Where To Buy Factory Unlocked iPhone 3GS for a Cheap Price?

Tue, Aug 25, 2009 | Gadgets, iPhone  




iphone-3gs-factory-unlocked

If you are in US, India, UK and other countries, when you buy an iPhone, Apple ties up the iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS you are buying to a local telecom provider. But when you buy iPhone 3G through the Hong Kong Online Apple Store, you can officially and legally get a Factory unlocked iphone which you can use with any operator. Yeah, right! “ANY” operator.

iPhone 3G & iPhone 3GS purchased at the Apple Online Store can be activated with any wireless carrier. Simply insert the SIM from your current phone into iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS and connect to iTunes 8.2 to complete activation.

Because they’ve been unlocked at the factory, these iPhones can always be updated and they’re covered under standard Apple warranties.

This is because, in countries like Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia, it is illegal for Cell phone companies to mandate their customers to have a contract with any ONE service provider. So, if you ever touch down at Hong Kong airport or Australia or New Zealand for a holiday or business trip, don’t forget to grab a Factory unlocked iPhone 3GS from the local Apple Online Store.

The prices are not bad either. A 16GB legally unlocked iPhone 3GS will cost you around HK$ 5,388 i.e USD 695 (or 487 Euro), while a 32GB version would cost HK$ 6,288 i.e USD 812 (or 567 Euro).

Beside HK, I found that iPhone 3GS sold in NZ and Australia are also pretty cheap.
iPhone 3GS 16 GB:
New Zealand 1,150.00 NZD = 552.033 EUR = 788.202 USD
Australia 879.00 AUD, 491.287 EUR, 684.991 USD
iPhone 3GS 32 GB:
New Zealand 1,349.00 NZD, 920.172 USD, 647.422 EUR
Australia 1,040.00 AUD, 810.469 USD, 581.121 EUR

Visit the Apple online stores – New Zealand, Australia , Hong Kong

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This post was written by:

Raju - who has written 885 posts on Technically Personal!.

Raju is the owner and editor-in-chief of TechPP. A proud geek and an Internet freak, who is also a social networking enthusiast. You can follow him on Twitter @rajupp

127 Comments For This Post

  1. Crazy blogger Says:

    good news to all but not to me ad i had purchased it before for more cost

  2. MJ Says:

    Hong Kong will not deliver to the USA. Specifically states it on shipping terms.

  3. Raju Says:

    Thanks for tipping us. You can try from Australia and NZ though

  4. Cellphone Answers Says:

    Thanks for the information. I think i will buy myself one from Australia.
    I dont want to tie myself with a contract.

  5. user211 Says:

    None of these three websites will deliver outside their countries. There’s another headache. If you live there, that’s ok. But if you live in the US like me?

  6. Raju Says:

    @user211,
    You are right. That is why I mention “if you ever visit those countries or have relatives”

  7. Fahad Says:

    i was looking for factory unlock iphones, i work as a whole seller in middle east, but i am not able to find any good and reliable seller from australia or anyother country which offer unlock iphones, i got one seller from aus but i am not getting good prices can any body help
    ???

  8. Rupam Says:

    can i get an iphone 3gs delivered through courier in India from Australia/NZ/HK.. if i purchase from apple online stores from these countries???

  9. Raju Says:

    you mean officially from Apple stores? No. But if you have some friends/relatives over there, you can ask them to courier it

  10. Nitin Says:

    I just posted this elsewhere and I’m saying this here too. You guys say Airtel locks iPhone in India. However, the one I got from Airtel seem to be unlocked. I have tried various sims. They all work just fine.

  11. Raju Says:

    well, you must be lucky. I am 100% sure none of the cellular companies in India offer unlocked iPhones

  12. reply to fahad Says:

    FAHAD please give me your information .. I will try to help you

    Thamks

  13. jackie n. Says:

    i heard that these iphones do not have gps and wifi. is this true?

  14. Raju Says:

    NOT true at all!

  15. raman Says:

    If you know anyway to get iphones let me know. I will buy wholesale and live in the US. Thanks.

