Things to note when buying a parallel imported iPhone 4

Things to note when buying a parallel imported iPhone 4

As iPhone has just launched in various countries across the globe. There are variations of the iPhone 4. If you intend to buy one from overseas, the first thing is that you would like an unlock phone. With an unlocked phone, you can use SIM card from any telco in the world.

So, paralle imported goods comes from a few countries, namely the USA, Japan, UK. So far, USA and Japan are SIM LOCK to their telcos. So, you can’t just use any SIM card locally and assume that it will work. Parallel importers would probably want to tell you that it can be ‘hacked’ using tools available online. Well, it may or may not work as claimed.

Thus, the safest bet is to get a set that is unlocked from network. So far, the UK versions are unlocked as their regulators do not allowed locked phones. UK version of the phones can be easily identified as they come with 3 pin charger plug used in UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia. The US and Japan ones comes with 2 pin power plugs.

Of course some parallel importers might just swap out the 2 pin and replace it with a 3 pin after reading this article 😉

The second point to note when purchasing a parallel imported set is it’s screen. There have been reports of yellowish spots. This will really be the ultimate eye sight test. It will also depend on your luck as the initial boot up screen is black and you might not be able to notice it until you use it after a while with other coloured background.

The third point to note is the IMEI number. Please make sure the handset IMEI and the one on the box are exactly the same.

The fourth thing to note is the microSIM card. Local telcos in Singapore already has microSIM card ready. You might need to ask the telcos to port your number to a microSIM card so that you can use it on your iphone 4. Alternatively, if you want, you can take the risk of cutting it to the microSIM form factor. There is also a company selling an adaptor that fits microSIM for standard SIM slot just in case you want to use the microSIM on your other phone.

These are just some pointers to note before making your purchase from shops. Do post your comments and suggestions if any.