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For all us on UK Networks... Help and Advice

N

npdale

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 18, 2007
75
2
So I am not too impressed by O2's tariff offerings, they just don't do it for me on the texts and minutes....

I think initially I am going to get a US import and unlock it for T-Mobile but is this wise?

  • Will everything work with T-Mobile, i.e. does it support EDGE?
  • If I choose to move to O2 when it comes out will I be able to then register with them on Nov 9th?
  • Is the UK software version superior to the US one? I notice on the homepage they note there are 'differences' in the new iPhone videos on the UK site.. what are they?
  • Lastly a discussion point... Since T-Mobile are supposedly getting the Germany contract do you think we will be able to get access to visual voicemail eventually? Or does anyone think that we'll be able to get access to this feature on unlocked iPhones cause I am really gutted about not having this on an unlocked unit...


Anyway guys be good to get some discussion going to help us UK people who want the phone but may prefer a different tariff

Look forward to the discussion..
 
I'd like to know all this too :)

The iphone announcement today was as bad as I thought it would be and if I could unlock one onto my T-mobile contact i'd be very happy.
 
I asked O2 today, the iPhone will have the ability to be unlocked in the UK, as with any other mobile phone (that's if it's not currently being subsidised by a contract, which the iPhone is not).

Really, Apple shot themselves in the foot with this one. It has to be unlocked as you pay full whack for the phone price.
 
Really, Apple shot themselves in the foot with this one. It has to be unlocked as you pay full whack for the phone price.
Click to expand...

I think you will find that O2 shot themselves in the foot more. If somebody buys the iPhone and unlocks it, Apple wins. If somebody buys the iPhone and sticks with the O2 18 month contract, Apple wins even more.


Im interested in picking up a US iPhone though. Does anybody have any experiences? Where do you source them? eBay?
 
npdale said:
[*]Is the UK software version superior to the US one? I notice on the homepage they note there are 'differences' in the new iPhone videos on the UK site.. what are they?
Click to expand...

Most of the differences will be nullified by a software update to the US phones.
 
so hang on what are we saying here? O2 have to unlock the iphone if you ask them to?? Without subscribing to their contracts?

This sounds like madness to me.... bloody sweet :) but madness all the same... will things like visual voicemail work if they do it for you?
 
I still trying to get my head round all this :)

can I do the following:

1) get a friend to buy me an iphone from the US
2) send it over to me in the UK
3) Run the unlocking software
4) put in my t-mobile sim card
5) use the iphone like i do my n95 at the moment?

Is EDGE the only possible hurdle?
 
paulinbognor said:
I still trying to get my head round all this :)

can I do the following:

1) get a friend to buy me an iphone from the US
2) send it over to me in the UK
3) Run the unlocking software
4) put in my t-mobile sim card
5) use the iphone like i do my n95 at the moment?

Is EDGE the only possible hurdle?
Click to expand...

Should be fine. the unlocking may break in the next update, so I'd probably wait a little bit and find out
 
Engadget were using an unlocked iPhone today in London, with a T-Mobile SIM in it. It picked up an EDGE signal. I didnt even know T-Mobile had EDGE in the UK.
 
Also if you get an unlocked iPhone and put a regular pay monthly O2 sim in it, will visual voicemail start working as soon as O2 flip the on switch or do you need an iPhone specific O2 sim?
 
This all assumes the activation hack will still work in the UK. If it does, and we can activate the iPhone without taking out a contract, then insert either a PAYG O2 sim, or indeed any other sim (if the iPhone is unlocked) then we win.

O2 may be banking on the layman just doing what they're told to do over iTunes and take the hit against those with a little more savvy like us ;)

My only concern is how The Cloud WiFi 'knows' it's an O2 iPhone ? Will this be via sim or IMEI number perhaps when registering the phone via iTunes ?
 
We need to know the legal stance in the UK on unlocking really.. by law do all phones have to be unlockable/unlocked if requested?
 
Hmm, just thought of another sticking point for people looking to import and unlock.

We would still have to deal with the always on EDGE issue right? You cant turn off EDGE at the moment - that feature is coming with 1.1.1; but we do not know for sure whether 1.1.1 will work with existing unlocking features.

So if we were to get an iPhone with the current firmware, you would essentially still need an unlimited data package, right? Otherwise if you put a regular O2 SIM in there at £10 per 20MB, you might be incurring some hefty monthly charges.

Does anybody know of a way around this? I cant think of any pay as you go SIM cards that offer a data plan.
 
the only one i know of is web n walk on t-mobile which is kick ass as its unlimited data for a fixed fee also for £10 per month you get unlimited access to all T-Mobile hot spot wi-fi zones, which in the UK is pretty much every starbucks out there... the reason there is no deal with starbucks in the UK yet is because starbucks deal with T-Mobile for their wi-fi and Apple have signed with O2... oh dear!!

