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Using jailbroken iPhone (O2 UK) in the USA?

peanutismint

peanutismint

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 4, 2007
437
9
Cardiff, UK
I have an iPhone 4 (software v4.3.3, baseband 02.10.04) which I've jailbroken. I didn't bother worrying about unlocking as I'm on a 24 month contract with O2 here in the UK so wouldn't have wanted to use another carrier anyway.

Now I'm headed to the USA for three weeks over the summer and would like to keep using my iPhone to make calls, post photos to Twitter etc... I've heard horror stories about roaming prices and data charges for use abroad, so I thought perhaps I'd be better off purchasing a pre-pay US sim, but I don't think I'll be able to do that without unlocking my phone....??

Does anybody have any advice on this?
 
peanutismint said:
I have an iPhone 4 (software v4.3.3, baseband 02.10.04) which I've jailbroken. I didn't bother worrying about unlocking as I'm on a 24 month contract with O2 here in the UK so wouldn't have wanted to use another carrier anyway.

Now I'm headed to the USA for three weeks over the summer and would like to keep using my iPhone to make calls, post photos to Twitter etc... I've heard horror stories about roaming prices and data charges for use abroad, so I thought perhaps I'd be better off purchasing a pre-pay US sim, but I don't think I'll be able to do that without unlocking my phone....??

Does anybody have any advice on this?
Click to expand...


Grevey Sim would be your best and only option without it being factory unlocked. Several threads about them and where to pick them up.
 
Call o2 and ask them to unlock it for you... think they're pretty easy when it comes people asking for their phones to be unlocked.
 
milamber said:
Call o2 and ask them to unlock it for you... think they're pretty easy when it comes people asking for their phones to be unlocked.
Click to expand...

They are extremely easy with unlocks - got my 3G unlocked as soon as they started unlocking iphones, took a couple of days back then. Then I got them to unlock my girlfriend's iPhone 4 a month into her 24 months contract, took them 5 mins via the live chat on their website.
 
milamber said:
Call o2 and ask them to unlock it for you... think they're pretty easy when it comes people asking for their phones to be unlocked.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I thought I'd heard something about that being an option; it's just strange that it doesn't come up much on the internets (possibly because it might be a UK/EU-only option; don't know what the laws are in the US....).

Will try to give them a call on Monday! Thanks guys!
 
**UPDATE**
I should have probably searched the O2 site harder - just found this page:

http://shop.o2.co.uk/update/unlockmyiphone.html

Just have to fill in a form and it'll be unlocked within 14 days! Nice! So I assume then that all I'll have to do is pick up a US SIM at the airport, connect my phone to iTunes to activate and away I go??

Anybody have any experience with pre-pay iPhone plans in the USA?
 
They don't have stores at the airport that sell sims. You can go to either an AT&T store, t-mobile or another GSM provider; some stores sell pre-paid sims. Research and avoid the CDMA providers; they'll think you're stupid--which you would be--when you tell them you want to buy a pre-paid sim card.
If you need data, research that. It's more expensive that a post paid plan, but it's better than paying by the kilobyte.
You don't need to hook up to iTunes, but you may have to restart your phone. You do need to cut the sim down to micro size. I suggest you buy a cutter before you leave, because you can't find a sim cutter at the local electronics store.
Unless you're staying in a major city, go with AT&T. The other providers have crap coverage out in the boonies.
peanutismint said:
Just have to fill in a form and it'll be unlocked within 14 days! Nice! So I assume then that all I'll have to do is pick up a US SIM at the airport, connect my phone to iTunes to activate and away I go??

Anybody have any experience with pre-pay iPhone plans in the USA?
Click to expand...
 
You can buy a sim and cutter off ebay before you go.... or o2 so offer a cut off service at £40 so once you have spent that on data they cut it off untill you tell them you want to up it.

Its not ideally but if you have wifi where you go you might not even reach that and it will stop you from running up a massive bill
 
Cool, thanks for the tips guys; I've heard it's pretty easy to cut a SIM with any kind of blade, in fact I heard most network providers will often be able to do it for you in-store, so that shouldn't be a problem. I am visiting some larger cities but staying 'out in the boonies' as you say, so might make sense to try AT&T. I also heard they have some kind of free international texting deals which might be useful for keeping up with goings-on at home....

I will hopefully have wifi where I'm staying but would definitely be nice to be able to post pictures to twitter whilst on the go...

Does anybody know anything about using 3G on my iPhone whilst in the US? I heard something about the US version of 3G being incompatible with UK iPhones? I don't wanna be stuck on EDGE! :D If I can avoid it!
 
For 3G, you have to check the mobile frequencies that the provider uses. I know that you can only use edge on t-mobile, so you'll probably want to avoid them.
AT&T will definitely give you 3G.

I wouldn't count on the stores cutting the sim for you, because they can sometimes be bitchy. However, it can't hurt to ask first.

I'm sure if you google there's a site that lists wifi spots. Also, if you buy a drink at McDonald's, you can get wifi access.
 
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