Read this before you get the iPhone 4 from US
The iPhone 4 is not yet available in India, and a few of you would be asking your relatives or friends to get an iPhone 4 from the US to use it in India.
Before you do that there are at least 4 things that you should know that might surprise you later. These are things that might make your iPhone 4 useless as a phone in India if you aren’t prepared for them.
1. Activate the iPhone 4 in US itself: If you get an iPhone 4 from eBay – it may not even be activated. This means that you can’t do anything at all with the phone. It just shows you a screen saying that it is not activated, and can only be used to make emergency calls. The phone is practically useless in this state, and the simplest way to activate this iPhone 4 is to insert an original AT&T iPhone 4 SIM card, and fire up iTunes. This will activate your iPhone 4, and let you past the first screen. Since it is a lot easier to find someone in the US with a iPhone 4 AT&T SIM card than it is to find one in India, you should ask whoever is bringing you the phone to at least get this done. There are other ways to activate the iPhone 4 called “hactivation” but they are much more complicated, and you would much rather get it activated than hactivated.
- After this step you will be able to use it as an iPod
- It will still not allow you to run third party apps.
- It will still not work with other carriers such as Airtel.
2. Jailbreak your iPhone 4: After you’re past activating the iPhone 4 – you will need to jailbreak it. Jailbreaking does not mean that this phone can be used with any other carrier. It just means that you can run apps that are not approved by the iTunes store on your phone. This is also a pre – requisite to “unlocking” the phone which does allow it to work with other carriers. This has also been deemed legal earlier this year. It’s quite easy, and there is a simple hack by “limera1n” that allows you to do it in a few minutes. You don’t need an original SIM for this.
- After this step you will be able to use it as an iPod
- You will also be able to run third party apps.
- It will still not work with other carriers such as Airtel.
3. Unlocking your iPhone 4: The next thing you need to do is get your phone “unlocked” which will allow it to work with other carriers like AT&T, Hutch etc.
The key thing to keep in mind is that so far there is no unlock available for iPhone 4 running on iOS 4.1 or 4.2 with a Baseband of 2.10.4 or higher.
To be honest, I don’t know what the Baseband actually means, but before you buy the iPhone 4 – ensure that it is a lower Baseband so that it can be unlocked.
If you have an iPhone 4 with a 2.10.4 Baseband then you will not be able to unlock it right – away. Sooner or later a method will appear to unlock them and at that time you will be able to unlock it, and use it with other carriers, but you will have to wait till that time.
I’ve read a few posts on lowering the Baseband, but those methods don’t look very promising, and seem to be complicated as well. If you’ve not already bought the iPhone 4, then try getting one with a Baseband lower than 2.10.4.
For others – you can unlock the phone with various techniques listed online, and you will be just one step away from using it with your carrier.
- After this step you will be able to use it as an iPod
- You will also be able to run third party apps.
- It will work with other carriers such as Airtel.
There is just one more thing you to do to actually use it though.
4. Cut your SIM to size: The iPhone 4 uses what’s called a micro sim, and is much smaller than your regular SIM. The two share the same technology, and there are quite a few instruction videos online that show you how to cut up a regular SIM to fit in an iPhone 4 and make it work.
iPhone 4 is quite a cool device, and hopefully will start selling in India soon, but if you are getting it from someone in the US – keep all these points in mind. Ideally (at least for you) if the person getting the phone can do all these things for you (except perhaps cutting up the SIM) that will work out the best, as doing these things in the US is always a little simpler than it is to do them in India.
Rather then getting from US and facing hassles…one can get unlocked version from UK,Singapore and HK!
If that option is available then yeah it makes sense to avoid the hassles. How much is this going for in the UK or Singapore Chints?
It will cost 31k.
In case of UK, you should reclaim VAT from airport while leaving. The tax is quite high there and if you are lazy not to reclaim VAT, then you will end up paying 37k.
No such issue in HK and Singapore.
Thanks, so it’s slightly more expensive than buying one off of eBay in the US, but then that won’t be brand new. Thanks for sharing.
