Several years ago I bought 2 iPhones in the US when I went on holiday (I live in the UK.) I have a Sky Mobile contract at the moment and Sky use the O2 network. Can I still buy an iPhone in the states that will work in the UK with my current sim? If so what carrier do I need to choose when buying the phone? AT&T, T Mobile or something else? My parents are out there so don't want them to buy and bring back and it not work
Can I still buy an iPhone in the states that will work in the UK with my current sim?
No, if you are looking for a new high performance phone....not an entry level phone like the SE.
That is because the iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 sold in the U.S. are eSIM only. They will not accept a standard SIM card.
Even if they did....(.they don't).....you would have to buy an unlocked phone.....not a phone for use with AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.
Another important factor to consider......a phone purchased in the U.S. will very likely not have warranty coverage in the U.K., or any other country for that matter.
Our advice would always be to buy a phone in the country in which it will be used most of the time.
Can I still buy an iPhone in the states that will work in the UK with my current sim?
No, if you are looking for a new high performance phone....not an entry level phone like the SE.
That is because the iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 sold in the U.S. are eSIM only. They will not accept a standard SIM card.
Even if they did....(.they don't).....you would have to buy an unlocked phone.....not a phone for use with AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.
Another important factor to consider......a phone purchased in the U.S. will very likely not have warranty coverage in the U.K., or any other country for that matter.
Our advice would always be to buy a phone in the country in which it will be used most of the time.
If you have a physical SIM card, the only model sold in the USA that still has those is the SE.
Do not get one from a carrier. They may be cheaper but then you have to fulfill the contract and get the phone unlocked.
As stated in another post:
Legal - iOS Warranty Document Us - Apple - "IMPORTANT RESTRICTION FOR iPHONE, iPAD AND APPLE TV SERVICE. Apple may restrict warranty service for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV to the country where Apple or its Authorized Distributors originally sold the device."
If you do have issues with a device, it may be very difficult or impossible to get repairs or a replacement.
You may also want to see if your usage may be limited by networks --> iPhone - Supported 5G and LTE networks - Apple
Also note that your parents will likely supposed to pay any customs charges over whatever their tax-free allowance is. In the end, getting a phone in the USA may have more disadvantages than it is worth.
If by "sim" you mean a physical SIM card you insert into the phone, then only the current entry level iPhone SE third generation still supports physical sims. All other US iPhones only support digital sims, which your carrier Sky does not seem to support.
click here ➜ Compare iPhone - Apple.com
and here ➜ Find wireless carriers and worldwide service providers that offer eSIM service - Apple Support
Thank you, that's really helpful thank you :-)
Great thank you, that's really helpful :-)
You're welcome.
can i buy an iphone in the US that I can put my sky mobile o2 sim card in?