  16. Eeezy Tek Says:

    I can get Factory Unlocked iphones at good prices and I can ship them to any country. Please me know if you are interested. Thank you

  17. Prabhu Says:

    Can I purchase the iPhone from HongKong Airport

  18. Athar Says:

    can u ship an iphone 3Gs 32GB black to United Arab Emirates (UAE)
    dubai. ??
    and for how much ???
    email me..

  19. EeeezyTek Says:

    Yes I can ship to (UAE)

    Price for the phone is £570 and shipping will be around £10 to £15

  20. Grid Says:

    can u ship to Indonesia
    and how much the price for iphone 3gs unclocked white 16 Giga?

  21. jeremy Says:

    i am interested in buying unlocked 3gs iphones. depending on the price i would like 10-20 of them.
    please let me if thats possible and its price. thanks

  22. Josef Says:

    EeeezyTek
    can you provide me with you e-mail or any way to contact you?

    i need 10 iPhone’s :) Unlocked ( in ) a good price

    looking forward to hear from you…

  23. Rohit Says:

    Can i buy the unlocked official 3Gs from Hong Kong and use it in India? Will the warranty be still valid?

  24. Raju Says:

    Yes!

  25. nicola Says:

    if i buy an unlocked iphone from the states r Hong Kong can i use this in Ireland?? coz there 2 dear over here 2 buy!!!

  26. Elvo Says:

    I would like to buy 2 Unlocked 3Gs iphones, 16 or 32GB black color, could you let me know if its posssible & how much? US

  27. Ales Says:

    I would like to buy 1 Unlocked 3Gs iphone, 32GB black color, could you let me know if its posssible & how much? Europe

  28. Gopi Says:

    Hi,

    I am looking for one in India. I need the full featured iPhone 3GS Factory unlocked phone. Anyone who can help?

    Gopi

  29. bb Says:

    whats the price of iphone 3gs at dubai nowadays.plz answer :(

  30. JJ Says:

    I live in New Zealand and can buy whatever you want from the NZ apple store on-behalf of you if you want.

  31. kenny Says:

    I heard that i-phone 4gb is about to be released. Does anybody know about the 4gb i-phone price?

  32. George Says:

    Can you buy it without a contract? Also, do you know if it can be bought in HK without a contract?

  33. DJ Says:

    Looking for a fully unlocked 16 or 32 GB Iphones 3GS in USA..what are prices you are looking for??

  34. Nina Says:

    Thanks for the helpful information! If I do purchase an unlocked iphone (from the Apple store in Australia, etc), will it have the same features as an iphone purchased here? That is, can I use the voice commands and other features that people are saying don’t work well on an unlocked iphone?

    Thanks!

  35. Zoe Says:

    I am interested in purchasing a real factory unlocked Iphone 3gs, Not software unlocked. In black 16gb. What is your price??

  36. jj Says:

    i would like to get 2 apple iphone 3gs 32gb black.anyone is able to hlp and ship to sg?tell me the cost too.thanks!

  37. jj Says:

    can you help me get iphone 3gs 32gb?and how much doees it cost?

  38. Dale Says:

    Hi – would like to purchase unlocked 3GS 32GB- I am based in the UK – can you give me a price please? – THANKS!!

  39. emngheo Says:

    I would like to buy some iphone 3Gs 16/32GB for a good price with large quantity. Please let me know whats your price and contact info

  40. MJ Says:

    how much will a 32gb iphone cost?
    how long does it take 2 deliver?

  41. Adhip Says:

    it’s 2800-2900 dirhams for 16gb and 3300-3400 dirhams for 32 gb

  42. Sachin Says:

    Hi Guys,

    I want to buy a factory unlocked Apple iphone 3Gs 16GB Black.
    I heard that in Australia its available, could any one please help me? I want to know the price for 3Gs & procedure how to ship it from Australia.

    Regards,
    Sachin.

  43. Sachin Says:

    I am from India. And is it possible to use the factory unlocked iphone in India with any network?
    Please let me know. I am waiting desperately to buy it.

  44. Raju Says:

    Yes, factory unlocked iphones can be used with ANY cellular network anywhere in the world including India

  45. Sachin Says:

    Could any one tell me how to ship it from Australia?

