20% of French iPhone buyers paid almost $1000 for an unlocked iPhone

Orange is reporting that of the 30,000 iPhones they sold in the first five days, 20% were purchased unlocked for 749 euros. With contract the phones sell for 399 euros, meaning 6000 users opted to pay more for complete phone portability.

This makes perfect sense. First off, unlocked phones are the norm overseas and paying a premium for a good product is understood and accepted. The false subsidies offered by carriers in the U.S. clearly isn’t working — witness Verizon’s shocking announcement — and things have to change. I’m taking bets: Who thinks that iPhone 2.0 will come out unlocked in the US?

20% of iPhones in France unlocked [BBC]