Can I use iPhone 4S outside the U.K.? Foreign sim cards work or not?

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Level 1

10 points

Can I use iPhone 4S outside the U.K.? Foreign sim cards work or not?

Hello,

I got a sim-free iphone 4s and will travel to Russia soon, my question is can I use Russian local sim card in my phone? is that works?

The only thing I'm sure is Russian network carriers they use same technologies as the UK's, 3G(WCDMA) and 2G(EDGE). But I got several words from carphonewarehouse website, said "SIM free iPhones can only be used with a UK-network SIM card, and will not accept foreign SIM cards."

Ok, does it mean the UK version iPhones specially locked for foreign carriers? Maybe I have to take a spare phone.

Can anyone help please, many thanks!

Posted on Feb 12, 2012 1:57 PM

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Answer 1

gdgmacguy

Level 7

21,891 points

Feb 12, 2012 2:03 PM in response to Shen Gao

seems pretty clear to me that if you purchased your phone from Carephonewarehouse, that your phone will be LOCKED to whichever UK carrier you choose. You will NOT be able to use the phone with a Russian carrier.

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Answer 2

wegras

Level 6

15,311 points

Feb 12, 2012 2:07 PM in response to Shen Gao

iPhones purchased from Apple Retail stores and Apple.com/uk are unlocked and can be used with any Apple approved carrier WW

iPhones from ALL other sources are locked to a carrier

Carphone Warehouse sell sim free iPhone4S but it will lock to the first UK carrier sim

that is placed in the iPhone and then becomes locked to that carrier

They cannot therefore be used with any other carrier unless the UK carrier authorises unlocking

Which UK carrier are you using

AND UK does not support CDMA all UK phones are GSM

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Answer 3

Shen Gao Author

Level 1

10 points

Feb 12, 2012 2:08 PM in response to gdgmacguy

I got my phone from apple online store, it seems the sim-free phones from apple store and carephonewarehouse are totally different.

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Answer 4

wegras

Level 6

15,311 points

Feb 12, 2012 2:15 PM in response to Shen Gao

Correct if you purchased from Apple online paid full retail price then it is unlocked

It will work with any Apple Approved carrier's microsim in any country ( on GSM )

And yes CPW have a very strange relationship with Apple due to them being a

reseller and this allows them to stock an iPhone but

sell it on contract with any of the 5 carriers they handle

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Answer 5

Shen Gao Author

Level 1

10 points

Feb 12, 2012 2:18 PM in response to wegras

Thanks, Peter! Currently I'm using O2, and I will change it the Russian carrier called Beeline when arrived there.

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Answer 6

wegras

Level 6

15,311 points

Feb 12, 2012 2:28 PM in response to Shen Gao

Actually if you had been unlucky enough to have had a locked iPhone4S O2 have just started to unlock those 🙂

Beeline are an Approved Apple carrier you should have no problems in Russia ,enjoy.

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