T-Mo back to selling iPhones in Germany

It was a good effort on the part of Vodafone, but in the end, T-Mobile is allowed to conduct business as usual with the iPhone. The German court ruled that T-Mobile can attach a contract to the phone, as well as lock the SIM to their network. This likely does away with T-Mobile’s sales of unlocked iPhones, which cost more than double their locked brethren — 399 euros vs. 999 euros.

Being unfamiliar with the business landscape in Germany and the rest of Europe, it’s tough to comment on what this could mean in the long haul. In America, we’d be afraid that this would set a precedent. Thankfully, in California we’ve seen the opposite decision — that locking phones might not be fair practice, for at least as long as the contract runs.

The concern, it seems, wasn’t the locking of the phone, but rather the enormous cost that comes with the two-year commitment. That’s 1,176 euros, the rough equivalent of $1,734, just for the two years of service. In the U.S., the minimum iPhone charge over two years comes in just slightly below that.

Whatever the ultimate outcome, we really hope it doesn’t lead to a widespread practice of locked phones in Europe.

[Washington Post]

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