney can that be??