Was it just me or did Steve Jobs look very uncomfortable at the UK launch and had an air of "I can't be arsed to be here" and "This market really doesnt bother me" - Worrying... maybe he was having a bad day :S
 
npdale said:
the only one i know of is web n walk on t-mobile which is kick ass as its unlimited data for a fixed fee also for £10 per month you get unlimited access to all T-Mobile hot spot wi-fi zones, which in the UK is pretty much every starbucks out there... the reason there is no deal with starbucks in the UK yet is because starbucks deal with T-Mobile for their wi-fi and Apple have signed with O2... oh dear!!

Was it just me or did Steve Jobs look very uncomfortable at the UK launch and had an air of "I can't be arsed to be here" and "This market really doesnt bother me" - Worrying... maybe he was having a bad day :S
Click to expand...


Where is that? Cant see it on the T-Mobile website for a tenner. Also, is this a contract? I already have a contract so not too keen on taking out another. I just want something to stick into the iPhone until those unlimited data plans are available on O2.
 
Project said:
Where is that? Cant see it on the T-Mobile website for a tenner. Also, is this a contract? I already have a contract so not too keen on taking out another. I just want something to stick into the iPhone until those unlimited data plans are available on O2.
Click to expand...

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/mobile-internet/hotspot/

This is the main hotspot site for T-Mobile

I can't see any specific mention of needing a contract... it just says you need to be a T-Mobile customer so pay as you go should be fine :) Also it has coverage at BAA Airports, Starbucks, Borders and 100's of Hotels... my, my, my where do cloud have wifi cover?
 
I'm in the same boat as the OP here, I really thought we were getting the iPhone yesterday (What can I say, I'm impatient:cool:)

So now I turn to eBay again....

I guess it all really boils down to what happens when 1.1.1 is released into the wild and if it overwrites the modem baseband patch that the free unlock uses. I don't want to get stuck with a phone sim-locked to a foreign network!

If the hacks hold I think I'll import, unlock and use my Vodafone simcard - I haven't taken an upgrade this year so Voda will half my tariff cost instead, also I can add there £7.50 per month data package which is more than I'll ever need and it'll be half price!

On one hand I can't see Apple or even AT&T really caring about the unlock - I mean what percentage of iPhones out there are unlocked right now - 1, 2%

On the other hand I can see 1 company in AT&T willing to do anything to protect their investment in the iPhone.

What will happen when 1.1.1 is released I guess will answer my questions but when's that gonna be!:confused:
 
npdale said:
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/mobile-internet/hotspot/

This is the main hotspot site for T-Mobile

I can't see any specific mention of needing a contract... it just says you need to be a T-Mobile customer so pay as you go should be fine :) Also it has coverage at BAA Airports, Starbucks, Borders and 100's of Hotels... my, my, my where do cloud have wifi cover?
Click to expand...

Hmm.. this isnt what I thought you meant.

My point is that the iPhone constantly uses data, even if you are not using it. (this is fixed in 1.1.1). So unless you have a SIM card with unlimited or cheap data, you will be getting big bills.

The Cloud have much better coverage than this too.

Im tempted to wait for 1.1.1. It should be any time now.
 
Or another way to look at it I guess (Can you tell I'm trying to justify buying one on eBay v.soon) is that you get one, unlock it and don't update it until the hackers get there way around any difficulties 1.1.1 throws up (If there are any)

I've done this with XBOX's, PSP's and many other toys, if you want yer hacks you've got to be patient with manufacturer upgrades.

Off to see whats on offer at ebay....;)
 
Add me to the list of people who aren't sure what to do now!

Firstly, I've not had a problem with O2. As an existing customer, I'm on a nice monthly tariff and their coverage, for both voice & data has been excellent.

My initial problem is not so much the cost per month, but the fact that the inclusive minutes and texts are so poor in relation to normal talk plans.

You're also locked in to an 18 month contract for a product which is going to receive an upgrade probably within 12 months. Steve Jobs even mentioned that 3G would be on the way "next year" in his launch.

I'm now more tempted to import an iPhone and just put my SIM in it as there's no doubt the iPhone itself looks like an amazing product. I'm not even really quibbling about the price, £269 seems fair enough to me. But to pay that price for the handset and then to be forced on to that sort of poor talkplan, that's kind of paying a double whammy.

But of course, importing an iPhone is a risk. I'm sure there'll be ways round any future locking if its reintroduced, but I'm not wanting to have that sort of hassle with a device I rely on to be working every day.

However, that would be a quick win just now, import an iPhone, have it unlocked and pop my existing O2 sim-card in it.
 
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