MACOLDIE has been snoozing for the past few weeks but is now established in the holiday isle of Mykonos for the next six weeks, enjoying the sun (and wind, of course) and savouring the island culture. Technology is a bit remote, perhaps as it should be, but the iPhone 3GS has finally crossed the Aegean and landed at Germanos, a sort of Greek Carphone Warehouse. Vodafone, the official iPhone agents, are totally clueless and do not expect supplies until September 1 at the earliest. A brand new white 32GB phone has been snapped up for the MacOldie household at a rather reasonable €444 ($630, £382) in return for an 18-month contract at €35 ($49, £30) which includes 100 minutes, 150 texts and 500MB of data. Experience using the old 3G model for the past twelve months shows that data usage per month is seldom more than 150MB.
Unlocked iPhone 3GS arrives in Mykonos
The important thing to bear in mind is that all phones are sold unlocked in Greece. So you are not restricted to buying from one supplier such as Apple's partner Vodafone. Since the Vodafone 3G signal is a bit iffy in parts of Mykonos, we've gone with Cosmote, the mobile branch of Greece's national telephone company, OTE. With this arrangement, the new phone can be used with a SIM card from any 3G network in Europe–including O2 in the UK where it will spend a large part of its life.
Interestingly, internet site Expansys is selling unlocked 32GB 3GS models for an gut-wrenching €1,140 ($1,617, £980) throughout Europe (including the UK, where unlocked phones are supposed not to be available). We wonder what planet Expansys think they are inhabiting? Even Vodafone Greece will sell you an unlocked 32GB model without a contract for €669 ($949, £575).