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UK iPhone 5 thread

Has anybody managed to get a SIM FREE iPhone 5 from CPW successfully unlocked by T-Mobile?

Received my phone from CPW last Weds

Nano Sim card from T-Mobile Thursday.

Requested unlock from TMobile Friday - paid £15.32

Received text today informing me there is an account mismatch - iPhone can't be unlocked!

Phoned them to be told IMEI number doesn't exist!

Phoned CPW, who told me this was rubbish, contact TMobile.

TMobile eventually respond with - correct, can't unlock, as the iPhone 5 isn't the one that is registered on my contract. Best thing to do is to restore iPhone 5 with a different nano sim card, and that will prove iPhone is already unlocked!

Any suggestions?

HELP!!!!
 
64GB Black (sim free) received from CPW today.

Just waiting on my nano sim from Three to arrive tomorrow and I am good to go.

First impressions is it's very light but feels sturdy, solid. I have one slight scuff but only seen it because I was really looking. Don't think I'll take it to Apple although people on here have returned their phones for a lot less. :rolleyes:
 

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nataliamck said:
64GB Black (sim free) received from CPW today.

Just waiting on my nano sim from Three to arrive tomorrow and I am good to go.

First impressions is it's very light but feels sturdy, solid. I have one slight scuff but only seen it because I was really looking. Don't think I'll take it to Apple although people on here have returned their phones for a lot less. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I have an identical scuff on my black 64gb as well and just kept it, also only noticed it as I was specifically checking. I dropped my launch day iPhone 4S on the first day and put a dent in it so used to having slightly imperfect iPhone
 
baronbuzby said:
Has anybody managed to get a SIM FREE iPhone 5 from CPW successfully unlocked by T-Mobile?

Received my phone from CPW last Weds

Nano Sim card from T-Mobile Thursday.

Requested unlock from TMobile Friday - paid £15.32

Received text today informing me there is an account mismatch - iPhone can't be unlocked!

Phoned them to be told IMEI number doesn't exist!

Phoned CPW, who told me this was rubbish, contact TMobile.

TMobile eventually respond with - correct, can't unlock, as the iPhone 5 isn't the one that is registered on my contract. Best thing to do is to restore iPhone 5 with a different nano sim card, and that will prove iPhone is already unlocked!

Any suggestions?

HELP!!!!
Click to expand...

They must have tightened up on procedures, it always was supposed to be your official phone they unlocked, but it wasn't enforced.

Quickest way now would probably be to get a PAYG sim, top up and use for at least 30 days and then apply for the unlock with that number.
 
baronbuzby said:
Has anybody managed to get a SIM FREE iPhone 5 from CPW successfully unlocked by T-Mobile?

Received my phone from CPW last Weds

Nano Sim card from T-Mobile Thursday.

Requested unlock from TMobile Friday - paid £15.32

Received text today informing me there is an account mismatch - iPhone can't be unlocked!

Phoned them to be told IMEI number doesn't exist!

Phoned CPW, who told me this was rubbish, contact TMobile.

TMobile eventually respond with - correct, can't unlock, as the iPhone 5 isn't the one that is registered on my contract. Best thing to do is to restore iPhone 5 with a different nano sim card, and that will prove iPhone is already unlocked!

Any suggestions?

HELP!!!!
Click to expand...

Had the same problem recently with a CPW 4S and Vodafone. Eventually I went into a VF store and they sorted it. The online or call centre guys couldn't do it.
 
baronbuzby said:
Has anybody managed to get a SIM FREE iPhone 5 from CPW successfully unlocked by T-Mobile?

Received my phone from CPW last Weds

Nano Sim card from T-Mobile Thursday.

Requested unlock from TMobile Friday - paid £15.32

Received text today informing me there is an account mismatch - iPhone can't be unlocked!

Phoned them to be told IMEI number doesn't exist!

Phoned CPW, who told me this was rubbish, contact TMobile.

