I need some help please with the above question. Can I buy an iPhone in the USA for use in Australia? Are there any drawbacks to this? I’m not necessarily thinking about a new phone but something a bit better than my old 6S. Thanks in advance fir your help.
Purchase iPhone in USA for Use in Australia
YankeeGirl on 26/08/2022 - 08:53
Comments
i believe Apple CAN make you go to the originating country of purchase if there's a warranty problem
There are some frequencies I think the USA iphone has that Aus doesn't. Depending on model.
The warranty is another. They can be brutal and 1 year only in the Apple shop.
Doubt there is much price benefit worth the hassle.
Australian Phones are Metric also. ;)
Only 1 year warranty (instead of the 2 you get in Australia). Frequencies are the same (just google it). Last time I checked for the 13 Pro Max 250Gb, the savings were about AU$150. It also depends on the state you’ll buy it from.
The warranty wouldn’t be an issue if buying a second hand phone.
So you're willing to gamble a second hand phone from a possibly untrustworthy seller?
How much could you save?
2nd hand anything carries the risk of the item dying the second you buy it. So yeah if the savings are good, go for it. But you have to accept the risk of losing both your money and a working 2nd hand phone.
What exactly is your question?
We could end up with a post in a month where OP receives a box of rocks.
My question was, will an iPhone purchased in the US work in Australia. I was thinking a secondhand phone. Why would that be more a danger than purchasing a second hand phone in Australia?
By 'danger', if you mean:
a) it won't work properly due to incompatibility with Australia: I don't know the answer to this, others seem to say it should work fine
b) the risk of it not working due to some fault with the device: if you're buying 2nd hand in Aus (and assuming you're in Aus), there's at least some chance of you getting back in touch with the seller and sorting something out. But you're right in the sense that the likelihood of the thing dying is probably on par whether bought here or overseas. Seller legitimacy/honesty is then the most important factor I suppose.Good luck!
Buy it in Australia then?
Double check if the US phone supports all the frequencies used in AU. I've first hand experience where an old AU iPhone (+ another Android phone) had decent reception at certain regional locations while a late model US iPhone had hardly any reception, if at all. All 3 phones were on the same network.
My wife and I have iphones we purchased in the US and they work fine here, no issues with reception that we've seen
It might or might not be noticeable depending on where you are.
The US iphone works fine in the cities (where the network is presumably much better/ stronger) but was obviously struggling (as compared to the other devices) when we're travelling in regional WA.
I was faced with high shipping charges and GST and it just wasn’t worth it. Hope you found a better deal.
I’m in the US now which is why I posted the question. Based on all of the replies I have decided to wait until I return home to buy a phone.
Frequencies you have to be very careful with. The US phone might not support the best frequencies for your mobile network. See https://www.apple.com/au/iphone/cellular/. For example iphone 13. US has Model A2482. Australia is Model A2633. The bands differ. Then you have to spend time figuring it out. It is a hassle. How big is the impact if you get it wrong? You'll never be sure, you'll only notice it as spotty reception. Is there much price difference to be worth it? If travelling, there is a way to buy in Australia, and reclaim the gst back.
Buy one of the great new mid range android phones if you are budget conscious, they are all on special right now.
Buying second hand stuff from overseas and then have no warranty seems a bit iffy.
Thank you everyone for your replies.I think I will wait until I return to Australia to get another phone. Hoping to buy a secondhand one from a reputable re-sellar. I think I even saw somewhere that Coles was selling refurbished phones!
i thought iphone does not have international warranty? you may want to get the official answer from an apple genius (in writing ideally)