iPhone 4S from USA - good idea?

issy1

I'm going to the USA with work at the end of the week and was wondering about buying an unlocked iPhone 4S from the Apple store there: $649 for 16GB (about £410), then getting a Giffgaff sim (and cutting it down to microsim size) back here for £15 a month. I need about 300-400 mins a month, not many texts, and 1GB data.

I think that sounds like a good deal - am I right or are there better deals available over here? Or are there any potential problems with buying from the US which I've overlooked? I'm getting confused about all the options so any advice gratefully received!

Thanks,
Issy

thegoodman

As long as the phone is unlocked it will work without any problem.
You can also get micro sim from Giffgaff, I think.
If I was you I will get it from the uk because of warranty.

grumbler

i phone 4s if bought in usa/will it work in uk?

thegoodman

grumbler wrote: »

i phone 4s if bought in usa/will it work in uk?

Yes, only if it is unlocked.

reclusive46

issy1 wrote: »

I'm going to the USA with work at the end of the week and was wondering about buying an unlocked iPhone 4S from the Apple store there: $649 for 16GB (about £410), then getting a Giffgaff sim (and cutting it down to microsim size) back here for £15 a month. I need about 300-400 mins a month, not many texts, and 1GB data.

I think that sounds like a good deal - am I right or are there better deals available over here? Or are there any potential problems with buying from the US which I've overlooked? I'm getting confused about all the options so any advice gratefully received!

Thanks,
Issy

Just bare in mind it will come with a US charger and the warranty is not technically valid in the UK.

grumbler

thegoodman wrote: »

Yes, only if it is unlocked.

It was a link, not a question. My apologies for stating the obvious.

reclusive46 wrote: »

...the warranty is not technically valid in the UK.

Are you sure?
Apple - One Year Limited Warranty - Worldwide

reclusive46

grumbler wrote: »

It was a link, not a question. My apologies for stating the obvious.
Are you sure?
Apple - One Year Limited Warranty - Worldwide

Yes if you look at the iPhone specifically it says its only valid in the country of purchase. The iPhone is the only apple device that doesn't have a worldwide warranty policy.

gjchester

grumbler wrote: »

Are you sure?
Apple - One Year Limited Warranty - Worldwide

Thats the UK warranty. The general onew is here - http://images.apple.com/legal/warranty/docs/iPhone_4_warranty.pdf

In the most part there will be no issue, however Apple reserve the right to restrict it to the country of purchase.

Best guess is if you go to an Apple shop they won't check and jsut fix it there and then by swapping with a new one.

xrobrob

I haven't read the Warranty, but had successfully repaired a couple of my devices abroad. I once bought Macbook here in the UK with extended three year warranty. I sold it a year later to my friend in Poland and she had her main board replaced for free in Poland. Later, at the end of her warranty she also got the whole screen replaced (because of 'bad pixels') in Portugal while on holidays. Now, I'm not sure if that's only something they do for MacBooks, but it's worth checking out. They usually don't ask you for a warranty as their products only come from them!

issy1

Thanks v much guys. So, if I'm prepared to put up with a US charger and possible warranty probs, it should work ok. And I reckon it saves me about £80 over the course of the year compared to the cheapest way I can find of doing it in the UK. Does that sound about right?
Thanks
Issy

davetrousers

issy1 wrote: »

iPhone 4S from the Apple store there: $649 for 16GB (about £410)

What is the sales tax % where you're thinking of buying?

Do you plan on declaring it upon your return to Blighty?