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How do I get an unlocked iPhone4 in the UK?

I

iFanboy

Guest
Original poster
Somewhat generic question.

I'm on Vodafone UK sim only 30 day rolling contract. So I can essentially have any phone as long as I buy it. Currently have BB 9700

The only problem I see with getting the iPhone4 is that from the apple website/store it appears that they only sell O2 or Orange locked handsets.

I know Vodafone have the iPhone now, but don't know when/if they'll be selling them without a 12/24 month contract.

So, how do I get an unlocked iPhone4 on release day? Surely if I run down to the apple store i'll get a handset that wont work with my Vodafone Sim card?
 
duction said:
buy an o2 locked payasyougo and then get it unlocked ?
Click to expand...

It's too early to know exact options yet, but following last year, o2 is likely to be a good bet, as current policies allow unlocking PAYG handset from day 1, unlike orange PAYG. But it remains to be seen what this years extra additions add to fray. I'd wager there might even be a small chance they're all unlocked in UK now to aid logistics, being over 5, possibly 6 carriers.
 
When you get your iPhone with the O2 PAYG sim, make 2 chargeable calls longer than 10 seconds and make sure you have at least £15 of credit. Submit the unlock request on O2's website, and it should take no longer than 2 weeks for the unlock to be complete.
 
2....WEEKS? :eek:

So not a fully functional unlocked iPhone4 on release day then? :(
 
ayzee said:
When you get your iPhone with the O2 PAYG sim, make 2 chargeable calls longer than 10 seconds and make sure you have at least £15 of credit. Submit the unlock request on O2's website, and it should take no longer than 2 weeks for the unlock to be complete.
Click to expand...

That's my plan too!

Many members on the forum have been saying it only took 3 days, not the 14 they mention. Hopefully they'll be able to deal with the large number of people unlocking if this is an option
 
yea i'm planning to visit the UK later this month or July and i would love to buy an unlocked iPhone there...i thought there's only 2 carriers for the iPhone there,since when it's 6 carriers? if it's really 6 carriers then the chances of unlocked iPhone is high..
 
animatedude said:
yea i'm planning to visit the UK later this month or July and i would love to buy an unlocked iPhone there...i thought there's only 2 carriers for the iPhone there,since when it's 6 carriers? if it's really 6 carriers then the chances of unlocked iPhone is high..
Click to expand...

There has been 4 since early this year, 2 more have come on board since the iPhone 4 was announced.

I don't think it increased the chance of buying one unlocked. All the networks have locked handsets, none of them are known for having unlocked handsets.
 
This will be the option I'll be going for too since I'm happy with T-Mobile atm.

But can anyone confirm that O2 will sell iPhone 4 on PAYG on release date because for the 3GS they were released at a later date weren't they?
 
I filled in the O2 unlock form to unlock my 3G on Thursday afternoon, I got the confirmation txt that it was unlocked yesterday morning!

Though it took 5 days to unlock my 3GS, so yeah, pretty random how long it'll take, but it's unlikely it would happen same or next day.

Hopefully it'll be the same on the 4, then i can get a Vodafone sim!
 
JadedBen said:
I filled in the O2 unlock form to unlock my 3G on Thursday afternoon, it got the confirmation txt that it was unlocked yesterday morning!

Though it took 5 days to unlock my 3GS, so yeah, pretty random how long it'll take, but it's unlikely it would happen same or next day.

Hopefully it'll be the same on the 4, then i can get a Vodafone sim!
Click to expand...

Vodafone microsim you mean.
 
londoner888 said:
This will be the option I'll be going for too since I'm happy with T-Mobile atm.

But can anyone confirm that O2 will sell iPhone 4 on PAYG on release date because for the 3GS they were released at a later date weren't they?
Click to expand...

t-mobile will be selling iphone 4's too. all the providers will be. though unknown wether the others will be doing PAYG yet. should know full details by tuesday hopefully.
 
iMacDragon said:
t-mobile will be selling iphone 4's too. all the providers will be. though unknown wether the others will be doing PAYG yet. should know full details by tuesday hopefully.
Click to expand...

Virgin is one of the major providers not offering the iPhone.
 
I guess I did mainly mean the primary providers, who own the networks, but yes, virgin is probably the biggest known provider that has not announced anything yet.
 
anjinhamarota said:
It's not 2 weeks, it's UP TO 2 weeks. It's usually pretty quick.
Click to expand...

It's fast. I'm on an O2 contract and it's free for contracted customers.

I bought a 16gb 3GS and unlocked that, look 1 day for it to be unlocked. The I bought a 32gb, took a day also to unlock that.

I never had any intention to use them unlocked, but in the future to be able to sell them on ebay as officially unlocked thus boosting its market value.
 
I got a replacement 3g last month from the apple store. When I put in a Three SIM (I'm on an o2 contract and had my original iPhone unlocked) it asked me to connect to iTunes and it got unlocked. Would this happen if I got a PAYG iPhone 4, or do I have to activate it as aPAYG first?
 
Now that I think about it, the genius ativated the phone in the store, a PAYG phone probably wouldn't be activated out of the box?
 
afd said:
Now that I think about it, the genius ativated the phone in the store, a PAYG phone probably wouldn't be activated out of the box?
Click to expand...

no iphone is activated out of box, without being paired with a sim it accepts, even unlocked ones I believe. though obviously, with an unlocked phone any sim at all is valid for activating.
 
Thanks! Buying from the apple store and getting O2 to unlock it :)
 
I'd wait just a bit more to know full details, though that will certainly be a 'safe' likely option, but someone here noted iphone spec now says "iPhone may be configured to work only with the wireless services of a single wireless service provider." for UK ones, so it may in fact be unlocked from word go in some circumstances, no way to know yet!
 
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