Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

EE iPhone 5S unlocked?

M

mrmeister

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 26, 2010
139
1
Hi,

I know that all iPhone 5S's sold on Verizon in the States (possibly other carriers too, but Verizon i know for sure) are sold unlocked - because my girlfriend was able to put a Pay As You Go SIM from EE into her iPhone 5S when she came over to the UK from the States.

Now will this work the other way around? I have an EE iPhone 5S on contract, and i'm going to visit the States in the summer, so i was just going to buy a Verizon SIM card and swap them over when i arrive. Is EE's iPhone also unlocked, or will i need to pay to get it unlocked?

I'm hoping i won't, because it was so simple when she came here; no setting up was required, we just swapped the SIMs out when she landed, and then changed them back over before she arrived home, and the number and network were recognised automatically.

Anyone have any ideas?
 
Don't really know much about EE iPhones, but I can tell you that you need a Verizon iPhone to use the Verizon network.

Assuming your EE iPhone is unlocked, you could go with AT&T or T-Mobile or any of their MVNOs
 
Verizon most likely won't allow you to use a non Verizon phone on their network.

Like the other poster said, you can probably just use another carrier if your phone is unlocked.
 
No it's not unlocked you would have to request ee to unlock your phone for you matey it's normally £20 and they will do it. When I went over to he states I found t mobile was the easiest way of get a SIM card network as AT&T didn't at the time provide SIM cards.
 
seb1987 said:
No it's not unlocked you would have to request ee to unlock your phone for you matey it's normally £20 and they will do it. When I went over to he states I found t mobile was the easiest way of get a SIM card network as AT&T didn't at the time provide SIM cards.
Click to expand...

The OP should check out AIO or Straight Talk. Pretty decent prices and I've heard good things about them.
 
Hmm, well this throws a spanner in the works.... I wasn't planning on having to pay for it to be unlocked in addition to everything else.

Would it be cheaper for me just to buy an EE data package of some sort and use that abroad, instead of unlocking my phone and getting a native SIM? I can probably get away with not making calls, and i suppose i can use iMessages and Whatsapp for all texts
 
mrmeister said:
Would it be cheaper for me just to buy an EE data package of some sort and use that abroad, instead of unlocking my phone and getting a native SIM? I can probably get away with not making calls, and i suppose i can use iMessages and Whatsapp for all texts
Click to expand...

International data is normally crazy expensive. You ought to be asking your carrier these questions, not us. ;)
 
mrmeister said:
Hmm, well this throws a spanner in the works.... I wasn't planning on having to pay for it to be unlocked in addition to everything else.

Would it be cheaper for me just to buy an EE data package of some sort and use that abroad, instead of unlocking my phone and getting a native SIM? I can probably get away with not making calls, and i suppose i can use iMessages and Whatsapp for all texts
Click to expand...

Depending on what you pay now, EE offer there Extra tariffs at £26 Pm.

http://explore.ee.co.uk/4gee-extra-plans-roaming-benefits

This gives you unlimited calls/txt in the USA and back to the UK amongst other countries and discounted data add-ons.
 
bollyboy said:
Depending on what you pay now, EE offer there Extra tariffs at £26 Pm.

http://explore.ee.co.uk/4gee-extra-plans-roaming-benefits

This gives you unlimited calls/txt in the USA and back to the UK amongst other countries and discounted data add-ons.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure i'm on that plan, or a version of it - i think i pay slightly more but paid less for the phone because carphone warehouse wouldn't offer the cheaper one. So it looks like i get calls and texts back home, and i can just buy a data addon when i arrive? Like you all say though, i should speak to EE, which i will. I just wanted to check whether my first option (using a USA native SIM) would work or not, but it seems as though it won't unless i get my phone unlocked, and i'll have to wait another few months to do that with EE unless i pay £100...
 
derbyshire2013 said:
How long have you been an EE customer for?
Click to expand...

Well i'm not the account holder, i'm just paying for the phone. It's in my parent's name, and they've been an account holder for a year/year and a half already.

Do i still have to wait for 6 months because my phone and contract isn't 6 months old, or is it just the account holder has to have been with EE for 6 months, in which case i can pay for unlocking now?
 
mrmeister said:
Well i'm not the account holder, i'm just paying for the phone. It's in my parent's name, and they've been an account holder for a year/year and a half already.

Do i still have to wait for 6 months because my phone and contract isn't 6 months old, or is it just the account holder has to have been with EE for 6 months, in which case i can pay for unlocking now?
Click to expand...

According to their Unlocking page over at EE:

You must be one of our customers and have had your handset registered with us for at least six months.

So you'd have to wait until the six month period has passed (I am guessing it'll be before your planned trip?) and your parents would have to process the unlocking on your behalf as they are the account holder.

https://explore.ee.co.uk/unlock
 
derbyshire2013 said:
So you'd have to wait until the six month period has passed (I am guessing it'll be before your planned trip?) and your parents would have to process the unlocking on your behalf as they are the account holder.
Click to expand...

Of course that's the case... It's ridiculous. I wonder if i could speak to someone nice at EE and get them to process something earlier? Worth a shot at least, if i plead my case
 
mrmeister said:
Of course that's the case... It's ridiculous. I wonder if i could speak to someone nice at EE and get them to process something earlier? Worth a shot at least, if i plead my case
Click to expand...

Yes, it's always worth a try.

I've found their social media team on either Facebook or Twitter to be more helpful than dialling 150....
 
derbyshire2013 said:
Yes, it's always worth a try.

I've found their social media team on either Facebook or Twitter to be more helpful than dialling 150....
Click to expand...

That's interesting, i'll keep that in mind. I guess they won't want to seem as bad as they really are to everyone will they?
 
mrmeister said:
Pretty sure i'm on that plan, or a version of it - i think i pay slightly more but paid less for the phone because carphone warehouse wouldn't offer the cheaper one. So it looks like i get calls and texts back home, and i can just buy a data addon when i arrive? Like you all say though, i should speak to EE, which i will. I just wanted to check whether my first option (using a USA native SIM) would work or not, but it seems as though it won't unless i get my phone unlocked, and i'll have to wait another few months to do that with EE unless i pay £100...
Click to expand...

Make sure you have data roaming enabled before travelling as loads of customers find they don't once they arrive overseas.

I have the Extra tariff and it was great as your calls also within the USA are free.
I bought 1GB of data for 30 days of use at £25, more than enough if it's just for the usual browsing/whatsapp, etc.
 
bollyboy said:
I have the Extra tariff and it was great as your calls also within the USA are free.
Click to expand...

Are calls to USA numbers within the USA free?

bollyboy said:
I bought 1GB of data for 30 days of use at £25, more than enough if it's just for the usual browsing/whatsapp, etc.
Click to expand...

It's just a shame it's so much for so little... That's why i'm tempted to go for the unlock and get a native SIM, although, if the unlock is going to be near £100 then that's out of the question.
 
Hi

Yes calls within the USA to USA numbers are free.

You can also call any of the below from any of the other listed countries.

So for example, calls from USA-Australia are free. Spain-China, etc

Great for regular travellers.





Europe

Austria, Azores, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guyana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madeira, Malta, Martinique, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican.

THE REST OF THE WORLD

Armenia, Australia, China, Israel, Macedonia, Martinique, Switzerland, Turkey and USA
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back