Factory Unlocked iPhones in USA and Mexico

Factual Questions
1

Sorry I’ve been away so long!

So, my question is related to the fact that I’ll be in Belgium for a week in a couple of weeks, and they sell unlocked iPhones. Since I’m living large on an expense account, the high Euro price means nothing to me (don’t get me wrong, the company won’t pay for it, it’s just that there’s extra money available now due to living on the road).

Here’s the thing: I need it to work in Mexico (Telcel) where I’ll be for almost a year, and eventually back in the USA again (AT&T né Cingular). In Mexico, I’d want pre-paid, 'cos I won’t be here for an entire year, and have no Mexican credit rating. In the USA, I’m already a 5+ year contract-free AT&T/Cingular subscriber.

Now I expect different answers from my fellow Americans and my almost-fellow Mexicans. Also, I’m not lazy; both websites are pretty crappy when it comes to describing the services.

For AT&T in the USA, I don’t care about a 2-year contract if I should have to “activate” with them; I’m a happy customer in an area that (for some reason) has both good Comcast service and AT&T service, despite all of the intertube hatred for both of them. Although if there’s a way to avoid a new contract, even better.

For Mexico, I know there’s the AmigoKit (pre-paid), but it’s unclear whether I have to actually purchase the (locked) iPhone from Telcel. The attraction here is the factory unlocking, where I never have to worry about hacks breaking my phone.

Finally, Belgian iPhone, USA iTunes account. When (for example) iPhone OS 3.2 comes out, the USA iTunes acccount won’t automatically give me a baseband/firmware/blahblahblah that automatically locks the phone, right? That is, once unlocked, always unlocked?

Certainly there will be an iPhone hater: don’t try to convince me to change. I recently retired my Sony Clié (Palm OS) for an iPod Touch, and now I’m convinced: this is the way to go. I just don’t want to be raped on the plans, even though I’ll be raped on the factory unlocked phone (not yellow sn0w, no hacks, but factory unlocked!).

2

A friend just brought down an unlocked iPhone and uses it with the prepaid AmigoKit TelCel cards. I am not sure what was needed.

I know for unlocked phones that use a simm card you can purchase a TelCel simm card for 150 pesos. Then you can use the prepaid cards.

3

I have an unlocked phone bought in the Czech Republic. US updates are no problem - it will always be unlocked. You can use any SIM card - makes no difference.

4

Excellent, thank you!

The AmigoKit seems reasonable and dirt-cheap. Even their cheapest plan has unlimited data, which is really the point. Good to know that it works with unlocked iPhones without activation and all that nonsense.

Desert Nomad, are you able to get the iPhone data plan and visual voicemail and all of the goodies with the Czech phone? I’m actually an AT&T customer already, and don’t really want to leave them, except for the fact that I’m not in the USA currently. When I am in the USA, I’d like the thing to work. I take it you’re not on AT&T?

(Yeah, I could get the phone a lot cheaper in the USA and extend my AT&T contract by two years, which is no big deal. But I travel internationally [especially Mexico] a lot, and the ability to use my phone outside the USA is really the key point, without hacks and such, which break with every update.)

5

With the Czech iPhone if you sign up for AT&T (and sign their 2 year contract), then yes, it is exactly as if you had one of their iPhones.

I do not have my Iphone activated on a contract anywhere - I use a Czech SIM (Vodaphone) and a US SIM (t-Mobile). I have used other SIMs while on holiday.