Why would someone pay $500. or more for an unmodified iPhone when they can get the same thing from Apple for $399.?

January 25, 2008 12:27 AM

Why would someone pay $500. or more for an unmodified iPhone when they can get the same thing from Apple for $399.?

I'm thinking about getting an iPhone. I was at Apple store today and they sell them for $399. On Craigslist and Ebay, I see a lot of iPhones that are still in original condition (not unlocked) where sellers are asking much more than Apple. Is it because they have older firmware that CAN be unlocked? What am I missing?

posted by jorlando to Computers & Internet (14 answers total)

Maybe this?
posted by sharkfu at 12:28 AM on January 25, 2008

Sharkfu's link says it all.
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 1:24 AM on January 25, 2008

yeah, sharkfu's got it. Here in Britain they are something like 400 pounds, so buying them from an American on Ebay is major savings even if the prices are jacked up by 50 percent.
posted by farishta at 3:22 AM on January 25, 2008

Er, here in Britain the iPhone is £269, not £400.
posted by influx at 3:36 AM on January 25, 2008

influx- thanks, I should have checked the current price. I know they were introduced at £400. What I said still goes, however, as it's cheaper to get a marked up American iPhone than a British one.
posted by farishta at 5:30 AM on January 25, 2008

UK continued: Do you still have to sign up for a UK contract with O2? It's £630 minimum so avoiding that might be a factor.
posted by biffa at 6:41 AM on January 25, 2008

I paid $500 for mine. Here in Canada we have neither Apple Stores or Cellular Carriers worth giving money to.
posted by blue_beetle at 6:56 AM on January 25, 2008

Are you saying we don't have Apple Stores in Canada? Or that the ones we have aren't worth giving money to?
posted by jacquilynne at 7:22 AM on January 25, 2008

Also, they won't accept cash at the Apple store for the iPhone nowadays. Perhaps there are some people who are unwilling or unable to fulfill their gadget addiction with a credit card?
posted by yellowbkpk at 7:25 AM on January 25, 2008

There are Apple stores in Canada, but they don't sell iPhones because there isn't an official carrier yet. In Montreal a new in box iPhone goes for between $550 and $700 on Craigslist.
posted by furtive at 7:27 AM on January 25, 2008

It might also be a way to skirt Apple's recent change in policy that iPhones can't be bought with cash (credit card only) and that you can't buy more than 2 (I think) at a time.
posted by Wild_Eep at 7:31 AM on January 25, 2008

Also, it might be more valuable to some people to buy an older phone that has an older firmware version, because it allows for hacking and unlocking much more easily. Not sure if the phones you're referring to are being sold for that reason, but some people might pay a premium to get an iPhone that they can successfully unlock.
posted by joshrholloway at 8:45 AM on January 25, 2008

Current firmware cannot be unlocked (yet). Older phones are therefore more valuable to some.
posted by DreamerFi at 11:55 AM on January 25, 2008

Sorry, let me restate that. There are no apple stores in Calgary (yes there are stores that sell apple stuff, but that's different). The phone carriers all suck. I've been using my iPhone in Canada for 6 months on a Canadian carrier, and there's still no word on when they're going to allow everyone else the honor of overpaying for a 3 year contract to get one "legally".
posted by blue_beetle at 1:17 PM on January 25, 2008