I think you would be stuck with the phone for at least a good 18 months if not possibly the entire contract.
Best bet is if you upgrade every 12 months get the pay as you go one and then choose the simplicity tariff
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
The U.K. iPhone 4 Thread
- Thread starter CD3660
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I think you would be stuck with the phone for at least a good 18 months if not possibly the entire contract.
Best bet is if you upgrade every 12 months get the pay as you go one and then choose the simplicity tariff
You would have to speak with your provider once it comes out and see if they are willing to unlock it.
As far as I know only Orange and O2 offer an official unlock but this might change.
Come back next year and ask. That is totally unknown. Last year they said no. Year before yes. This year is yes. Next year ???
If you sign an 18 month contract you are committing to stay on that contract for the full 18 months. Any offers to give early upgrades are at O2's discretion and can't be expected just because they have been offered in the past.
There was no easy way to upgrade last year when the 3GS was released, you could pay off your existing contract or pay the higher cost for a PAYG handset. Now that O2 have competition for iPhone sales they have announced they are allowing early upgrades for the iPhone 4 (but not given any details yet). Unless it is clearly stated in the contract you are signing, don't rely on the same offer being available next year.
daleski75 - So your saying all 02 iPhones are unlocked?
I will be getting it on PAYG his year, I'm on an iPhone Simplicity contract at the moment and pay £20 a month for everything I need I will not be going back up for £40 just to be in a dilema next year.
From now on I will do what I have done now, sell my iPhone a few days before the WWDC and then buy on PAYG
I will be getting it on PAYG his year, I'm on an iPhone Simplicity contract at the moment and pay £20 a month for everything I need I will not be going back up for £40 just to be in a dilema next year.
From now on I will do what I have done now, sell my iPhone a few days before the WWDC and then buy on PAYG
Also I don't think they offered this immediately after launch. It was a few months before they announced the £15 unlocking service if I remember correctly.
I had mine unlocked just over a week ago. I had a problem with O2 when they did it.
If some of you still have your 3GS models O2 Recycle have an absolutely cracking deal on them!
I just sold my iPhone 3GS 16GB to them for £288.20, much higher than the other recycling companies and cuts out the hassle of eBay and Paypal fees, and held payments which Paypal would do on such a high value item!
The quote price is £263, up from yesterday by about £20, just use the code 'more4u' to get an extra 10%!
Now if they offered a discounted upgrade, we would all be laughing rolling about in £5 notes!
This is the downside! Within 7 days so it would need to be sent off next Monday, hopefully all pricing and plan information will be released by Monday otherwise it seems pointless doing it!
Looks like Ill be rejected to using a Nokia for a short time! bah
Allright. I will visit their stores and explain why I need an unlock, maybe one of the providers is customer friendly enough to unlock the phone for business travellers.
They are not unlocked out the box you would need to call them pay £15 to get it unlocked but as another poster said it would really depend if they offer this on the iphone 4 right away.
Im liking the sound of this and may do the same. Am I right in thinking you can put your sim card into another phone temporarily and still use the some contract until you get your new phone?
My contract ran out a long time ago and Im happy to live without the iphone for a few weeks. In the mean time I could buy something dirt cheap on ebay to use.
US iPhone 4
Sorry for my ignorance on this, but I'm new to the iPhone (and smart phones in general).
I'm going to be in the US when the iPhone comes out visiting family, could anybody tell me if it would be possible to pick up an iPhone there and then get it unlocked in the UK when I return? From what I read AT&T seem quite keen on locking things down, so I'm not sure if this is possible or even if there would any issues with doing so?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Sorry for my ignorance on this, but I'm new to the iPhone (and smart phones in general).
I'm going to be in the US when the iPhone comes out visiting family, could anybody tell me if it would be possible to pick up an iPhone there and then get it unlocked in the UK when I return? From what I read AT&T seem quite keen on locking things down, so I'm not sure if this is possible or even if there would any issues with doing so?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Details for O2 unlocking can be found here. You can request it online.
It's £15 for PAYG and free for contract iPhones.
Don't jump the wagon too fast, they say it's very likely there's a 64GB in the pipeline very soon, most likely around the holidays.
Count me in 
, ill be getting one from 02.
Apparently the 02 plans are going to be very 'cool' for existing customers, it better be.
, ill be getting one from 02. Apparently the 02 plans are going to be very 'cool' for existing customers, it better be.
Well they just say iPhone so I don't see why not. You effectively loose £120 though. 12 months web and wifi at £10. I had mine done a week ago, they dont hang around taking your free internet away, it was same day and they didn't tell me. The other £4.80 I had on the payg account went on data within 30 mins (£3 for 1MB). Yet it was almost a week before they unlocked it.
I can't see any reason why they wont offer the unlock as you would of paid up front for the pay as you go one and if you are on a contract you are tied into that anyway unless you pay it all off.
So either way O2 get money and you get an unlocked iphone.
Of course only time will tell!
So either way O2 get money and you get an unlocked iphone.
Of course only time will tell!
I spend about 2 weeks/month outside of UK. If I count all the roaming costs which I save when I change my Sim in each country I will rather save than loose 120£
I spend about 2 weeks/month outside of UK. If I count all the roaming costs which I save when I change my Sim in each country I will rather save than loose 120£
That makes sense. You might be very lucky and get an O2 sim thats not activated when you buy you new phone. Keep it to one side and put another sim in it before you apply to have it unlocked. That way you might get away with keeping the free internet sim to sell or use.
Not very ethical, I would have to think before doing it... I thought, I would do it
Why not just pre-order it, or order it online while you are away, say a day or two before you are due to come back.
I have had iPhone 3G since launch, and in February, my 18 month contract renewed.
I understand that there's no official word on O2 early upgrade offers yet but do you think that the fact that I'm so early on in my new 18 month contract will hinder my chances of upgrading?
*note* I haven't upgraded at all since getting my 3G 22months ago.
I understand that there's no official word on O2 early upgrade offers yet but do you think that the fact that I'm so early on in my new 18 month contract will hinder my chances of upgrading?
*note* I haven't upgraded at all since getting my 3G 22months ago.