UK iPhone 5s and 5c Thread

[kmpowell]

Just a quick warning for those thinking the Carphone Warehouse phones are exactly the same as buying direct from Apple...

CPW phones are NOT permanently 'Factory Unlocked' as you get direct from Apple stores, they are 'Sim Free' which means they lock to the first network (sim-card) that's inserted into it. Once locked they cannot be unlocked by the Network you use, or Apple.

 

[misi06]

How is it with Carphone iphones? Are they the same as AS phones? Are they getting locked or something?



Edit: I got it

 

[Kariya]

Send it back and wait for your order from Apple if you are not happy? Why did you order from CPW if it wasn't what you wanted? I don't get it.

Its what i wanted just without the extras (£50/simlock). Twas sort of an impulse purchase. I guess deep down i was hoping Apple would bump us first-batch Fri orders up to 1-3 days or something but alas...Oct is our lot.

Just a quick warning for those thinking the Carphone Warehouse phones are exactly the same as buying direct from Apple...

CPW phones are NOT permanently 'Factory Unlocked' as you get direct from Apple stores, they are 'Sim Free' which means they lock to the first network (sim-card) that's inserted into it. Once locked they cannot be unlocked by the Network you use, or Apple.

They indeed can be unlocked after a period depending on the carrier and pending a fee.

 

[keithop]

They indeed can be unlocked after a period depending on the carrier and pending a fee.

well we hope they can ;-)

EE have said they can't because it's not in their DB if not sold by them
O2 have said "not yet" but they seem to have a 6 month wait to avoid ebay flipping
voda said cant do 5s's yet and when they can, they only unlock phones supplied by themselves

three - well people say they've done it in the past so we're hoping and waiting for the first success.... or, gulp, failure

 

[Loveandterror]

i think they're trying to say, that :
YES, supply has been super low, but it's not right to ship within 1-3 days in the US, even though the UK placed their orders first.

we're all grown-ups and can and HAVE to wait, unless we want to be tied to a contract, but it's not fair, that we get 7-10 days or even longer, while the US, even though they ordered hours and hours later, get their phones within 1-3 days.
Also..it doesn't seem like the phones where in the US (which would make it plausible that they get theirs first), they're being send from china as well.

 

[Degnan92]

That's really annoying, when I went in at 9am on Saturday morning one of the managers explicitly said they would get no stock in for Saturday or Sunday.

Did you notice the big group of guys at the front of the queue this morning, and standing around at the side? Some of them skipped me at the back of the queue, scalpers I reckon. Good thing there was none in stock really because I'd be annoyed if the guys who skipped me got one and I didn't.

Yeah I got told the same thing on Saturday which is why I waited until today. Cant believe I didn't go in yesterday. Yeah there was a wee queue there when i got there I was like in first 15 id have to say at like 8:40am. Was talking to some guy beside me until store opened, the queue went all the way round the corner by then, and when I turned round to look at front there was about another 25 scalpers just appeared from no where in front, was not too happy.

 

[Kariya]

well we hope they can ;-)

EE have said they can't because it's not in their DB if not sold by them
O2 have said "not yet" but they seem to have a 6 month wait to avoid ebay flipping
voda said cant do 5s's yet and when they can, they only unlock phones supplied by themselves

three - well people say they've done it in the past so we're hoping and waiting for the first success.... or, gulp, failure

Touche

 

[kmpowell]

They indeed can be unlocked after a period depending on the carrier and pending a fee.

Depends if the carrier wants to play ball. Vodafone/EE/O2 have a policy where they will not unlock 3rd party purchased phones, only phones they have sold and it must be the original purchaser making the request at the end of the airtime agreement. Other networks will make you see out a min 12/18/24 months and then charge a fee, meaning you might as well just buy it on contract in the first place.

 

[Steve121178]

i think they're trying to say, that :
YES, supply has been super low, but it's not right to ship within 1-3 days in the US, even though the UK placed their orders first.

They probably ensured the US model A1453 was first off the line in larger numbers to attempt to try and satisfy orders in their home market, which is bigger business to them.

Our model is A1457 which would have a different (initially smaller) production run, which is why the US got a larger allocation first.

They can only make so many....

 

[d123]

Depends if the carrier wants to play ball. Vodafone/EE/O2 have a policy where they will not unlock 3rd party purchased phones, only phones they have sold and it must be the original purchaser making the request at the end of the airtime agreement. Other networks will make you see out a min 12/18/24 months and then charge a fee, meaning you might as well just buy it on contract in the first place.