Refer to this link
http://www.iphonedownloadblog.com/2010/11/29/unlock-iphone-4-2-1-ultrasn0w/
Clearly states -“If your iPhone 4 is not on baseband 01.59.00, you will not be able to unlock it.”
can we ask for an iphone with a lower baseband as mentioned in your post….i mean arent all of the iphone 4’s are available on the same baseband??
If you’re buying it off of eBay which is what you would most likely do if you have to bring it to India – ask the seller what baseband it is.
Not every phone will have the same baseband, as this is updated when someone updates their software using iTunes, so people who are aware of these locking issues might not have upgraded their software and still kept the provision of having it unlocked.
Let’s hope that the unlock comes out quickly, actually I was expecting it to be out by now, but the folks at the Dev Team seem to be busy with other stuff.
Its available in India for 38K for an unlocked piece, guess they are buying it in Singapore and selling it here. Its available on amazon for $665 which comes to INR 30590 approx for a brand new piece but am not sure if unlocking this piece would be an issue, need some solid advise here as i am planning to buy one soon. I am hearing mixed comments on unlocking the US piece and dont want to get into trouble after buying it. Any help is more than welcome….
Amazon US – Are they shipping to India, and is it really brand new? I mean it must be some individual who bought it, took out the SIM and is now selling it without using it. So, it’s not really brand new like that. If you share the link you saw I’ll take a look.
Personally, I’d wait another couple of weeks to see if an unlock is out for the current baseband, and if it’s not then buy one from India and avoid all hassles.
thankx a lot manshu..
Is it ok if the phone is purchased from canada??? will it be brand new or will one have to do these steps for an iphone 4 purchased from there also.
Not sure about Canada Abhinav, although I see Apple selling iPhone 4 on their Canada website for about $650 or so, which makes me think that it’s unlocked.
my thoughts exactly Manshu. btw do you have any idea about the price of iphone 4 16gb in USA???
You can get one from eBay for 700 bucks or so….don’t know if you can get an unlocked one brand new at retail or not.
Ok. Thanks.
Sure, no problem, and do let me know if you find anything of interest about the Canadian iPhone market.
Hi, i am planning to buy samsung google nexus s phone from USA.So let me know whether i can use this samsung google nexus s phone in India for vodafone network or not..please reply me back as soon as possible..Also let me know whether samsung galaxy s2 phone is still not released in USA..
Google has stopped making the Nexus phone to the best of my knowledge; there is an option to buy a developer version but I understand that’s more expensive. This is a good thread about whether it will work in India or not with a lot more details than I can every provide.
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=049f5a48aa175091&hl=en
I don’t know about the Samsung phone. If you’re in a hurry then the best bet is to go to eBay and see what’s available there.
hi…just wanted to know what price will the iphone 4 be if bought in the us as in 1 website i heard that it will be for $299 with an AT&T contract which like only 9k in india so i dnt think it would be that cheap….please tell the real price in the us.
Varun – the price you see are for the contract version. This means that the phone is locked and can’t work with another carrier. The prices are low because they are subsidized by AT&T or Verizon since the customer is effectively locked with them for 2 years in which they can recover their money.
If you want to get a phone to use in India then go to eBay.com and search for unlocked iPhone 4. You will see search results that are in the range of $700 or so which is what the price is.
is the unlock now available for the higher basebands?
n how can i cut my sim card?
Not as far as I know – the baseband has not been out yet.
Cutting the SIM is not all that complicated. I’ve seen videos where people have just used regular scissors and cut it. You can check that out too.
and wt abt the monthly charges and the contract??? will they keep on charging the monthly charges???
If you buy under a contract then you will have to pay the monthly fee as long as you use the service. If you break the contract then there is a significant breakage. That’s why buying under a contract is only meant for people who live in the US and are going to use it there.
what if i jailbreak and unlock it???
If you buy it under a contract then that still applies. Where are you located, and how are you planning to buy this?
im thinking of getting a locked iphone from US. and then jailbreak and unlock it to use it in india with some other sim. but im not sure of the monthly fees. i would have to pay it even if i dont use the AT&T sim??
When you buy the iPhone from AT&T it will come with a 2 year contract. You are bound by the contract whether you use the SIM or not unless you renege the contract.
However, there are significant breakage fees that AT&T charges if you break the contract. If you just stop paying then your account will go in default and your credit history will suffer.