TMobile eventually respond with - correct, can't unlock, as the iPhone 5 isn't the one that is registered on my contract. Best thing to do is to restore iPhone 5 with a different nano sim card, and that will prove iPhone is already unlocked!

Any suggestions?

HELP!!!!
Click to expand...

If you didn't buy it from t-mobile things get really messy. They have always had issue unlocking my phones which I didn't buy through them as they don't ever have a record of the IMEI and tell you to contact apple or the supplier. The supplier just says to contact t-mobile and you get stuck in this circle. The facts are apple and cpw CANNOT request an unlock. Just t-mobile.

You need to speak to someone in the uk as the Indian call centres are used by a number of companies and just follow a script. The best way to get through to someone is to go through the menus for cancellations. You then have to request the unlock and give them your IMEI and ask them to submit it regardless. They like to verify that the number is registered with them but it won't be so they just have to request the unlock on blind faith. It can take upto 6 weeks for it to happen so don't expect it over night.

The alternative is to use one of the many services on eBay who offer official unlocks. There basically a guy who has contacts at all the major networks who does it on the sly. The the real deal and its through the apple unlock process but cuts out the network call centre bs.
 
johnyfromessex said:
Do you think I can have SIM FREE 64 GB from their stores?

how much is it?
Click to expand...

No! Sim free is only available direct from Apple and there is no stock in stores and a few weeks wait on online orders. O2 won't even unlock at the moment if you buy on contract. Buying on contract is only way to get one immediately or pay over the odds from a reseller
 
ok guys couple of updates.

No luck with Scotland

No luck with Ireland either

My last dice would be to ask a friend in the U.S to buy me one and send it to me here in UK

I hope they dont have problems there like we do here .
 
johnyfromessex said:
ok guys couple of updates.

No luck with Scotland

No luck with Ireland either

My last dice would be to ask a friend in the U.S to buy me one and send it to me here in UK

I hope they dont have problems there like we do here .
Click to expand...

There aren't any SIM free phones available in the USA at all! As in they aren't sold full stop, no fully unlocked phones available
 
hobsgrg said:
There aren't any SIM free phones available in the USA at all! As in they aren't sold full stop, no fully unlocked phones available
Click to expand...

So I cant order unlocked Iphone from the states and I cant order SIM FREE Iphone from there as well

what options do I have?

At this stage I dont mind buying locked Iphone and will deal with the business of unlocking it later.

To be honest I dont mind buying the phone here in the UK but apparently not a single shop has this phone...unless you buy it on contract. I dont want a contract phone
 
johnyfromessex said:
So I cant order unlocked Iphone from the states and I cant order SIM FREE Iphone from there as well

what options do I have?

At this stage I dont mind buying locked Iphone and will deal with the business of unlocking it later.

To be honest I dont mind buying the phone here in the UK but apparently not a single shop has this phone...unless you buy it on contract. I dont want a contract phone
Click to expand...

Canada sell them sim-free but likely will have the same stock issues, it shows as 3-4 week wait online. Your options are

a) Order online and wait 3-4 weeks. Get it delivered to somewhere else if you won't be around.
b) Pay £700 for an unlocked one from Cex
c) Buy one from ebay for £530-600 (expect to pay £600 for unlocked, less for locked ones)
d) Buy one on a 1 year contract from Vodafone, who will then unlock it for you right away
e) Keep waiting and hope you can reserve one for in store pickup, however they aren't doing reservations and no telling of when they will resume and even when they do resume your odds of getting a reservation are low.
 
hobsgrg said:
Canada sell them sim-free but likely will have the same stock issues, it shows as 3-4 week wait online. Your options are

a) Order online and wait 3-4 weeks. Get it delivered to somewhere else if you won't be around.
b) Pay £700 for an unlocked one from Cex
c) Buy one from ebay for £530-600 (expect to pay £600 for unlocked, less for locked ones)
d) Buy one on a 1 year contract from Vodafone, who will then unlock it for you right away
e) Keep waiting and hope you can reserve one for in store pickup, however they aren't doing reservations and no telling of when they will resume and even when they do resume your odds of getting a reservation are low.
Click to expand...

