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Why do Apple stores (UK) refuse to sell sim free phones?

G

gadget123

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Apr 17, 2011
2,389
341
United Kingdom
Been this way for years in the UK anytime a new Iphone comes out. A week or two in..in stock yes and they won't sell due to you wanting it sim free.

Why do they force everybody to go online?
 
gadget123 said:
Why do Apple stores refuse to sell sim free phones?

Been this way for years in the UK anytime a new Iphone comes out. A week or two in..in stock yes and they won't sell due to you wanting it sim free.

Why do they force everybody to go online?
Click to expand...

Even the online ones have SIMs in them :confused:

Are you instead asking why Apple always opens the box and activates the iPhone in person?
 
gadget123 said:
The ones online come sim free I'm sure.
Click to expand...

Guess that's different then the States then.

Edit: I still don't get your original question, but I think you are asking "why doesn't Apple sell the iPhone contract free instead of needing a contract?"
 
The SIM-free GSM unlocked SKU (part number, model, whatever you want to call it) will be available soon. This is the way Apple does things. It will probably never change.

They want to assure as many as possible are attaching to carrier accounts. In a few weeks you'll be able to buy SIM free online and in store.
 
My mother was able to preorder a SIM free iPhone 5C, received it on release day and already got it activated on MetroPCS. I helped her order it; it was an online order and it arrived with no SIM in it, fully unlocked and even had the SIM removal tool which didn't come with my iPhone 5 last year!

So you definitely CAN order new iPhones SIM-free.
 
why does nobody realize buying a full price iphone on att tmobile or verizon its THE SAME as a sim free phone only difference is you get a sim out of it than u can trash, i have bought enough times to know its THE SAME exact as sim free except your box has an iccid and sim in it its full factory unlocked
 
gadget123 said:
Been this way for years in the UK anytime a new Iphone comes out. A week or two in..in stock yes and they won't sell due to you wanting it sim free.

Why do they force everybody to go online?
Click to expand...

Because 99% of people here buy phones on contract. Except for T-Mobile, there's no advantage to buying device-only here. While it sucks for those of us in the know, I don't blame Apple one bit for selling phones only on contract through the online in-store-pickup option. It's how most people get their phones.
 
He is from the UK, here in the US, the 5C is available SIM-FREE, but the 5S, you have to get one with a SIM in it, but under certain circumstances some are unlocked. In about a month, the regular SIM free 5S' will be available., incl. the SIM removal tool.
 
gadget123 said:
Been this way for years in the UK anytime a new Iphone comes out. A week or two in..in stock yes and they won't sell due to you wanting it sim free.

Why do they force everybody to go online?
Click to expand...

In the US? Because Apple and the carriers make incredible amounts of money from selling cell phone contracts. Make no mistake, it's a conscious decision on Apple's part to prioritize contract attached sales because they benefit as well as the carrier.
 
gadget123 said:
Been this way for years in the UK anytime a new Iphone comes out. A week or two in..in stock yes and they won't sell due to you wanting it sim free.

Why do they force everybody to go online?
Click to expand...

This is why I buy my iPhones online. They are always completely unlocked. Plus no queuing up in the cold.
 
gadget123 said:
Been this way for years in the UK anytime a new Iphone comes out. A week or two in..in stock yes and they won't sell due to you wanting it sim free.

Why do they force everybody to go online?
Click to expand...

If you go and queue outside a Apple Store and they have stock they will sell it to you sim free, not sure why you think otherwise, many people have bought this way (as well as hundreds of scalpers).

Other retailers like CarphoneWarehouse keep stock back for contract sales when stock is low.
 
Every year I have a new iPhone first was contract so was 3G, since then I have always queued outside an official Apple store (not a network or CPW etc.) and have always bought an unlocked sim free phones and just put in my existing sim; without any issues?

So I am confused as why you can't buy it sim free, my 5S I got on launch day is sim free.
 
gadget123 said:
Been this way for years in the UK anytime a new Iphone comes out. A week or two in..in stock yes and they won't sell due to you wanting it sim free.

Why do they force everybody to go online?
Click to expand...
Apple UK have been selling sim free unlocked iPhones in their retail stores since the launch of the iPhone 4.
 
Last edited:
gCloud said:
This is not true, i purchased 4s and 5s from uk apple store sim free unlocked.
Click to expand...

Bought my iphone 4 and 4s sim free at the apple store in the UK. So no idea why the OP thinks you can't buy one sim free there. Very weird.
 
As above, no idea what the OP is on about. Have always been able to buy a SIM free device from launch.
 
lamboman said:
As above, no idea what the OP is on about. Have always been able to buy a SIM free device from launch.
Click to expand...

Sometimes they'll not allow those sales for the first month or two. Happened in Canada with the 5 -- one had to order online to get a sim-free unlocked phone.

It's to make sure there are enough for the carriers, early on, Apple gets money from them.

Understandable if annoying.
 
bensharma said:
Sometimes they'll not allow those sales for the first month or two. Happened in Canada with the 5 -- one had to order online to get a sim-free unlocked phone.

It's to make sure there are enough for the carriers, early on, Apple gets money from them.

Understandable if annoying.
Click to expand...

That's never been the case in the UK though.
 
I don't understand, I thought they sold them SIM free in stores?

How are scalpers getting dozens of them then? There's no way they would be taking out a contract per device!
 
Absolute rubbish got my 5s from the Apple Store in Glasgow and have been using both 02 and 3 sims in it with no problem it is completely unlocked as you would expect buying it at full price sim free.
 
Here in UK, 4 days after Launch day I went to the local Apple Store and picked up a 16gb iPhone 5S sim free unlocked. They sold it to me straight away no questions asked. I popped my sim card in and off I went. The device is totally unlocked and sim free....... not sure what the OP is talking about?
 
Think the OP is a tad mistaken as other people have also said. My last 3 phones have all been unlocked and SIM free when bought on launch day!
 
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