  46. eddy Says:

    hi
    i want to buy a factory unlocked 32 gb black , and shippe it to oman can any body help me please.

  47. eddy Says:

    how much is the price there for a factory unloced 3gs 32 gb black+ shipping to sultanate oman

  48. yesmaybe Says:

    Are these current prices? Do I need to buy in advance and have a shipping address in HK or can I just stop in a store and pay cash? Ohh, is that last millenium? Please advise the cheapest place these days to find iPhone (Kowloon) , not necessarily even the latest version …

  49. jbroeckx Says:

    Hi How much will it cost to ship an unlocked Iphone 3 Gs 32Gb to Lugano Switzerland,Tks

  50. JAYANTH Says:

    hey ..i have my brother working in NZ but whts the point….u said the cheapest ones are in HK and that too cost 700-800 US $ ie 30-35k INR ……..I THINK THE PRICE OF 3GS IN INDIA WUD BE IN THE SAME RANGE ..SO WHTS THE POINT ….DIDT GET U

  51. Raju Says:

    3G itself costs 30k and 36k in India for 16Gb and 32Gb. How do you expect 3GS costing same? Moreover I do not foresee 3GS arriving anytime in near future *SIGH*

  52. HANS Says:

    Can help me somebody from Australia or Hong Kong to get a iPhone 3GS 16 gb?

  53. HANS Says:

    How loocks like with the italian iPhones? I hear this are factory unlocket to

  54. sai kalyan chintala Says:

    Hi i am sai from little rock,arkansas,us doing my masters..i am having brand new iphones 3gs – 16gb & 32gb…they are both unlocked.i needed money as i dont want to exchange with the exchange rates,so bought the iphones.i will be coming to mumbai on 13th dec..and will be going to hyd next day..will be in banglore on 25th dec…i want to sell them..this are us brand, at&t…

    iphone black 32gb 3gs brand new unlocked —–34000
    iphone black 16gb 3gs brand new unlocked —– 30000
    i also have 500 apps which u can use them as i will make it in a cd and give it…

    i will give the phone on hand and take the money by hand..no online payments…

  55. iPhone 3GS Says:

    I have last week picked up an iPhone 3GS. I was surprised by the quality of the device. The iPhone 3GS is a lot faster in-terms of accessing data over the internet compared to the last edition of the device.

  56. Camilo Says:

    we are from australia

    are you interested in buying the iphones?

    Thanks

  57. James Says:

    I live in Hong Kong and could ship these out. But please be aware that these are never “cheap”, they just happen to come factory unlocked in HK. You can see the HK retail price in the screenshot above, or on apple.com/hk.

  58. eddy Says:

    can you send me an apple i hone 3gs black 32gb,but is it realy genuine apple, and its a factory unlocked , iam living in oman
    i

  59. anirudh Says:

    hi,sai this is anirudh here.m from hyderabad and i want to buy apple iphone 3gs 32gb from u.so plz let me know wen exactly ur cumin to hyderabad and where can i meet and give u cash and buy it 4m u

  60. AnaAlvarez Says:

    I want an iphone 3gs unlocked 16 or 32 gb, it does not matter.
    Please leave me details and how much..

  61. nikos Says:

    can you post to CYPRUS WHAT IS THE PRICE AND CAN I PAY BUY PAY PAL APPLE IPHONE 3GS 32GB.

  62. Vee Says:

    Hi there
    I am planning to go to HongKong for the end of year and wanted to find out where i can buy an Apple Iphone 3GS 32GB in black unlocked to be used in South Africa with any SIM. Where do I get the best prices in Hong Kong please?
    Thanks

  63. Vee Says:

    Hi
    I am planning to go to Hong Kong and Shenzen for end of Year. where can i buy an Apple Iphone 3Gs 32GB in black unlocked to be used in South Africa please with any SIM. Apple in SA will not cover for the “international Warranty”, does that i mean that I would need to send it back to Hong Kong for repairs? Buying an Apple Iphone from Hong Kong does that mean that i can upgrade the firm ware any time.
    Thanks
    Vee

  64. slyth Says:

    How much is the shipping cost including tax from HongKong to Indonesia if i want to buy iphones?

