butlerd gb

Q: how to unlock an iphone 4?

orange say apple provide a pin, apple say carrier must unlock.confused! according to apple i must erase and restore my phone. the last time i restored my phone it literally blew up my p c so not keen on this

iPhone 4

Posted on Sep 11, 2015 7:05 AM

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Q: how to unlock an iphone 4?

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  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Sep 11, 2015 7:06 AM in response to butlerd gb
    Level 9 (50,871 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 11, 2015 7:06 AM in response to butlerd gb

    Only the carrier can unlock an iPhone, nothing to do with Apple.

  • by Ralph Landry1,

    Ralph Landry1 Sep 11, 2015 7:07 AM in response to butlerd gb
    Level 8 (41,782 points)
    Sep 11, 2015 7:07 AM in response to butlerd gb

    See the instructions for carrier-unlocking an iPhone - this MUST be done by Orange as Apple will not do it.

    How to unlock your iPhone for use with another carrier - Apple Support

  • by butlerd gb,

    butlerd gb butlerd gb Sep 11, 2015 7:34 AM in response to Ralph Landry1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 11, 2015 7:34 AM in response to Ralph Landry1

    thanks to both of you for prompt replies and i am not disputing your advice  but orange said to me they send a request to apple, apple confirm to me by email within 48 hours that unlock request made, then within 10 days i receive a pin from apple  to put in my iphone when i insert new sim to unlock the phone so it will work. It seems from this description apple is doing the unlocking. Also I will be charged £8.99 for this by apple, which will appear on my final bill from orange. Has anyone else had any experience of unlocking a iphone to change service providers?

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Sep 11, 2015 7:59 AM in response to butlerd gb
    Level 9 (50,871 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 11, 2015 7:59 AM in response to butlerd gb

    Orange are lying to you, they and only they can unlock the phone.

  • by butlerd gb,Solvedanswer

    butlerd gb butlerd gb Sep 11, 2015 7:59 AM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 11, 2015 7:59 AM in response to Csound1

    thank you all. just had another fun half hour with EE's overseas call centre and they are liars and thieves not that they would ever admit it They insist they are doing me a service as a go between with apple about the unlocking and are very vague about who is charging me this £8.99, though its pretty obviously them! A credit of £10 is now being applied to my account as a goodwill gesture for my loyalty, yeah, right! But still no explanation for why this whole fiasco takes 2 weeks! I would advise anyone to avoid dealing with EE, several of my friends have been ripped off for termination fees in the last few weeks even though they were, like me, out of contract. Again thanks for everyones help and i will follow apples guidance

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Sep 11, 2015 8:04 AM in response to butlerd gb
    Level 9 (50,871 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 11, 2015 8:04 AM in response to butlerd gb

    EE, O2 and Orange all practice the "it's someone elses problem" approach to customer service, I live (from time to time) in the UK, I use O2 and they are awful, but when they offered me a 'side grade' to EE I checked with my son (who uses EE) that was enough to make me stay with the devil I knew.

  • by Ralph Landry1,

    Ralph Landry1 Sep 11, 2015 9:45 AM in response to butlerd gb
    Level 8 (41,782 points)
    Sep 11, 2015 9:45 AM in response to butlerd gb

    If you try to deal wit Apple to unlock you will simply get a 'no contact your carrier' because Apple cannot unlock an iPhone that has been purchased with a subsidize by a carrier.  It is a contract thing, the carrier has paied a large part of the price of the iPhone so they technically are at least part owners until you pay off the terms of the contract.  Apple is not going to jeopardize the agreements they have with their carrier customers.

     

    Also, Apple does not charge a fee for sending an unlock code - that is 100% a fee from the carrier.