Richard Cartledge wrote:
Maybe the German SIM-free versions are only SIM-free for any german network, after all, that is all the german law requires.
Nope. What the German law really requires is currently not clear - the unlocked phones are sold under a temporary injunction. The next hearing is on Thursday - it could as well be, that T-Mobile can legally return to the previous model after that - at least until the EU finds a valid regulation that covers more than only Germany or France (which makes no sense in a harmonised market).
The current injunction does not mean "german networks" it means "unlocked" - there is no difference between German and other SIMs and/or GSM networks. Remember that even US iPhones work globally (OK, there is no EDGE in some places...). I have used my phone in France yesterday, with a French SIM, and it works perfectly well.