  65. Uttam Says:

    I am looking for iphone 3G shipped to India. If anyone can help me then please respond at [EDITED] with your quote. I know it sounds like a business deal but believe me after seeing lot of ppl ready to help on this forum I am sendig this mssg. In India its expensive you for me..;-(

  66. mehdi Says:

    where did u buy it finaly?

  67. Max Says:

    Did you get your iPhone from HK? I want to get one as well? how do I do that?

  68. Max Says:

    I am looking for a HK (unlocked) iPhone shipped to the USA. Is anyone going to HK?

  69. Faisal Says:

    I am from Oman Muscat i want to purchase iphone 3GS 32 GB unlouked blak
    at cheapest price from where i can get it.

  70. Ardi Says:

    we can also purchase the factory unlocked iPhone in Arab Emirates, at the Etisalat for around USD 670.

    One thing that I need a clarification is whether all the iPhone feature can function well in other countries…

  71. Tim Says:

    This article is extremely misleading. It does not take into account shipping or duty costs, or the huge expense you will experience when you try to get the phone fixed under warranty.

    iPhone warranty is ONLY valid in the country the phone was purchased from.
    …So to get it fixed you have to fly to that country, and wait for a few weeks for it to be fixed, or if you know someone you have to pay the shipping and duty costs again!

    [edited] is one of the best known ‘reputable’ online retailers of the factory unlocked iphone 3gs. They claim to be the only company that will handle the warranty repair return on behalf of their customers.

  72. Raju Says:

    This is what I call a well written spam. I edited the link to that website of yours, but approved the comment only to warn others about scammers like you. I have clearly mentioned in the article that one can “BUY” or get it from relatives. Never told them to ship it or mail it!!
    iPhone warranty is not restricted to the country it was purchased from.

  73. Adarsh Gopinath Says:

    Hey Raju,

    i did get a lot of info but i hv a doubt….I want the iphone 3gs black 16gb unlocked. I am from Delhi and am sailing. I will be getting off the ship by 15th Jan’10, i get off in Italy. Now the deal is that i want this iphone. I have a relative coming in from the US(Texas) sometime in Jan. WHat do u reckon? Should i buy the phone in India or ask my relative to buy it from US. In short where is the phone cheaper and if its the US, where in US should one buy it from and what is the approximate cost der and in India.

  74. Rajesh Kanuri @ TechCats Says:

    The bad part is all the respective countries were shipping only with in the country.. how should i get that in India..

  75. Liam Says:

    hey everybody..
    I just picked up an IPhone 3GS the other day..so far I am really impresssed with it..I have the 32GB model…and it is awesome…by the way guys I have an extra one that I am selling, its also the 32gb model..i got 2 because it was working out cheaper…please tell me if you are interested, i can guarantee you that you wont be dissapointed, I also will ship it worldwide.

  76. Samson Says:

    I am interested in the iphone, so how much are u willing to sell it. I reside in Nigeria, Pls how much will it cost including shipping. Pls reply.

  77. Raj P Says:

    Hi Everyone,

    I am an online seller in Australia and can provide you with CHEAP Iphone 3GS’s, though I will need details of how many you need & shipping to provide you with a quote. So get in touch with me ASAP!

  78. Chelc Says:

    I am wanting a factory unlocked Iphone 3GS 32GB & white that will work in the US with T-mobile.

  79. eshan Says:

    hello i am from india and would like to buy 1 iphone 3gs 16 gb how much is the price

  80. Jane Clarbour Says:

    Would an iphone 3Gs from Hong Kong (unlocked) work in the UK on a pay as you go sim card?

  81. Raju Says:

    @Jane
    Yes absolutely!

  82. Fahad Says:

    hey i am interested in buying the iphone.

    could u temme how much is selling it for?

  83. robert Says:

    Hi I am going HK in March m where I could buy 3gs 16mb iphone cheap,

  84. Anupam Says:

    Hey Raj,

    I am interested in buying an unlocked iPhone 3gs 32GB (black only). Please tell me the best price. I need it hand-delivered and not couriered – as I don’t want any custom hassles here in India. I live in Calcutta.

