iPhone 4 locked if on contract?

[pjazzy]

I know you can buy the unlocked version if bought from Apple. My question is, will the phone be locked to the network if acquired on contract? Anyone have any info on this?

 

[Deleted member 244378]

If you buy from o2, orange or any of the carriers then yes it will be locked to that network untill your contract ends. If you buy direct from Apple its automatically unlocked.

 

[neilybealy]

if you buy from apple directly you will have to buy it at the payg price though right?

 

[pjazzy]

if you buy from apple directly you will have to buy it at the payg price though right?

Yes, sorry I wasn't clear. It would be PAYG from Apple. I assume if I bought PAYG from O2/Orange etc, then it would be locked to their network? If thats the case, then why would anybody buy a PAYG from a network provider

 

[Markee]

This isn't quite true.

Apple sell the iPhone 4 unlocked, called "SIM free" which for the 16Gb version is £499.

PAYG is different, but in this context, the phone will probably still be locked, for example, on Orange PAYG the handset is £480.

So, surely you would pay the extra 20 quid and get an unlocked phone then you can swap around as you please (with PAYG anyway)?

 

[singo79]

The phones aren't that heavily discounted if you look at some of the contracts, and weigh them up against buying the handset outright and going on a sim-only tarrif. It might suggest that the handsets aren't going to be locked to networks.

Imagine the likes of CPW & P4U, who would have to keep stocks of 5 different handsets: 8GB 3GS, 16GB iPhone4 white & black, 32GB white & black; on 5 different networks. Thats 25 different models!! Apple would also have to manufacture & ship 25 different models just for the UK market. Not to mention the other countries who have the iPhone released on the 24th, including the USA.

I'm sticking my neck out and suggesting apple might just make the 5 different models, and the networks will just buy them in bulk, at discount and sell them as is, with no network lock.

 

[DeltaCity]

Just spoke to Orange and the chap reckons that a PAYG iPhone 4 would be network locked.

I've got 12 months to run on my O2 contract and I want to move at the end of it, so can't do the contract buyout that they are offering. My only option is to get the iPhone 4 from Apple or on PAYG from one of the networks. Orange is charging £480 vs Apple's £499, but that's no good to me if it's network locked as I need to be using my O2 SIM in there for another 12 months.

Of course, there's no knowing whether the people on the phones are giving you correct answers... Guess I can wait until people have them in their hands and can confirm whether they are locked or not.

DC

 

[kfan]

Just spoke to Orange and the chap reckons that a PAYG iPhone 4 would be network locked.

I've got 12 months to run on my O2 contract and I want to move at the end of it, so can't do the contract buyout that they are offering. My only option is to get the iPhone 4 from Apple or on PAYG from one of the networks. Orange is charging £480 vs Apple's £499, but that's no good to me if it's network locked as I need to be using my O2 SIM in there for another 12 months.

Of course, there's no knowing whether the people on the phones are giving you correct answers... Guess I can wait until people have them in their hands and can confirm whether they are locked or not.

DC

May not be that long for a jailbreak and unlock in theory...

 

[Markee]

Just spoke to Orange and the chap reckons that a PAYG iPhone 4 would be network locked.

I've got 12 months to run on my O2 contract and I want to move at the end of it, so can't do the contract buyout that they are offering. My only option is to get the iPhone 4 from Apple or on PAYG from one of the networks. Orange is charging £480 vs Apple's £499, but that's no good to me if it's network locked as I need to be using my O2 SIM in there for another 12 months.

Of course, there's no knowing whether the people on the phones are giving you correct answers... Guess I can wait until people have them in their hands and can confirm whether they are locked or not.

DC

The £499 Apple iPhone 4's from Apple are unlocked and SIM free (free as in not with a SIM rather than no cost, to clarify!) so you can use your O2 SIM with no problem other than getting a micro SIM from O2.

 

[neilybealy]

i seem to remember when the iphone first came out that when you bought from apple you then brought it home and activated it using itunes then it went through the "contract" part with o2