The other issue you will face is that there is no easy way to unlock the iPhone 4 with the latest software. There are round about ways of doing so but they’re not as effective as they used to be.
I’d suggest looking at eBay and see if you can find some phones that are already unlocked.
Hmm… so then why do ppl unlock it?? they still have to pay the monthly charges. there is no pay as you go plan in AT&T???
I think if you go to an AT&T shop in the US or even the Verizon one they will be able to explain to you much better than what I’ve been able to do.
thankz for ur help…..
You’re welcome Abhi.
hi
Guys i m planning on buying the iphone4. i am a little confused and need ur help. Iphone4 is available in USA without contract for $599 + tax but is locked to AT&T. So v just need to unlock it and its gud to go. its also available in Canada for $659+tax. its factory unlocked and is ready to use newhere. But calculating the taxes it is about $100 more expensive den the US version. wat i am really confused about is the warranty. the one purchased from US will lose its warranty as soon as its unlocked. The one from canada has the usual warranty but i dont know if its international. So after writing a long paragraph, my real question is this: is the iphone warranty international.?????? now i m thinking that i cud ve just written this last line bt thanks f reading. :D. Cheers!!!!!!!
If i get iPhone 4 from USA, how much exactly it will cost. Do i have to pay the monthly fee even if i get it unlocked.
hi Dinesh.
Iphone4 without contract costs $599 in the US and is available at AT&T outlets. the total you have 2 pay depends upon the tax rate of the particular state. Ex: tax rate in NY is 7% so it costs 642$ there. you donot have to pay monthly fee if u buy it for 599$ but it will still be locked to AT&T. so u ll have to get it unlocked. n u lose the warranty as soon as u get it unlocked.
can anyone plzzzzzz help me out plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz m living in india and m thinking to bring iphone 4 locked with contract via my friend who lives in usa can anyone tell me is this correct way becoz iphone(loocked) in usa is much cheaper than in india later i will unlock it here only and what are the problem that i can face and things to remember ?????????????????????????????????????????????????
If it is locked with contract then your friend will have to pay the monthly cost for as long as the contract lasts, or will have to incur significant contract breakage charges. That’s not advisable at all.
What if his friend does not pay the monthly fee? Email me brother i need your help.
m planning to buy an iphone 4 from usa…if m buyng an iphone for at&t contract…will in work as an i pod in india…or as a phone or will simply nt work over here….kindly let me know if ne further problems may arise….ne suggestions r more dn welcome….
Aman,
If you buy it in a contract with AT&T then you will have to first incur some contract breakage fee that will be significant. Else, the person who has bought it on contract will continue to receive a bill every month, and failure to pay that bill will result in default and screw his credit score.
As for the phone itself, it will need to be unlocked before you can use it in India. It can be unlocked in either US or India, but you should know someone or someplace that can do it for you. I’d suggest getting an unlocked iPhone from eBay which is in good condition. You will have to pay extra but won’t have to break a contract or worry about unlocking it etc.
@manshu – my frnd is coming to india permanently and wont be going back again then whts d issue in this way coz many of my frns are using iphones which are brought from us locked ones and they simply unlock here can this be done ??
There is no problem if your friend doesn’t have a contract and is willing to get it for you. You can get it unlocked in India once you have it.
Will iphone4 work properly if we get it from us and get it unlocked in india?
or it will be just a stationary iphone?
It will work properly if you buy the AT&T one that’s GSM, and then all other steps are followed properly as written about in this article.
I have an iphone 4 bought under contract in US with AT&T.. Can i unlock and use it in india? Cant i just say that i lost my iphone. How much would they charge for breaking the contract.. Can i buy a new iphone there and continue the same contract?
hello manshu,
im planning to to buy iphone 4s with locked carrier from US. i have read one article regarding unlocking iphone 4s . it says that 4s can be unlocked after 60 days to any carrier.
http://thenextweb.com/apple/2011/10/12/iphone-4s-to-be-sim-unlocked-on-sprint-verizon-after-60-days/
is that possible to take it to India after that 2 month period and use it with indian carrier like vodafone. or it must be unlocked within US only with their carrier. does it mean that contract is just for 2 months and after that we can use any carrier. and after that Sprint and verizon wont charge monthly??
please reply asap…….tahnx in advanced..:):):):)
HI Abhilash,
The contract is for 2 years, and when they ship the phone – it’s locked to the carrier that ships it. So AT&T can’t be used with Verizon and so forth. What these guys are saying is that if after two months you call the provider and ask them to unlock the phone – they will unlock it so that you can use it outside the US with other carriers.
