I paid a full price for a LOCKED iphone 4

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I paid a full price for a LOCKED iphone 4

I bought an iphone 4 outright from apple store in melbourne. After inserting a microsim from other carrier (Maxis Malaysia), Itunes show "The sim card inserted does not seem to be supported". I've tried everything and even restoring but no luck. Does anyone out there have the same problem? Anyone has any idea how to solve this problem?

My friend who bought the same iphone 4 from Australia works fine after he called up telstra to do the unlocking whereas I bought the UNLOCKED outright from apple store is locked. Anyone has any idea how to solve this problem which APple themselves cannot solve, apart from jailbreaking as it will void the warranty?

Posted on Dec 23, 2010 2:12 AM

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Answer 1

wjosten

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Dec 23, 2010 2:31 AM in response to simonwai56

I believe the only unlocked iPhones sold by Apple are the one's purchased through Apple's online store. If you purchase your phone from an Apple retail store, it will be carrier locked. You will have to contact the carrier your phone is locked to as to their unlocking procedures/cost.

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Answer 2

Dec 23, 2010 2:35 AM in response to simonwai56

Only the original network to which the iPhone is locked can unlock it. You need to go to them, or...

If you specifically stated you wanted to purchase an unlocked iPhone then you need to go back to the Apple Store you purchased from. No-one here can do anything for you.

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Answer 3

simonwai56 Author

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Dec 23, 2010 3:55 AM in response to simonwai56

I paid 859AUD for the iphone 4 when i bought it. It's not locked to any carrier I believe. The phone was activated on the spot with the message: "congratulations, your phone has been activated". I wasn't informed that the phone is locked to any carrier as during the queue, one of the staff came up and said APple store is selling unlocked iphone4 outright. If what you guys said are true, which carrier do i call? because I have no idea which carrier the phone is locked to. To make the problem worse, I have already left Australia for good. How am I gonna travel back to Australia just to solve this problem?

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Answer 4

wjosten

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Dec 23, 2010 4:54 AM in response to simonwai56

congratulations, your phone has been activated

That doesn't mean that your phone is unlocked, just that your phone is activated. What carrier's sim was used to activate your phone? That's the carrier your phone is locked too. At any rate, no one here can help you. Call the Apple store where you purchased your phone, give them the phone's IMEI number. They should be able to confirm whether your phone is officially unlocked or not and if not who the carrier is the phone is locked too.

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Answer 5

Andy :]

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Dec 23, 2010 4:57 AM in response to simonwai56

All iPhone sold in the Apple Store in Australia is unlocked. Did you actually go to a proper Apple Store. There are only 2 Apple Store in Melbourne, Chadstone & Doncaster. If you want to neither, you did not buy it from an Apple Store.

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Answer 6

Dec 23, 2010 4:57 AM in response to wjosten

Let me update you on one point, wjosten. I cannot say what happens in Australia, but in some areas (and my experience is limited to Thailand) the Apple retails outlets, which are franchises and not owned by Apple, will sell unlocked phones. They may be carrier linked (for service/warranty I would take mine to a specific named carrier of the three carriers here), but can be unlocked. I do not think Thailand is unique in this and it probably stems from the local regulations on availability.

I agree that the only way the OP is going to solve his problem is through Telstra, however.

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Answer 7

simonwai56 Author

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Dec 23, 2010 7:08 AM in response to simonwai56

I bought mine from Chadstone. It's an Apple store. I queue up 2 hour for it when it first launched in Australia. Sounds pretty ridiculous as I could not use it overseas. I'll try to ring them and give the IMEI code to see if that helps to do the unlocking. Frankly I do not think the phone is locked to any Telco company in Australia as I already paid a full price for it, unlike those who go on a plan with 2 years contract.

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Answer 8

varjak paw

Level 10

170,200 points

Dec 23, 2010 9:21 AM in response to simonwai56

Removed: redundant information.

Message was edited by: Dave Sawyer

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Answer 9

varjak paw

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Dec 23, 2010 9:24 AM in response to Graham K. Rogers

Graham, I believe that Apple sells unlocked iPhones in Australia only through the online Apple Store. This is the case in other countries as well; an unlocked iPhone being available only via the online Apple Store. iPhones in Thailand are not locked to any carrier, regardless of the outlet (assuming an authorized reseller, of course), so the situation in your country is very different.

Regards.

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Answer 10

Dec 23, 2010 9:31 AM in response to Graham K. Rogers

I'm pretty sure there are no Apple franchise stores. Apple does not have a franchise program for Apple retail stores. If there is an Apple retail store, it is owned by and operated by Apple.

There are no Apple retail stores in Thailand.

Apple retail stores are available in the following countries.

Unites States
United Kingdom
Japan
Canada
Italy
Australia
China
Switzerland
Germany
France
Spain

http://www.apple.com/retail/storelist/

There are official Apple resellers or retail outlets that sell Apple products and provide service, but there are no Apple franchise stores.

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Answer 11

Dec 23, 2010 6:15 PM in response to varjak paw

I was merely trying to correct a point that wjosten made in reply to the OP and I am afraid that your reply complicates matters and is wrong. The three carriers in Thailand that handle the iPhone (AIS, DTAC and True) lock them for the 2 year contract period, but they do provide an unlocked device as an option.

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Answer 12

Dec 23, 2010 6:18 PM in response to Allan Sampson

Alan, as in my reply to Dave Sawyer, I was initially trying to correct a point that wjosten made in reply to the OP. In Thailand (and this is getting off message - I apologize to the OP), all retailers of Apple products are under the iStudio or iBeat franchise. As in any franchise, they are operated under certain conditions set by Apple. We may be splitting hairs here.

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Answer 13

Dec 23, 2010 6:35 PM in response to Graham K. Rogers

There are authorized Apple retailers which are not Apple franchise stores. There is no such thing as an Apple franchise regardless an official Apple retailer meeting certain requirements in order to be an official Apple retailer.

This is not splitting hairs. A franchise and an official retailer for a company's products along with selling similar and competing products are not the same.

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Answer 14

simonwai56 Author

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Dec 24, 2010 12:36 AM in response to simonwai56

Can someone tell me an effective solution for my locked iphone 4?? To summarise the problem, how can someone use an iphone4 bought from another country? The iphone 4 is bought outright from an Apple store. Not franchise nor retail. It's an official Apple store. Whether the phone is locked or not, I have no idea but I have already paid a full price and still not able to use it overseas.

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Answer 15

Dec 24, 2010 1:55 AM in response to simonwai56

The amount you paid for the phone is irrelevant. What you bought is the relevant factor - locked or unlocked.

If your iPhone is locked, the ONLY people who can unlock it are the network to which it is locked. So, you need to contact them.

If you specifically bought an unlocked iPhone (and you told the store that's what you wanted when purchasing), and subsequently have found you were given a locked phone, then you need to contact the store.

No-one else can do anything.

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