Apple Retail Stores Have Now Begun Selling

[ThaiLife]

I not been really paying attention to the iPhone, but ive just been sent

this article and wondered if its some thing new ?

Following rumors last week about AT&T offering contract-free iPhones to customers, Apple Retail Stores have now begun selling the devices without the need for a contract. You can now walk into an Apple store, purchase an 8GB or 16GB iPhone 3G, and take it home with you. What you do afterwards is up to you. You can also buy online, through the Apple website.

http://www.appletell.com/apple/comment/con...-available-now/

[rogerdee123]

the iStudio shops in Thailand have been selling them for 2 or 3 weeks now.

[wxpwzrd]

Rumor has it they are trying to sell out before their next generation release this summer.

[gymshark]

They will try to sell as many as they can now that the likes of Blackberry, Palm and Nokia all appear to have better alternatives to the iPhone.

[CDNinKS]

the iStudio shops in Thailand have been selling them for 2 or 3 weeks now

What is the price?

[hhgz]

"What you do afterwards is up to you..."

Not exactly. The iPhone is still locked to the AT+T network.

[ThaiLife]

"What you do afterwards is up to you..."

Not exactly. The iPhone is still locked to the AT+T network.

I wonder what happens if you buy one from an iStudio shop ?

[rogerdee123]

"I wonder what happens if you buy one from an iStudio shop ? "

There is no AT&T in Thailand. But anyway the answer to your question is that the iPhones being sold by iStudio outlets are unlocked. I'm using mine with an AIS sim card. Actually I've switched sim cards (I have three different mobile numbers) in it a few times. It's unlocked.

iStudio prices are expensive and more expensive than True by about 2000 baht. But True wouldn't sell me an unlocked iPhone unless I used a K-bank credit card. I tried to buy one at True with my HSBC (Bangkok) VISA card and they wouldn't accept it. Then I offered them the 28k baht in cash. No! Must sign up for K-Bank I was told.

Anyway the price is higher at iStudio but they will accept cash or HSBC VISA etc. Also I've been buying Mac equipment from iStudio at Panthip (formally known as Uficon) for years and they know me and are good at repairing or replacing what they sell (at least with me).

Some on this forum laugh at those of us who choose to buy these unlocked legit iPhones at the premium prices because you can always get a locked (to AT&T) one in the USA and bring it to Thailand and have it unlocked at MBK. Or buy a jail-broken model at MBK. This is fine for some people and I don't disrespect them for doing this. But for me ... the time and hassle in this MBK method (and continually unlocking with each iPhone system upgrade) and which comes with no warranty is more expensive to me and I think the price I paid is worth it.

Another reader pointed out a new iPhone model is coming out and thus iPhones are being "dumped" in Thailand. Well maybe but this depends on your point of view. Many of us complained for months (years? ) that iPhones weren't available (legitimately) in Thailand. They finally became available a couple of months ago ... so now we say they are "dumping" them in Thailand? Give me a break. If this is true they are also dumping them in the US and Europe etc etc. Anyway I don't care. I may buy a new version when it's released if the added features are worth it.

My big complaint about the iPhone and Apple/Macintosh in Thailand is the online iTunes store. Maybe of the "apps" I want for my iPhone which are available in the US and Europe cannot be purchased from the online iTunes store available to those of us in Thailand. For instance "Google Earth" (for iPhone). OK there are ways of getting these Apps particularly if one has connections in US or Europe and there's probably soon going to be a thriving market in pirated iPhone apps at Panthip. However I wonder who is hobbling the iTunes store for Thai iPhone and iPod users. Is this another of True's great ideas?

[rogerdee123]

They will try to sell as many as they can now that the likes of Blackberry, Palm and Nokia all appear to have better alternatives to the iPhone.

Well I have an iPhone and also a Palm. I intend to get a Blackberry Bold to replace my Palm WHENEVER the legit versions (with warranty) become available in Thailand. Yes I know they are available at MBK and in Phuket and thru some other resellers. AIS has been advertising them for a couple of months but they still don't have them in stock.

Anyway the point of this message is to contribute my point of view that all of these phones are good. It depends upon what you need it for. One is not better than another. The iPhone is terrific. But still I prefer the "real" (however small) keyboard of the Palm or Blackberry for my text messaging. And with my work, I do a lot of texting. On my work phone I don't need photos and MP3. I just need a good phone that has a real keyboard and can store some documents and some other reference material. A working tool.

But the iPhone is my personal phone and is loaded with my favorite MP3 and family snapshots and is simply a lot of fun and a pleasure to use. However ... the iPhone has tremendous potential as a working phone (for me) because of all the work related "apps" that are available. When I get used to the iPhone's virtual keyboard, and there are a couple of more system upgrades (the coming version 3.0 looks like a big step forward) it may become my work phone also.

But for now .... and for me .... I use two phones. And I think it's very difficult to generalize and say one phone is better than the other. At this time ... they are all good at certain things. None of them yet can do All things better than the others.

[ThaiLife]

"I wonder what happens if you buy one from an iStudio shop ? "

There is no AT&T in Thailand. But anyway the answer to your question is that the iPhones being sold by iStudio outlets are unlocked. I'm using mine with an AIS sim card. Actually I've switched sim cards (I have three different mobile numbers) in it a few times. It's unlocked.

iStudio prices are expensive and more expensive than True by about 2000 baht. But True wouldn't sell me an unlocked iPhone unless I used a K-bank credit card. I tried to buy one at True with my HSBC (Bangkok) VISA card and they wouldn't accept it. Then I offered them the 28k baht in cash. No! Must sign up for K-Bank I was told.

Anyway the price is higher at iStudio but they will accept cash or HSBC VISA etc. Also I've been buying Mac equipment from iStudio at Panthip (formally known as Uficon) for years and they know me and are good at repairing or replacing what they sell (at least with me).

Some on this forum laugh at those of us who choose to buy these unlocked legit iPhones at the premium prices because you can always get a locked (to AT&T) one in the USA and bring it to Thailand and have it unlocked at MBK. Or buy a jail-broken model at MBK. This is fine for some people and I don't disrespect them for doing this. But for me ... the time and hassle in this MBK method (and continually unlocking with each iPhone system upgrade) and which comes with no warranty is more expensive to me and I think the price I paid is worth it.

Another reader pointed out a new iPhone model is coming out and thus iPhones are being "dumped" in Thailand. Well maybe but this depends on your point of view. Many of us complained for months (years? ) that iPhones weren't available (legitimately) in Thailand. They finally became available a couple of months ago ... so now we say they are "dumping" them in Thailand? Give me a break. If this is true they are also dumping them in the US and Europe etc etc. Anyway I don't care. I may buy a new version when it's released if the added features are worth it.

My big complaint about the iPhone and Apple/Macintosh in Thailand is the online iTunes store. Maybe of the "apps" I want for my iPhone which are available in the US and Europe cannot be purchased from the online iTunes store available to those of us in Thailand. For instance "Google Earth" (for iPhone). OK there are ways of getting these Apps particularly if one has connections in US or Europe and there's probably soon going to be a thriving market in pirated iPhone apps at Panthip. However I wonder who is hobbling the iTunes store for Thai iPhone and iPod users. Is this another of True's great ideas?

Thanks for your interesting comments, My 24 inch iMac is nearing the end of its 1st year,

and I am about to buy the Apple Care extra warranty . It would have been nice if Apple had

offered an extended Apple Care warranty on the iPhone,

[rogerdee123]

" It would have been nice if Apple had

offered an extended Apple Care warranty on the iPhone, "

Yes indeed. I've had the same thought!