This however has nothing to do with the contract. The contract remains in place for two years and you are obliged to pay it every month. If you break it then they will charge heavy breakage fee.
so i cant take locked iphone from US because of contract….and iphone without contract is unlocked right????…..
is there any other way to get it at this very low cost……cuz unlocked phone is very costly in india and US also…
You have to look at it this way Abhilash – you’re getting the phone for $200 or so only because you agree to pay the carrier a monthly fee for 2 years. So, if Verizon can charge me $100 every month for at least two years then they can recover the cost of the phone that they subsidize to begin with.
That’s the whole deal behind these contracts and getting the phones at lower price.
If you buy from eBay or anywhere else – ask them specifically if the phone is unlocked in addition to being jail broken.
thanx very very much…..:):):)
Oops sorry – 2 years I meant 2 years in my earlier comment, not 2 months. Will correct and edit now so that others don’t get misled!
yes i knew it was printing mistake……ur information was more valuable……thanx again..:):)
Hello Manshu ,
First of all i would like to thank you from all of of user’s side as i read all of your reverts . M impressed that you have a good knowledge about this stuff.
Now m coming directly to the point … You said if we brought the i-phone with contract ($199 around) and use it in India after getting it unlocked , nothing will go wrong with us the only problem is that the original buyer will receive monthly bills for 2 yrs as the phone is in contract and if not paid then it can be a problem for him . Right… I got everything whatever you wanted to convey but now i want to ask you that HOW CAN IT BE POSSIBLE THAT BUYER GETS MONTHLY BILLS WHICH HE MUST HAVE TO PAY ?? what i know is that we get charged on the SIM (which will be AT&T in U.S ) and its like if we don’t pay or get recharged by there monthly plan they can cut our service and we can’t use the i-phone …. As simple as that …and as it will be already brought to INDIA then who cares for the contract… Buyer can simply say this as well that he didn’t liked the service and don’t want to use this product…so is there any law written that YOU MUST HAVE TO USE THE PHONE FOR 2 YRS …..its simple that they will cut out the service…nothing more the company and provider can do… One more thing… If i go by your answer that is penalty and fine and all stuff then What will be the case if your phone gets stolen ???? That means you will still have to pay for 2 yrs as YOU BROUGHT THE PRODUCT ONCE….
See there is lot of confusion and i seriously didn’t liked your answers at all as they just are confusing and not upto the point . Please revert me with what can be done coz if we buy an iphone4 without contract that costs same as it does in india…then who will go for it… The only reason we want to buy it from U.S is coz it will be dam dam cheaper and will cost not more than 10k (including unlocking stuff here in india) once we get an iphone with contract…
So please help me and others as well… Coz i think you can find out the correct answer and way to this problem .
Thanks
With warm regards
DiV
Divyansh – when I buy an iPhone from Verizon / AT&T / Sprint under a 2 year contract – that means I am obligated to pay that contract money for the 2 years. It is like a post paid contract in India where you are sent a monthly bill. There is no recharge business there right?
The big difference however is that they are selling the phone for CHEAPER than they actually get it from Apple because they make their profit on the contract that they have with you. If I stop paying the contract then I will default on an obligation and that will appear on my credit history which will damage my credit and thereby damaging my ability to take credit or loans in the future.
You have to understand that you are only getting the iPhone at a lower rate because you MUST pay for the contract. Otherwise on this price the phone companies will themselves make a heavy loss.
You can’t simply say you didn’t like the service and cancel the contract. You will have to pay the contract breakage fee which is actually called an EARLY TERMINATION FEE because you are NOT paying the full price of the phone. You are paying a SUBSIDIZED price of the phone. Do you understand this? This is the main thing to understand.
If you stop paying – they will cut the phone service AND they will report to the credit bureaus that you are a DEFAULTER.