That isn't true at all, as long as the IMEI is associated with an account (so has been used on the network) both Voda and O2 will unlock (after the arbitrary time period they decide upon before accepting unlock requests).

T-Mobile have unlocked 3rd party phones in the past, so it's difficult to say what will happen now they are associated with Orange, and it's not possible to say how it will play out in 6 months when the first customers have been on network for their qualifying period, but there is no policy of not unlocking if sourced from a third party retailer (I've just asked the question of someone working at EE).

 

[keithop]

That isn't true at all, as long as the IMEI is associated with an account (so has been used on the network) both Voda and O2 will unlock (after the arbitrary time period they decide upon before accepting unlock requests).
.

makes complete sense and highlights the different information given by different people at the networks when phoned.

I had incredible problems with VODA for the last two years. Got iphones from them on our business account but needed them unlocked to be able to use US sims in them for when we travel.

I sent in the unlock form a week after the phones were delivered and got back a "rejected".. no one would tell me why until someone kind actually went to TALK to the unlock team and they said "we dont have any 5's in db yet".

waited another month, tried again, "rejected" nothing more than that. Couldn't get anyone to go speak to them, and all I got with every form submit was the magical "rejected".

Finally someone on the voda forums worked through it internally and they said as the phones were 3rd party, they couldnt unlock. I said nope? you supplied them and scanned the invoice. Eventually, another month later, it turned out that they were rejecting it because I was putting account holder as my forename surname and they had it on the account as initial surname.

 

[d123]

makes complete sense and highlights the different information given by different people at the networks when phoned.

I had incredible problems with VODA for the last two years. Got iphones from them on our business account but needed them unlocked to be able to use US sims in them for when we travel.

I sent in the unlock form a week after the phones were delivered and got back a "rejected".. no one would tell me why until someone kind actually went to TALK to the unlock team and they said "we dont have any 5's in db yet".

waited another month, tried again, "rejected" nothing more than that. Couldn't get anyone to go speak to them, and all I got with every form submit was the magical "rejected".

Finally someone on the voda forums worked through it internally and they said as the phones were 3rd party, they couldnt unlock. I said nope? you supplied them and scanned the invoice. Eventually, another month later, it turned out that they were rejecting it because I was putting account holder as my forename surname and they had it on the account as initial surname.

It's always a problem with the networks, and has always been, the specialised departments like unlocking aren't accessible to the public or even directly to the CS staff (who can only email a generic department address). There is little scope for direct communication and all sorts of easily rectifiable issues just never get sorted.

The staff in retail branches generally have no idea or input into CS procedures so just make up things so as not to look ignorant.

 

[Tim7]

At Bluewater now and they have no 5s at all left and don't know when they're getting more.

I had a look at the gold 5s on display and it's a really really pale colour. Until I looked closer I thought it was silver.

 

[keithop]

I had a look at the gold 5s on display and it's a really really pale colour. Until I looked closer I thought it was silver.

I was sure I wanted gold until I saw it in real life. Didn't appeal as much as I thought it would.

On the other hand, the Space Grey which I moaned about from the moment I saw it online, looked really good to me!

 

[robpow]

At Bluewater now and they have no 5s at all left and don't know when they're getting more.

I had a look at the gold 5s on display and it's a really really pale colour. Until I looked closer I thought it was silver.

Same story in the Apple store Stratford City. I also missed the gold as it was such a subtle copper/champagne hue rather than golden. I actually like it the most out of the three colours now.

 

[Tim7]

Yes I agree about the gold. Having seen it I'd now be perfectly happy with silver. So looking around for it but not holding out any hopes today. EE have 5s in stock but don't sell sim only.

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I like the idea of buying a 5c and then returning it when I get the 5s! Would this be possible though? Would apple actually do a full refund for a phone that's been used for 2 weeks?

 

[OVERTASK]

I was just talking to CPW regarding my order and I asked them what the stock was like for the 5s. The CR chap said there are 883 Black 64gb 5s in their main warehouse and a couple of hundred around stores in the UK. You can buy them sim-free too, but it's realistically only worth buying the 64gb as it's the only one that doesn't have a 50£ premium on it. I'm going to do that and just get it unlocked by Three for 15£, which they have confirmed they will do. I will keep you updated to tell you if that works.

