Hi Guys,
I was just wondering if anyone knew the actual answer to this question, i heard that if i purchased an iPhone on contract from the likes of EE, Vodafone, O2 etc.. they aren't technically locked. When you activate the phone, they lock to the network of the first sim card that is inserted into them?
King Regards,
Rory
No. If they start off and sold as unlocked (aka SIM free) from Apple store etc they will stay unlocked.
Contract phones may be locked and as advised, ask the carrier.
The ONLY place you can buy an unlocked iPhone in the UK is directly from Apple. Same in the US.
If you bought the phone from Carphone warehouse or another retailer, the phone will lock to the first UK carrier used to activate it.
Things can be different depending on carriers, cellular plans, countries.
I would ask the carrier that you intend to buy your device from. They should be able to give you the appropriate answer.
Regards
Giulio
Also john Lewis, Argos. Etc
You may be right about locking to first SIM. It definitely is not the case in Android and Windows phones but maybe iphones are yet again a rule unto themselves.
Web articles are not always right but I cite this for UK
See the article in my post. If you want a permanently unlocked phone buy for cash from one if the retailers shown.
( I have to assume you are UK as you gave O2 as an example)
My experience of O2 is they will unlock it for free towards the end of the contract.
I think this has answered the question. So say i get a phone on contract from O2 and when it arrived the first sim card that i put into that phone was a Vodafone sim card am i correct in saying it would then lock to Vodafone?
Do iPhones come unlocked and then lock to the first SIM inserted?
