At Tom’s Hardware Guide, we are driven by the need to experiment, to push the envelope. Our current project: the iPhone. We bought an iPhone in the US and proceeded to unlock it, activate it and install a few applications while we were at it. This article is meant for technically adept readers that have imported an iPhone from the US and wish to use it in Europe without being bound to a contract or tariff. The iPhone will be available in the UK from O2 as of November 9th as part of an 18-month contract. Pricing and availability details for Ireland have yet to be announced.

If you have friends or some good contacts in the US, then you have ideal conditions for this project. Alternatively, you could always purchase an iPhone, which is currently not yet available in Europe, on a holiday or a business trip. The second option is definitely the cheaper one, since you usually won’t have to pay any charges for shipping and handling or taxes. Also, actually getting an iPhone is as easy as going to an Apple store. Due to the continuing demand, Apple has ensured that there is adequate supply. Since the less expensive 4GB version is no longer available, that makes the 8GB iPhone with a price tag of $432 ($399 + taxes) your only choice. With the current exchange rate, that converts to only about €304 or ₤212 – for an 8GB iPhone!

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When O2 launches its iPhone bundle in November, the handset alone will cost £269 – plus an 18-month tariff. Even assuming the cheapest monthly subscription fee of ₤35, that comes to ₤899. A more comfortable, albeit slightly more expensive, option is to buy an unlocked an activated phone on one of the big internet auction platforms. Carrier-independent iPhones have been spotted here for up to € 1200. The iPhone hype has even reached China, in a way. The very cheeky and dirt-cheap iPhone copy called iFone CECT P168 costs only €110 – and you get exactly what you pay for. Visually, this iClone is nowhere near as sleek as the original, and we won’t even mention the technology and feature set.

At any rate, you’d be hard pressed to find another device that carries this much prestige and has achieved cult-status as quickly as Apple’s iPhone. Not only teens go glassy-eyed when their eyes fall upon the sleek handset – even business partners and colleagues suddenly lose their train of thought or change the subject. However, let us focus on the iPhone’s inner values and not tread on the terrain of our jealous fellow man. If you would like to learn more about this pocket-sized computer, you can find our iPhone review here and a few critical remarks here.

In addition to some time and a little perseverance, all you need for the modifications on the inexpensive US-bought iPhone described here are a number of freely available tools. By the end of the process, you’ll have a fully functional iPhone without limitations or additional costs – a combination you won’t even find when the iPhone launches in the UK on November 9! Beware though – any damage that may occur to your hardware if you decide to try unlocking your unit is your own responsibility. In our experience, there are several moments when the flashing process suddenly aborts mid-way. Our advice – keep cool, don’t lose your head.