Purchasing Bold 9000 in Dubai

Hi

I am on O2 UK and am currently not a blackberry user, I am seriously considering getting the Bold 9000 though, however, my contract is not up for renewal until next year (June).

My parents are going on holiday to Dubai next month, and I just wondered, it it was available there when they travelled, and they could get a sim-unlocked one (I believe most phones purchased over there are?), would I have any problems running it on my O2UK sim card?

I spoke to O2 yesterday about roaming internet charges and they said I would be able to Bolt On an unlimited worldwide data service for �23 per month, even if I bought my blackberry from a 3rd party.

Does this sound right to anyone else?

Thanks

Stewart

Originally Posted by StuMcBill

Hi

I am on O2 UK and am currently not a blackberry user, I am seriously considering getting the Bold 9000 though, however, my contract is not up for renewal until next year (June).

My parents are going on holiday to Dubai next month, and I just wondered, it it was available there when they travelled, and they could get a sim-unlocked one (I believe most phones purchased over there are?), would I have any problems running it on my O2UK sim card?

I spoke to O2 yesterday about roaming internet charges and they said I would be able to Bolt On an unlimited worldwide data service for �23 per month, even if I bought my blackberry from a 3rd party.

Does this sound right to anyone else?

Thanks

Stewart

Bad news for you,

1 - new blackberry handsets come out much later here than anywhere else (just our luck.. every other phone model comes out here first)

2 - blackberry handsets here are locked to Etisalat carrier (just our luck, blackberries are the ONLY handsets here that are locked. Which is pretty crazy considering manufacturers release all phone models here not just a few of them that the carriers decide to take on.)

If you were to find one later on, you could still have it unlocked and use it with O2. But I HIGHLY doubt the Bold will come out here before it comes out in the UK.

Originally Posted by dubai_bb

Bad news for you,

1 - new blackberry handsets come out much later here than anywhere else (just our luck.. every other phone model comes out here first)

2 - blackberry handsets here are locked to Etisalat carrier (just our luck, blackberries are the ONLY handsets here that are locked. Which is pretty crazy considering manufacturers release all phone models here not just a few of them that the carriers decide to take on.)

If you were to find one later on, you could still have it unlocked and use it with O2. But I HIGHLY doubt the Bold will come out here before it comes out in the UK.

Ah Ok I see.

Thanks for your help, looks like I will be keeping an eye on O2 and ebay then! :p

Damn ......

I have a cousin travelling to Dubai next week and I was going to get him to look if he could track me one down, as I thought that they might release early over there !!!!

Places like Chile get the phone first and Europe & Saudi have to wait ..... I can't understand it.

The worlds becoming a crazy place to live in !

Originally Posted by StuMcBill

Ah Ok I see.

Thanks for your help, looks like I will be keeping an eye on O2 and ebay then! :p

HAHAHA! ok now its funny! BB Bold is available in dubai! we are getting it for 5000 AED. my friend just bought one , an unlocked version. forget bold, even one kickstart is in town :)
you know now whom to contact :p

Originally Posted by Nony888

HAHAHA! ok now its funny! BB Bold is available in dubai! we are getting it for 5000 AED. my friend just bought one , an unlocked version. forget bold, even one kickstart is in town :)
you know now whom to contact :p

Ya I saw, on souq.com; $1400 for a bold, no thanks I had one sent from canada for half the price. If I had seen those prices I would have had them send a bunch. Maybe still will.

You need to buy a whole bunch from Rogers, get them unlocked and open a stand at the Mall of the Emirates and make a killing :D:D

Or even set up a roadside stand on the drawbridge going across to the Burj :)

im going to see if anyone is coming this way.... I myself know 9-10 people who would pay $1500 for one.

Actually, a friend of mine was telling me he saw them for sale (unlocked) BEFORE there where available anywhere.

BEWARE of these units. They are stolen R&D units, and may be blocked by the carrier at any time. If you suspect that it may be a sketchy device, turn it off, and back on. If it is an engineering sample it will say "Property of Research In Motion..."

Also, a device in Dubai may
(a) Be locked to Eutelsat ?
(b) Not have UK keyboard ?
(c) May not be good value - Ive not often found any electronics bargains in Dubai. Carpets Yes. Electronics No.