[scratt]

This is awesome news.. I love the French and their attitude to the rest of the World.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/17/o...one-in-france/

Basically as soon as that is out the game is over.
All renegade iPhones will be unlocked and up to date all over the world.

I am sure Apple knew (or at least guessed) this would happen when they suckered the stupid greedy phone companies who employ illegal immoral customer tie-in tactics into their juicy 'exclusivity' contracts.

Viva La Revolucion, indeed!

[kieran]

I wonder if this will make unlocking existing iPhones easier.

[beardedmacuser]

Yep, awesome news; but how much more will they cost?

[ghoti]

They will cost €519.99. How I know that? It's the same factor as between DRM-free and DRMed music in iTunes. And unlocking is like removing the DRM ...

[scratt]

Originally Posted by kieran23kk I wonder if this will make unlocking existing iPhones easier.

Of course. That's the point. The French version will be a new revision with full International features in the OS.
The Dev Team will hack the entire thing and we have a re-distributable set of core files for the iPhone.

As for price, there are rumors it will be higher than €599, simply to soften the blow to O2 and the like.

But who cares, anyone can buy any version of the iPhone now, and simply 'upgrade' it later..

Not that that wasn't going to happen anyway. And not that Apple didn't know that. But it will be sooo much easier now.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Originally Posted by ghoti They will cost €519.99. How I know that? It's the same factor as between DRM-free and DRMed music in iTunes. And unlocking is like removing the DRM ...

Apple lowered non-DRMed tunes to the same price as Fairplayed songs. It's in the Hot News section of Apple's website.

[ghoti]

I know. So they will lower the price of the unlocked iPhone two years after they introduced it.

You read it here first.