To your question of who will go for it – people who want to buy the phone and use it in the US WILL go for it.
If you lose the phone – they will send you a new SIM, but it’s up to you to get a new device. They will not simply replace the device.
The phone companies are not selling the phone cheap so foreigners can game their system and drive them bankrupt – they are selling it cheap so they can profit from the money on the contract.
Now, this is the best that I can explain this situation and what you can do is Google “early termination fee sprint” and you will get a lot more results about this and see what this is all about. You will also get results on how to avoid this but I am skeptical that they work.
I hope this clarifies your doubts, and all others who haven’t really figured this out yet.
yup most of the things are cleared so temme a thing like suppose i am on tour to U.S for vacations and i got an iphone for me (with contract one) then will they sell me that or they will not ???
When you go to buy the iPhone they will check your credit history – if they come up with nothing they will want a deposit upwards of $200 to give a contract. In your case, since you don’t have a residence proof or SSN or any of those other things – I think they won’t sell you the phone at all. No one that I know has tried this so I don’t know for sure, but some of my friends have paid security deposits to get the phone.
You are free to buy it from eBay but you will have to pay full price.
Do you have any more doubts?
aah……not at all now !!
What i finally concluded is you take is from anywhere the difference in cost won’t be that much as we think and its not about APPLE iphone it implies to all gadgets…
Thanks for clearing my doubts bro.. 😉
You are welcome 🙂
Dear Manshu,
Would apple figure out who is using their iPhone outside of their country? The context being the same – getting the phone to India after claiming it from the Insurance company in the US/UK.
What would be the best way to make it usable in India and still be not liable to anything?
Thanks,
I think the best way is to get an unlocked one from eBay
Well. What if I already have one? 😐
I’m not sure what to do in that case – have no experience with that. Good luck.
For how much you got the i-phone And is it like brought from U.k / U.S to India ??
and wch one you got ?? With contract one or without contract one ??
HI Manshu,
I am just about to get an iphone 4s from the US through my uncle. He got it when unlocked version was not available in US then. He paid the extra amount to get the iphone carrier free, so that he doesnt have to pay any monthly extra charges. It was locked with At&t before. Just tell me if i will have to something to get it working over here other than cutting the sim?? will it work here or not.
If it’s unlocked then you’re set. You can cut the SIM to size and use it when you get it.
One of my friends is going to Canada for a holiday, is he eligible to buy a locked version i.e. the one with the contract after paying say 200$?
I’m not familiar with how the Canada market works – sorry.
hi i have got iphone 4s from canada to India and it unlocked but if insert my airtel sim it shows this sim is not valid can you plesase help me in solving this problem
how much it cost you to buy it from canada to india ? And wch one is it , contract or no contract ?
Does the SIM fit in?
I mean have you cut the SIM in size first? If you’ve already done that then I’m afraid I can’t offer any other suggestions. You can try looking up a shop near you that deals in those kind of things because using iPhone 4 in India is quite common now so they should be able to fix your issue.
I m planin to buy a i phone from US through my dad’s frnd can u guide me how can i get it at a very low cost.
Hii. i want to buy an locked iphone4s from US and then bring it here through my friend.My friend will be using the sim which comes along with it there.so my doubt is can we use the simcard which comes along with the iphone there in US in some another phone???.
can u tell me if we buy an iphone 4 with a contract ..after all the procedure stated above after buying we do and use it with a airtel sim..then do we have to pay rent of the contract of usa …
yes we do have to pay the monthly contract charges under any circumstances.The monthly charge depends on the plan u select.The minimum monthly charge is 70$
how much is the rent miimum rent on monthly basis…i m also confused if they charge for contract then why do they send a monthly charge…cost of contract includes what..
very good advice Manshu !
my friend is going to come from US so i am planning to buy an i phone 4s from US coz its its only 199$ means 14k . will it work if i unlock or do jailbreak here?
This is what i was searching for; since the day i have seen one of my friend using iPhone I got a mood to replace my old handset with Apple iPhone. But if I purchase in India it will cost me more than 35k but if I buy it from US it will cost me only $200 which is around 10k.