How do you know if you buy one from CEX if its an Apple sourced phone or a CPW one?
 
baronbuzby said:
How do you know if you buy one from CEX if its an Apple sourced phone or a CPW one?
Click to expand...

They test the phones before they buy them, if it was CPW one it would show as locked to a network and be sold as locked to that particular network. If it works on two different networks it is an Apple sourced one or has been genuinely unlocked in which case there is no difference you can use it on any network you want.
 
hobsgrg said:
They test the phones before they buy them, if it was CPW one it would show as locked to a network and be sold as locked to that particular network. If it works on two different networks it is an Apple sourced one or has been genuinely unlocked in which case there is no difference you can use it on any network you want.
Click to expand...

Where does it tell you if its locked?
 
hobsgrg said:
Canada sell them sim-free but likely will have the same stock issues, it shows as 3-4 week wait online. Your options are

a) Order online and wait 3-4 weeks. Get it delivered to somewhere else if you won't be around.
b) Pay £700 for an unlocked one from Cex
c) Buy one from ebay for £530-600 (expect to pay £600 for unlocked, less for locked ones)
d) Buy one on a 1 year contract from Vodafone, who will then unlock it for you right away
e) Keep waiting and hope you can reserve one for in store pickup, however they aren't doing reservations and no telling of when they will resume and even when they do resume your odds of getting a reservation are low.
Click to expand...

(b)
I've never bought a phone from CeX. Not sure about the quality of their products. This is what I saw on their website.
http://uk.webuy.com/phones/product.php?mastersku=SAPPIPH564GW

(c)
I'm not sure about e-bay either.

but desperate times...
 
maverick808 said:
Probably not a good idea since US iPhones don't use the same frequencies as the UK ones.
Click to expand...

There's no difference in supported frequencies between US and UK models, except for LTE where the US "GSM" (A1428) model will not work on UK LTE networks. The US "CDMA" (A1429) model does support the same LTE bands as UK/Europe/Asia (also A1429) model.

However, even the standard UK model will probably never work with UK LTE networks other than EE and 3. Vodafone and O2's LTE networks (as well as likely future expansion of EE's and 3's networks) will use LTE frequencies (bands 7 and 20) that no current iPhone supports.
 
Reason077 said:
There's no difference in supported frequencies between US and UK models, except for LTE where the US "GSM" (A1428) model will not work on UK LTE networks. The US "CDMA" (A1429) model does support the same LTE bands as UK/Europe/Asia (also A1429) model.

However, even the standard UK model will probably never work with UK LTE networks other than EE and 3. Vodafone and O2's LTE networks (as well as likely future expansion of EE's and 3's networks) will use LTE frequencies (bands 7 and 20) that no current iPhone supports.
Click to expand...

Is it clear if the US CDMA model will be compatible with EE? They're both models A1429, but Apple seems to differentiate the GSM and CDMA models on their site.
 
baronbuzby said:
Where does it tell you if its locked?
Click to expand...

They are clearly marked in the store as unlocked or it will have a sticker showing which network it's locked to, same goes for online you can select unlocked or choose the network it's locked to.

You test if it's locked by inserting sim cards, if it works with multiple networks it's unlocked, if they don't work it's locked. The phone itself doesn't say if it's unlocked/locked so you have to test the old fashioned way.

Edit they will actually do a restore, when it's done iTunes will also say if it's unlocked.
 
Do you guys know if I can buy a phone from Tmobile (or EE when LTE launches) with a new phone number and then in late december port my O2 number over to EE??? I still have 3 months left on my sim-only deal.. but really feel like having an iphone5 (currently iphone4 owner) with LTE speeds.

Do you think EE will offer reasonable data caps?
1gb for LTE sounds ridiculous..
 
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