US iPhone on UK plan?

[Jackonicko]

So will you be able to activate a US-bought iPhone (you can still get a 4 GB phone for £150) on O2 and take advantage of the visual voicemail, unlimited data use, etc?

[Bob]

No, from talking to my O2 store the thing is one bundle. You can't have the iPhone without the plan and vice versa. the visual voicemail is like the AT&T one, tied into O2's back end.

The idea of buying a cheap US iPhone , hacking it then sticking in my t-mobile SIM is in my mind but while Jesse did this for use in Canada I'm not sure how it would work out in the UK.

[owen-b]

I don't know how you'd fare getting an iPhone from the States and activating it onto the special O2 rip-off iPhone rates, but my understanding was that the activation is done via iTunes anyway, so it doesn't actually involve you signing a contract in a store at all. I seriously doubt any O2 employees actually understand that yet.

The reasoning is that the ONLY way to activate an iPhone is via iTunes - in America the software signs you up to AT&T and puts you on one of their deals. Over here it would sign you up to O2. However, if you don't use iTunes to activate your phone, and use one of the free activation software hacks that are now available, you can then put any old SIM you like in it.

Only problem: no Visual Voicemail (oh well, never mind). Benefit: your existing, considerably better deal.

Why are the O2 deals so rubbish compared to the usual deals you can get for those prices? It's not the unlimited data - most networks will do that these days for the same or less - no, it's because O2 offered Apple 40% of the take, so they have to screw every last penny they can out of us.

There's a risk Apple will de-activated your hacktivated iPhonein future, but by avoiding installing new iPhone OS updates you should be okay.