Dear Manshu,
Which the best way to get a iphone from US at a decent rate and also which model (specs) should i opt for to work in Mumbai under Vodafone network. Also my friend is going to US , so can he get a used iphone or a new one ? Which will be a better deal ?
Hitesh
I have seen many sites they are giving the used iphone mobiles at the cost of 130 dollars starting. with 8gb . I think it is better to buy used one if any body is arriving from US, we can plan with them.
how can i get locked or contract iphone from usa because my father visit their and i want locked which is cheaper and then unlock in india
plz help….
guys , why dont you buy one in thailand where you get unlocked phones @ just Rs.14000, as I too bought in last week from Thai itself…it is working in my MTNL Dolphin gsm simcard & I also tried with Videocon sim. Yaa, you need to cut the simcard.for the same. But it really works
Which iphone???
i am visiting us dis may..i wanted to knw dat if i buy a used at&t locked iphone 4g from ebay,wil i b able to use it in india aftr geting it unlocked??a used phone wil b already activated right?so i dnt need any at&t sim to activate it and can directly bring it to india..is my thinking right??please reply me soon..i have to leave on 1st and wnt to knw dis before leaving..and til which baseband iphone 4 is unlockable,
You can buy a brand new unlocked phone from Apple directly, and avoid all this headache. I’d say that’s a better option.
hey..do u have any idea about galaxy note?does it also require activation with at&t sim card if it is locked to it?
guys does this work with Iphone 4s? cuz i want to buy an iphone 4 but i could afford the 4s so i need to know if this method works with the 4s.:)
if i get i phone 4 with unlocked from us.. that i can can use it in India? plz tell me bcoz my frnd bringing for me i phone 4.. and tell me the price of i phone 4 in us..
hey guys I need some urgent help..
I have my relatives staying at U.S. They are coming to india next month and I am planning to ask them to get me an iphone 4 from there. The only thing I am not able to understand that when they buy it from US for 100$ and get it to me it in india. Than I jailbreak and unlock the iphone, do they still have to pay the per month rent that is 60$ over there.
Guys ,
i am planning to get Iphone 4 from japan ,, which is used… People say there will be an issue for unlocking it.. can someone help me what all i need to do before buying Iphone 4 from there..
I ve an iPhone 4 running on 4.3.3 bb 4.10.1.. I tried to update to 5.0.1 with preserve bb.Bt getting errors like 3194 than did edit host file than it gives 1600 or 1602.. Help me out plz and send me a link on youtube
Interesting but sad we gotta pay extra in INDIA 🙁 that really sucks
I have a totally different query!
Say, I have a relative in US who has a iPhone 4S and is been using it for himself. Now, iPhone 5 is released and he decides to buy it for him and he buys the new iPhone with AT&T 2 year contract. He decides to give the old iPhone 4S to me. In that case, are there any complications or how much money do I need to spend in India?
If that is unlocked then you don’t have to pay anything Shibin.
hey guys so i dnt get it, i saw iphone 4s for 150$ in a site in net.. so r u saying that we can use this phone for 150$ in India if we do as said in the page.,?
i want to buy i phone 5 from usa by ordering online from india .,…. will they send me the phone … locked or unlocked ??? wat problem can i fACED in this process …. and is there any extra charges for shipping or not ??? kindly tell me …
As far as I know, you can’t buy this online and have it shipped from the US to India.
first of all..how to get an locked phone???
You can get it from eBay.
what is the way to get an locked iphone???
i have a friend visiting us in 1 week is it possible for him to get a locked iphone 4s back. is there any implication to stay in us to get it
He can find one in eBay and get it.
Hi,
Can I order a locked iPhone from the iStore and get it shipped using borderlinx.com?
I have not used a combination of these options so unable to say whether it will work or not.
Hi
My uncle lives in US got iPhone 5s he given me an iPhone 4 to me that is locked and then I installed iOS 7 on that then it was showing error invalid sim I taked this to mobile servicing centre he told that this phone was sim locked and told that pay 3000 rupees to unlock the phone
Do I really need to pay 3000 rs to unlock the phone or is there any other ways to unlock the phone for free
Sorry for my bad English…
Piece oof writing writing is also a fun, if you bee familiar with afterward you
can write or else it is complicated to write.
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