iPhone 3 GS unlocking & jailbreaking

[ua549]

Being able to install and run "non Apple approved" applications. There are thousands of free applications available for an iPhone after jailbreaking.

Tethering allows you to use the iPhone as a modem connected to a PC.

Unlocking allows you to use a non-AT&T sim.
Even though one can use AT&T while traveling, I like to use a prepaid sim from the country I'm visiting.
I have a local number that is much less expensive than AT&T's international rates.

[ImaNihilist]

Being able to install and run "non Apple approved" applications. There are thousands of free applications available for an iPhone after jailbreaking.

Tethering allows you to use the iPhone as a modem connected to a PC.

Unlocking allows you to use a non-AT&T sim.
Even though one can use AT&T while traveling, I like to use a prepaid sim from the country I'm visiting.
I have a local number that is much less expensive than AT&T's international rates.

You can only really use AT&T internationally if you are a billionaire. Otherwise, a few MB of data will cost you a few thousand dollars.

So ridiculous. I really hope that, when the contract with AT&T is over, Apple says, "**** all," to exclusive carrier agreements and pioneers a new business model for selling mobile phones. Maybe they can sell the phones unlocked and crippled and bundle them with some kind of useful data service (like a version of Mobile Me that doesn't suck).

People in the US need to stop being so short-sighted and demanding subsidized phones that end up screwing everything up. I long for the day when I can just swap a SIM around on ANY phone and have access to ALL the features. Not this $99 phone +$100/mo plan for some crappy crippled, slow service.

I ****ing hate telecom in the US. I hate what it's become. It's so ********.

/end rant

[ua549]

Verizon services don't work in Europe. That keeps me from using their services.

Tmobile and AT&T are the primary carriers in the USA that use sim cards (GSM).

Telcom in the USA is decades behind Europe and East Asia.

As to pricing, the of the Levant have the cheapest cellular prices because they do not need to support a huge wired infrastructure.

[ua549]

You can only really use AT&T internationally if you are a billionaire. Otherwise, a few MB of data will cost you a few thousand dollars.

3G and 3.5G international roaming rates are competitive between AT&T and Verizon. The real determinant for choosing the provider is the geography for roaming. The more data the better AT&T comes out the best.


Verizon data rates

$130/mo within USA + Canada 5GB + $5.12/MB overage, international 100MB + $5.12/MB overage

$220/mo within USA + Canada 5GB + $5.12/MB overage, international 200MB + $5.12/MB overage

Pay Per Use Plan (must be purchased with a $59.99 Mobile Broadband plan in the U.S.) $20.48/MB

Most Verizon handsets are not capable of roaming in Europe.



AT&T data rates

$30/mo within USA unlimited + $0/MB, international 0MB + $19.50/MB overage

International data add-on plans

$25/mo international 20MB + $5/MB overage

$60/mo international 50MB + $5/MB overage

$120/mo international 100MB + $5/MB overage

$200/mo international 200MB + $5/MB overage



The Pay per use Verizon plan is clearly more expensive at $60 + 20.48/MB versus the AT&T plan at $19.50/MB.

The $130/mo and $220/mo Verizon plans are slightly less expensive than a similar amount of data on AT&T - $130 vs. $150 and $220 vs. $230.
When going over the included volumes of data AT&T becomes less expensive than Verizon.

In addition to determining the volume of data, one must determine the countries of travel.
Verizon handsets operate in North America, Brasil, Venezuela and some areas of Europe and Asia.
AT&T handsets operate in most of the world.

CDMA/Ev-DO coverage map

GSM/W-CDMA coverage map

Because of the roaming data rates, I like a GSM/W-CDMA handset that I can use with a local network sim. Local use is always less expensive than international roaming use.

*edit*
I just found a Vodafone callya-SIM "Vodafone live! InternetFlat for callya" for €15 per month, but web only.
Basically, everything you can access through a web browser (phone or notebook) works. Link

Here are other great prepaid deals from Fonic in Germany such as unlimited data for €2.50 per day.
Their normal price is €0.24 per megabyte and is billed in intervals of 100 kb.
You'll need a German friend to activate the sim.