  85. Raju Says:

    Please Read the article completely. We don’t have any service whatsoever to deliver/ship/courier iPhones in India or anywhere else.

  86. michelle Says:

    anybody have any iphone all version for sale contact me .i wanna buy a lot of them.please contact me about price and shipping .im living in the US.thanks

  87. Ahmed Says:

    Sir,
    how much dose it cost for iphone 3gs 32gb in USD, how can i get it shiped to Iraq

  88. Madan Dhodari Says:

    Hi
    I am In Nepal. I am willing to buy an unlocked Apple Iphone 4gb 2g or 3g? How can I get it? Can I get it by my credit card? or any other legal way?

  89. Irfan Says:

    Hya, I want to buy I phone 3gs Brand new unlocked in bulk quantity, if any one has please feel free to contact me.

  90. sgk Says:

    Where can I get cheap apple i phone 3gs 16 gb in india?

  91. Nik Says:

    Hi,
    i want to buy a iphone 3gs in hong kong, is it still possible, and could they deliver it to germany?
    and can i smoothly use it here?

  92. Raju Says:

    Buying an iPhone in HongKong and using it in Germany is just fine, but they won’t deliver it themselves. If you have someone travelling to HK you can get it from them.

  93. ali hassan Says:

    i need iphone 3gs 16 gb white colour unlocked. what will the total cost including shipping.get me the full details.

  94. ali hassan Says:

    i am from india

  95. Kaychan Says:

    I am looking to purchase 5-10 Authentic Apple Iphones 3GS 32GB UNLOCKED. If there is anyone out there who sales or knows of a reputable supplier please contact me.

  96. AK Says:

    Raju – Thanks for this article. I’m an American living in Korea which has a terrible plan for it’s iphone with almost no support for foreigners. Your article is highlighting a good alternative for those of us living in countries with poor iphone support. Once again – thanks!

  97. Torusato Says:

    Hey Raju.. im a resident of mumbai.i was considering buying a locked iphone 3gs from the usa through a relative and ship it to mumbai,india and unlock it after i get it .. what would be the price in inr ..? what about the warranty offered..? is this a good alternative..?

  98. Akshay Says:

    Hi,

    I am Akshay from Delhi. I m looking for a 2nd hand Iphone 3gs. If anyone is interested in selling please contact me.

    Thanks

    Akshay

  99. Kiran Says:

    Hi,

    I live in USA and wanna buy apple iphones mainly 3GS 32GB for good price in large quantities. Can you respond on my email.
    Thanks

  100. Navya Says:

    Hey. I wanted to know if any iphone 3GS could be shipped to India from any of the countries where the shipping takes place.
    Can you please tell me?
    Thankyou :)

  101. Navya Says:

    And also if not in India(I just read the whole thing), I have relatives in USA. I wanted to know if I could get an unlocked Iphone there. What will be the price?
    Please let me know as I’m really keen on buying it.
    Thankyou again :D

  102. Raju Says:

    It used to cost around $600 sometime back, not sure how much it is right now.

  103. Alags Says:

    Hi,I’m looking for 3G,can i ask my relatives in US to buy the unlocked one?Where do they unlock in US ?

  104. NIko Says:

    you can also buy one from sfr by france (as i did), the prices without contract are between 630 an 760 euros.

  105. Dravalley Says:

    these phones are great. i need this phone particularly to run my trading apps on. but one thing is it’s too expensive. i’ve tried to save about 900$ for it but another problem. i can’t buy it. funny. they shouldn’t limit it. it should be available all round, the unlocked i mean.

  106. sai krishna Says:

    @ RAJU
    hiiii, I am very much excited to buy an iphone 3gs.
    I have some questions and I think you can clarify them..
    1)iphone 3G is available in india.is it the unlocked iphone.
    2)you mentioned that the factory unlocked iphone can be brought from au,nz or hk but they cost 30-35k(INR) and why is the price very low in US($199) 3)I have seen in some site that any iphone can be unlocked using YellowSn0w software.Can it really be unlocked

    THANKS:)

  107. Raju Says:

    Very valid questions Krishna!
    1) No. The iPhone 3G available in India come with a contract (from either Vodafone or Airtel) and hence locked with the carrier
    2) $199 is when you buy it with 2 years AT&T contract which is again locked
    3) Any iPhone (till OS version 3.1.2) can be unlocked and jailbroken ( can search this site). The latest version (3.1.3) is not yet jailbreakable

  108. sai krishna Says:

    @RAJU
    Thank you for the reply.and I have one more question ..is it possible for a person from US to buy an iphone there and get it to india ,so that I can unlock it here. Will there be any risks for him ???

