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Has anyone contacted CPW about a refund of the difference between yesterday's premium SIM Free price and today's regular price? Would be interesting to see if they offer a refund as a gesture of goodwill or advise retuning for full refund. Not sure if it was a typo on their part.

Good point, it'd be nice if they did but I'm not holding my breath.

It was a bit decadent paying £50 just for the sake of a couple of weeks waiting for my ( now cancelled) store order, I'm slightly ashamed tbh, heh. The other, bigger part of me is v happy to be playing with my new phone though :). Plus, it saves me the irritation of all the anal retentive tracking I'd be doing for the next few weeks, and I always have issues making sure someone is in the house to accept big ticket items. It was great just collecting my order from the store earlier.

Quick impressions that have been well discussed elsewhere , but whatever - Safari over wifi is notably faster than my 5 and the speaker seems much louder. Don't panic, I don't play crazy frog on the bus, but I do like to listen to podcasts from the speaker whilst I potter around the house. Oh, and well impressed with Touch ID also.
 
CPW is tempting but I'm concerned about he SIM lock. I'm planning to use it with giffgaff - then it will simlock to O2? How can O2 issue an unlock if I'm not an O2 customer?!
 
That's a tricky one.

I'm all in with Three, monthly rolling One Plan, so I'm not too fussed its sim locked. I may unlock it after 9 months or so in case I jump for the 6 and sell it.
 
Ok, having found this thread:

http://community.giffgaff.com/t5/Help-Support/Iphone-5-Carphone-warehouse-sim-lock/td-p/6126382

I am not going near CPW and their ridiculous SIM lock!

It does state on the page now that the phone will lock to the network of the first UK sim inserted - you can unlock it afterwards though (time/price/conditions are all very carrier dependent and range from no days to 6 months, £0-£20)

It really comes down to whether or not you're willing to fork out the premium & the unlock price for a cpw iPhone, or whether you'd rather wait for Apple to deliver, whenever that might be. There are some posts earlier on in the thread regarding the best networks for unlocking if you're going for the CPW one. O2 are pretty good, though I'd recommend 3 from experience.

Edit: I believe other people have said that O2 aren't unlocking 5S handsets at the moment, so you might prefer to go for another carrier to unlock or wait for Apple if you're planning on giffgaff
 
If you've only recently moved here, you've got hardly any chance of getting a 24 month contract anyway. You wont be on the electoral register and you wont have a credit history.

Grab the iPhone 5S from CarphoneWarehouse and get a PayGo sim card. Sell the phone or take it with you when you leave the UK.

I just cancelled my Apple order for a 32GB silver. Ordered one via CPWH last night and it came at 8:30am this morning. Great service and well worth the extra £47 (£3 quidco). Got it on EE's 4G network. Was getting around 50 mb/s down earlier today. Insane speeds.

My iPhone 5 will go on eBay soon.

Thanks for the info. So you recommend me to go with EE?
 
So it sounds like ill be able to get an iphone 6 from CPW before my 5s turns up from my online order with apple.

I got a customer satisfaction survey from apple today regard my order, I don't think they will like what I had to say, not that theyll read it.
 
CPW is tempting but I'm concerned about he SIM lock. I'm planning to use it with giffgaff - then it will simlock to O2? How can O2 issue an unlock if I'm not an O2 customer?!

You'll have to run a separate O2 simcard to arrange the unlock, using a giffgaff sim won't allow the unlock to be processed.

Thanks for the info. So you recommend me to go with EE?

If you've just arrived in the UK you don't have a chance of passing a credit check for an EE iphone contract (or any contract). You'll need to buy sim free and look at a bundle type PAYG like giffgaff or 3 using the 30 day bundles.
 
You'll have to run a separate O2 simcard to arrange the unlock, using a giffgaff sim won't allow the unlock to be processed.

In that case, I'd rather wait for my apple online delivery, trying the apple store for new stock in the mean time.
 
O2 through Live Chat and Twitter said they will not be processing unlocks at the moment. Only shot is with Three and maybe Vodafone (I unlocked my 4S through Vodafone but took 2 weeks)

I've gone with suggestions from users here and activated Three this time round
 
I got a customer satisfaction survey from apple today regard my order, I don't think they will like what I had to say, not that theyll read it.

