SAN FRANCISCO -(Dow Jones)- Rumors Friday of an unlocked iPhone for sale in Germany highlight a new challenge Apple Inc. (AAPL) faces in Europe later on this month. Starting Nov. 29, Apple's iPhone will be sold in France, where two laws require cellphone operators to make available phones that can work on a network of the phone owner's choosing, and aren't locked to a single network. Apple and its operator partner Orange are expected to comply with the French law, thus providing the first opportunity to buy an unlocked iPhone. As the rumors Friday of unlocked German iPhones attests, Apple fans have begun clamoring for such a development. Apple fans posting comments in Internet chat rooms Friday talk excitedly of plans to visit France to buy an unlocked iPhone to use at home. Consumers in the U.S. also have been clamoring for unlocked iPhones ever since a version locked to AT&T Inc.'s (T) network went on sale June 29. According to AT&T, a sizable percentage of the iPhones it sold hadn't been activated on AT&T's network, meaning they had likely been unlocked. Meanwhile, hackers in the U.S. who have figured out how to unlock iPhones on their own will benefit as well. By dissecting the unlocked phones, they could gain more insight into how Apple goes about locking up phones. Apple didn't return calls and emails Friday seeking comment. Further muddying the situation is that Apple and Orange have yet to confirm whether they will, and how they will, be complying with the French law. European operators on Friday warned that unlocked iPhones aren't a good idea for a variety of reasons. In the case of O2, the U.K. operator that began selling the iPhone on Friday, it means no access to its unlimited data packages and its visual voice-mail feature. "In short, it makes no sense to buy an iPhone in France for use in the UK," said 02 spokesman Lloyd Simon. -By Ben Charny, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-765-8230; ben.charny@dowjones.com http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200711091533DOWJONESDJONLINE000791_FORTUNE5.htm