  109. Raju Says:

    I am not sure about this, but logically speaking, there shouldn’t be any legal problems as such

  110. debgary Says:

    UPDATE on Australian pricing.

    I’m from Australia and the unlocked iphone 32 GS, costs about $1,100 AU with local warranty. I’m going to Hong Kong, and after research, I”ve opted to purchase one from the HK Apple store for $900 AU, saving me $200 AU. No warranty.

    Hope this info helps someone.

    If you have any sources for a cheaper option, please provide me with a Kowloon address and website if possible?

    Deb

  111. cooldaniel1991 Says:

    Italy price are :
    3g 8gb :500 euro
    3gs 16gb :599 euro
    3gs 32 gb: 699 euro.
    FACTORY UNLOCKED

  112. mehul Says:

    I would like to buy 1 Unlocked 3Gs iphones, 16 or 32GB black color, could you let me know if its posssible & how much? Australian dollar

  113. ashish Says:

    Hi Raju, this article prevented me from requesting a US based relative to get a pricier unlocked phone from there. As i have a friend going to HK in March, can you pls suggest whether I should order the iPhone from Apple’s online store to my friend’s hotel, or should he pick the phone up from any electronic store from the HK.

    Another question which is not directly related to this topic – is the 32 GB version worth the 5400 INR bump in price according to you.

    Thanks a ton for your time.

  114. Raju Says:

    Yes, your friend can order it online from Apple store directly. As for the second question, it is worth if you are obsessive about music. For many 16gb is much more than enough

  115. Rudy Says:

    Just curious… If someone is selling a “Factory Unlocked” iPhone and insists on not upgrading the firmware when iTunes prompts you because it will reset itself and can never be unlocked again, is it really a “Factory Unlocked” unit?

  116. Raju Says:

    100% not !!

  117. sinks Says:

    hey i want to purchase iphone if anyone can help me in buying it without any contract

  118. RD Says:

    Is it possible to unlock at&t and t-mobile sim locked phone with country locking…????

  119. SM Says:

    I see that you get factory unlocked iPhone 3GS available in Mumbai at Heera Panna and they also mention that it is imported from Hong Kong. How do you identify if that is authentic or not? Is there some way to figure out if it is really factory unlocked and not jail broken?

  120. Angel Says:

    Hii Raju..i am leavin to Paris on the 17th of this month. Orange is selling the iphone 3gs 16gb for 59 euros on contract..
    1)Is it possible for a tourist like me to purchase??
    2)if its possible then can i leave the country before the contract gets over??
    3)Are there any legalaties involved??(plan to purchase on prepaid)
    4)Can i unlock the locked phone when i return to india??
    Awaiting ur reply…thx!!!!!

  121. Raju Says:

    @Angel
    1) Yes
    2) Yes (with lock intact)
    3) Legality? Can you elaborate more?
    4) Yes (but it would void your warranty)

  122. shib shankar Says:

    @raju

    one of my frnd lives in nz is is comming in nov. i told him 2 bring 1 for me! he said that he will bring 1! but d only thig is that i hv 2 register it on the apple site! thn only it will start working with any service provider!

    do i have 2 register it??

    pls help..

  123. Raju Says:

    Yes. That is much needed for your warranty to hold good. I see no harm in registering it.

  124. shib shankar Says:

    thanx

  125. amit Says:

    i want to buy iphone 3gs 16gb white if anyone can sell it

  126. munif Says:

    i want i for persoanl use but if will buy from nz or aus will be expensive but from hk it will be ok

  127. rohitsabharwal Says:

    wat will be the price of the iphone3gs 16gb in india if we get it from hong kong

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