Stupid UK iPhone lock policy

[stix666]

In the UK, you can only buy it unlocked from the apple store. It is the process of activation through iTunes that locks it to the carrier. Do any other handsets do this?

 

[andybno1]

If it was purchased from an Apple store (or online), then it will be SIM Free & unlocked.

If it is locked then take it back to Apple and they'll rectify it.

not true.... if you buy a contract in the apple store apple will not give you the phone unlocked as it's a contract phone not a unlocked phone.

People are getting confused apple stores sell both unlocked and contract phones

 

[Moe UK]

I bought a 4s today from Apple been using my Vdnafone SIM all day now have popped in a 3 SIM to test out their network and tether to my iPad. No lock whatsoever ever.

 

[ste1164]

As others have said the staff member might have made a mistake. Or you could have accidentally bought a pay as you go phone with O2 at the apple store. These phones also become locked.

 

[Azzin]

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I paid £499 for it. Not a subsidised phone.

This happens because of an agreement Apple have with the UK network carriers - they lock the phone to the network at the time of activation if you are in contract (which I was, having lost the original subsidised phone).

O2 won't charge for unlocking. But this locking is not properly advertised. I was about to put the phone up on eBay selling it as unlocked. This would have screwed up that sale. And as mentioned before, my dad is without mobile service for a few days

I think it's ridiculous for the Apple CSR to put this all on O2. It is the way the phone gets activated through Apple that is the problem. I agree the US mobile phone carriers are a lot worse.

Something isn't right here.

I too bought an iPhone from the Apple store in Regent St, London.

Apple had already confirmed that all phones purchased outright would come (& remain) unlocked.

I was on O2 at the time, I put my SIM in my i4 in store, set it all up and away I went.

That was in June (launch day) and I moved to Vodafone in July of last year. Got my VF SIM, put it in my iPhone-no problem and certainly not locked to O2.

In July of this year I moved to 3. Got my 3 SIM, put it in my iPhone and guess what?

Yep, it worked straight away.

So you put your SIM (O2) in your new iPhone, that was from an iPhone that had been on a subsidised contract (& would therefore have been locked to O2 in the first place) and your new iPhone became locked as per your original contract/SIM.

There is clearly something on your SIM/contract/agreement that locks your phone (whatever phone) to O2 and It's an o2 issue here, not an Apple one.

 

[fat jez]

How much did you pay for the phone and did you sign up to a new contract at the same time?

 

[sananda]

Might be a locked pay and go phone rather than an unlocked phone. Both are very expensive.