First we had Italy and now Belgium. Folks from alstel.be are reporting that a 3G, unlocked iPone will be available in May/June and will work on any of the Belgian carriers. Because of “monopoly” issues Apple faced in Germany, the Belgians believe that Apple has given up and will let everyone with a SIM card in on the fun. Doubtful, but stranger things have happened. After all, Apple does need the Euro-zone to ensure some market dominance, especially over entrenched Nokia and Sony Ericsson.
Being a Belgian I can confirm the legal matter: it is illegal over here to sell cellphones exclusively WITH a subscription, hence you don’t see any brand doing it. That’s why I thought it would never even make it over here under those circumstances …
Yes, Luc is right: you can’t tie a mobile to a provider. I even think you can’t offer a discount for a phone that is bundled with a specific tarif plan.