Heheh, I agree.

Had a similar situation with the LTE Mini. Preordered within minutes of the earliest opportunity, shipping and delivery was weeks away while they were for sale on the high street. Like the 5s, I cancelled my Apple store order and bought one off the high street weeks earlier, tsk.
 
iPhone 5S Sim Free - UK - Apple Online Orders

Hi Guys,

Just thought I start a new thread for us frustrated UK members who ordered via the Apple Store online at 12am on Friday and now have to wait for delivery's week commencing 7th Oct!! This is first year since the iP4 I didn't get the new iPhone on release day. Very disappointed that the majority of stock went to carriers and CPW by the looks of things!

The other UK 5S thread is great and very informative but It may be helpful to see order status updates as they come in from us Apple sim free purchasers. I wonder when we'll start to see some movement on the status's, it usually goes from processing to preparing for dispatch next.

If the phones are coming direct from Shanghai we'll be able to track it all the way using a few different methods as I remember going through this process for my MBP-Retina!

Anyway your comments and thoughts are most welcome :eek:
 
Last edited:
I've started a thread for all UK apple online sim free orders that may be helpfull for status updates :

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1642203/

Please feel free to comment :)
 
I'm in the same boat.

Sold my iPhone 5 mid week expecting my new phone to be getting here earlier than the 7th October! School boy error!

Mustn't grumble, but it's a bit annoying.
 
Turns out my CPW order was declined. I called and they tried again and said it failed their 'internal security check'.

They said I could get one if I went to a store with proof of ID, but since I already placed a successful order on the apple store a minute or two after the midnight launch, I'll save that £50 and wait another week or two.
 
I usually upgrade via Vodafone, but this year I got wise and realised it's better to buy direct and what a shamble!

Apple is sending all stock to the stores so people can queue up for their PR!:mad:
 
They've also killed the reservation system that you used to be able to queue up for.

Of course, scalpers got 9/10 units on launch day and end-user/real Apple customers were sadly short changed.
 
Yeah definitely annoying! I fell like loyal customers who stayed up to order the phone got pushed aside. Just because I am not totally made and queue up days in advance in the rain doesn't make me any less worthy then these insane people. But hey ho I still orders in the hope of (under promise over deliver which is typically what Apple do, but I am not feeling it right now).

Anyway will be interested to see when people start to get progress from the processing items stage! I got confirmation email at 12:05 because the site only went live at 12:03 and then I misplaced my card. I should have kept my card in my hand and used the app! but I highly doubt it will make a difference anyway as no one seems to have progress yet!
 
I'm also in the same boat. Ordered my 32GB Gold iPhone 5s at 00:02. Will update here when my order status changes. I don't expect it will for another week though.

Anyone think we'll be able to pick up a 5s in an apple store before these orders will be delivered?
 
Only just found this thread so might have missed at bit. I ordered a 64Gb 5S at 00:01 and have the usual 7-10 day delivery. Are you guys saying it's better and quicker through CW? Anyone bought from Apple received any other delivery info yet?
 
I'm Disappointed with the delivery times, having stayed up to order a gold, 32GB 5S at 12:01 I think it's annoying that we have to wait until 7th-10th October for delivery. It could be worse tho, we could be having to wait until the "October" estimate that is now on Apples webpage.
 
I'm also in the same boat. Ordered my 32GB Gold iPhone 5s at 00:02. Will update here when my order status changes. I don't expect it will for another week though.

Anyone think we'll be able to pick up a 5s in an apple store before these orders will be delivered?

I will be trying in the week. I can walk to Covent Garden in 20 minutes from work so I might make a lunch time trip or two. I don't fancy waiting until 7th-10th of October for delivery.
 
I'm also in the same boat. Ordered my 32GB Gold iPhone 5s at 00:02. Will update here when my order status changes. I don't expect it will for another week though.

Anyone think we'll be able to pick up a 5s in an apple store before these orders will be delivered?

I would like to say so, but Gold are in very low supply so would guess not :p
 
Thanks guys. I drive past Bluewater a lot so may pop in now and then just to check if they have any more stock in.

Would I be right in thinking that when the online iPhone 5s turns up I could return it for a full refund?
 
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