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[/COLOR]I like the idea of buying a 5c and then returning it when I get the 5s! Would this be possible though? Would apple actually do a full refund for a phone that's been used for 2 weeks?[/QUOTE]

You have 14 days for a full refund.

'Returns are subject to Apple's Sales and Refunds Policy. If you change your mind, you can return your Standard or Configured-to-Order hardware to us within 14 calendar days of delivery.'

http://store.apple.com/uk/help/returns_refund

 

[robpow]

Yes I agree about the gold. Having seen it I'd now be perfectly happy with silver. So looking around for it but not holding out any hopes today. EE have 5s in stock but don't sell sim only.

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I like the idea of buying a 5c and then returning it when I get the 5s! Would this be possible though? Would apple actually do a full refund for a phone that's been used for 2 weeks?

Certainly looks like you can:
http://www.apple.com/legal/sales-support/sales-policies/retail_uk.html#iphonesalespolicy

 

[iBueno]

Does anybody know the general stock levels of EE stores?

Even though EE told us that we'd have our iPhone 5S' today, I called up earlier and a bloke said "they are in transit, they'll be there today or tomorrow", I rang them up again for a tracking number; they said they've not even been sent out for delivery, so obviously I'm like 'wtf'. I've been on the phone and apparently; it's not been sent out... and we'll have to wait an addition 1-week for stock in Silver.

P.S. one bloke was determined and told me they had iPhone 5C 64GB's in stock; I told them Apple don't even make a 64GB model...

I think we're just being pushed around; it's either call up the EE stores and see if they have stock, wait 4-7 business days for it to arrive from EE or cancel the order and attempt to check if anybody else has stock; it doesn't help how Apple's estimate is over 1 month+ now.

 

[keithop]

it's realistically only worth buying the 64gb as it's the only one that doesn't have a 50£ premium on it. I'm going to do that and just get it unlocked by Three for 15£, which they have confirmed they will do. I will keep you updated to tell you if that works.

Be really good to know for sure that it works with three. Fingers (and other bodily parts) crossed in hope!

 

[Housecathst]

Just to add insult to injury, following the purchase of my iPhone from apple online the bank put a stop on my card (because all purchase's of an iPhone must be fradulent, Right )

They didn't stop the money going to Apple, not sure if that is a good or bad thing given the time we're having to wait for delivery. Anyway apparently they can't un stop my account and have to send me a new card so I can't even try and get one from CPW until it arrives sometime at the end of the week.

 

[Mark Morb]

Does anybody know the general stock levels of EE stores?

I'm considering switching from O2 to EE this time round, I can get the 32GB iPhone 5S for £289 and £31 a month...the nearest equivalent package on O2 (but with less Data Allowance) would be £269 and then £37 a month and they have nowhere near the 4G coverage planned.

If EE stores have decent stock levels then that might be enough to get me to switch ASAP.

Mark

 

[Wingzero]

Apple have well and truly done me over.

Rang them this morning and they reported Barclays had not informed them of the loan been accepted even though it was accepted on Friday.

Rang Barclays who informed me notification of payment was sent to Apple on Friday at 9.45

Rang Apple back who did a complete 360 and agreed with Barclays and said it will take 24 hours for it to be accepted on their system.

Realistically now I probably won't receive my 5S until the end of October probably.

 

[d123]

If EE stores have decent stock levels then that might be enough to get me to switch ASAP.

Mark

Best way of checking would be to phone your local branches, unfortunately there isn't a centralised number you can check with.

 

[keithop]

I'm considering switching from O2 to EE this time round

Several of us in the office here swapped from O2 to EE early this year because they had visual voicemail still, HD calling and 4G

The good: 4G really is fast where we are. Incredible speeds probably due to low adoption at the moment. Visual voicemail fine and easy to set up even on a sim only plan which one of us has. HD calling iphone - iphone very nice too although we think we can detect a bit of lag.

bad: we're all seeing a high level of dropped calls and a lot of failure to connect calls. It varies depending on where we are and the time of day but it's a common theme for all of us. EE have been saying all the usual things, perhaps your handset, perhaps a dodgy tower at the time, perhaps it was an usually busy time, but no offer to REALLY get to grips with it.

I use data a heck of a lot more than voice calls so all the advantages outweigh the disadvantages to me but others in the office want to swap back to o2 as soon as they can.

Just something to consider