Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Using Apple Stuff in the UK

M

Michael73

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 27, 2007
1,082
41
Just a quick general question...

My job requires that I take make a visit to a client's office located in England. I have both a MBP and iPhone (see my sig). Is there anything I need to do to make sure I can use both in the UK e.g. plug adaptors, converters, enabling international roaming on the AT&T contract, etc?
 
All you need is the Apple World Travel adapter kit. It comes with all the little ends to slot on to your MBP and iPhone chargers, and a spare charger. If you plan to use data, I suggest you unlock your phone and upon arrival in the UK buy a Pay As you Go SIM (Prepaid in us speak) with data and it will be much cheaper.
 
Pixellated said:
All you need is the Apple World Travel adapter kit. It comes with all the little ends to slot on to your MBP and iPhone chargers, and a spare charger. If you plan to use data, I suggest you unlock your phone and upon arrival in the UK buy a Pay As you Go SIM (Prepaid in us speak) with data and it will be much cheaper.
Click to expand...


Thanks. By data, do you mean anything other than sending and receiving calls e.g. email, using the browser and most of my apps?

Regarding the unlocking, how do go about doing this? And, where do you get a Pay As You Go SIM, Orange?

I'm flying into LHR and most likely arriving on a Sunday morning before driving to Exeter later in the day. I'll want to take care of phone issue not long after I land.
 
I would forget about the Apple Travel kit and just buy a US to UK plug adapter at the airport. Power chargers for both iPhone and MBP work at 100-240V AC, so your US power supplies will happily work on 230V UK power. You just need something to line the pins up to a UK socket.
 
Michael73 said:
Thanks. By data, do you mean anything other than sending and receiving calls e.g. email, using the browser and most of my apps?

Regarding the unlocking, how do go about doing this? And, where do you get a Pay As You Go SIM, Orange?

I'm flying into LHR and most likely arriving on a Sunday morning before driving to Exeter later in the day. I'll want to take care of phone issue not long after I land.
Click to expand...

There are 3 Cell Phone (Mobile Phone) companies in the UK that sell the iphone - They are

o2 link - http://www.o2.co.uk/
Vodafone - Link http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/
Orange - Link http://shop.orange.co.uk/

Or in independent store like Carphone warehouse that deals with all the major providers including the above.

You should find it relatively easy to get a pay as you go sim that you can buy with an initial amount of credit and then top-up on line using your credit card. You could use your existing ATT SIM providing you have spoken to them and enabled international roaming on your service plan. However using a phone and in particular data can be very expensive. There were a number of horror stories about US citizens using their iPhone abroad when it was initially launched in the USA and receiving $1,000+ bills when they got back home.

Using a UK SIM will be a lot less expensive using the phone in the UK to make UK to UK calls.

an iPhone data plan usually costs £10 ($16) a month as a bolt on, but check with the providers before you travel to how easy this is to apply to a SIM.

Finally to use a UK SIM you will need to get your US iPhone unlocked by ATT in the USA.
 
Chris.L said:
You forgot Tesco



Don't think they do that do they?
Click to expand...

Well Tesco does not operate a mobile phone network, it is just a rebadged o2 network service, but you are right he could get a Tesco Sim as well.

As far as ATT unlocking an iPhone I don't know - as you can in the UK, I assumed you can in the USA.
 
James Craner said:
Well Tesco does not operate a mobile phone network, it is just a rebadged o2 network service, but you are right he could get a Tesco Sim as well.

As far as ATT unlocking an iPhone I don't know - as you can in the UK, I assumed you can in the USA.
Click to expand...

Nope, you can't. AT&T will not unlock your phone for you no matter how many times you ask them. The only way to unlock a US iPhone is to jailbreak it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back