This is what will happen. Some guy posted a screen shot from Carphone Warehouse showing separate models for Orange and O2, with the various colours and memory storage. The lock is only a software lock, so there are no manufacturing complications. I'm sure the reason for the lock is just to ensure that the network gets some kind of cash out of you for the first 12 months. I don't imagine they make very much margin at all in selling you the phone itself.
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The U.K. iPhone 4 Thread
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This is what will happen. Some guy posted a screen shot from Carphone Warehouse showing separate models for Orange and O2, with the various colours and memory storage. The lock is only a software lock, so there are no manufacturing complications. I'm sure the reason for the lock is just to ensure that the network gets some kind of cash out of you for the first 12 months. I don't imagine they make very much margin at all in selling you the phone itself.
I don't think it's the sim that initiates the locking. More a menu item the Apple chap uses when he registers you phone. Does the Apple store stock PAYG iPhones for both O2 and Voda? Is so are they different box markings or both the same phone but locked to whatever on purchase.
I'd agree but Ofcom may not be long for this world:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/06/cameron_ofcom/
Perhaps if it had a few more successes to point to, it might have an argument for continued existence. I hope the replacement is better and does better for the consumer, but who knows.
The point is, on PAYG, why should that network get any kind of cash from me. I am buying a Phone from Apple and a service from them. They are not giving me an incentive to allow them to lock my phone any more.
I saw the screenshots the mind boggles with that many models shipping either way I am going to be sticking with Orange for the near future so it's a moot point to me if they offer an unlock or not.
Just it sucks if you travel a lot because then you cannot use a local sim card which is what I do a lot.
That's very sad news. I wonder how many of these tories that are pushing this through have a financial interest in there somewhere.
I have got around £300 to go towards a pay as you go iPhone 4 16gb so hopefully Orange will be releasing them on the 24th as well.
Time to get the F5 key ready on midnight Monday on the apple store haha
Time to get the F5 key ready on midnight Monday on the apple store haha
What a lot of people don't seem to know is that the network cannot refuse to unlock your phone as that would be a breach of consumer rights. You have a legal right to use any mobile phone you own on whatever network you choose!
Of course, if your on a contract you don't actually own the phone until the contract has run its course, but in the case of a PAYG phone it's yours from the start so you can insist they unlock it. They are allowed to charge a fee to do this.
Of course, if your on a contract you don't actually own the phone until the contract has run its course, but in the case of a PAYG phone it's yours from the start so you can insist they unlock it. They are allowed to charge a fee to do this.
Thank's, thats an interesting point. I will have to find where it's quoted legally so I can re-quote if needed. I still don't see why they have the right to lock it in the first place if you buy direct from Apple if this is the case.
Looking at the current prices for the 3GS, i dont think you'll get the 16GB for less than £400
We wish! They don't have to unlock it. It was not passed into law in the UK. There was a big debate on here sometime last year when 3GS came out with posters pulling up pieces of legislation and quoting all sorts of Acts of Parliament.
The only countries in Europe that I'm aware of that 'must' unlock a phone by law are Belgium and Italy
There won't be 20 models. It will be 4. Phones are locked to the network when activated in iTunes as far as I understand
apart from 3 mobile seem way better value for money, the internet is the same price £5 for 1GB (which is the fair usage for tmobile) calls to other mobiles are cheaper on 3mobile, with each top up you get free texts, free 3-3 minutes (cheaper than tmobiles 8p pm)
all the rewards are for 90days on 3 compared to one weekend on tmobile.
and 3 mobile also has access to all of tmobiles masts so wherever you get a signal with tmobile you get it with 3 and you get all of 3 mobiles own masts too which has the highest 3g coverage
Don't you mean cmd-R to refresh? You're not using a PC surely?
F5 is still refresh on a Mac
Are you a 3 salesman? Other people in here manage to take about networks without turning every post into an advert but every post you make seems to be about how brilliant 3 is.
Im using Firefox on my Mac Pro with an Apple aluminium USB keyboard
Don't you mean cmd-R to refresh? You're not using a PC surely?
For my sins I am using a Sony Vaio VPC-Z11! I do miss the mac but the screen resolutions suck on the 13 incher.