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Is iTunes unlock of [Orange] iPhone 4 limited to carrier of SIM used during unlocking, or ready to use in any network?

Hi folks

I have scoured the Apple forums and contacted Orange UK, and cannot find an answer to my question, so here goes:

Basically I recently upgraded my iPhone 4 to an iPhone 5 and would now like to sell the old phone. I will probably do this on eBay, so the purchaser could be from anywhere in the world, on any network. I contacted Orange to initiate the unlock and am awaiting my code. The Orange technician I spoke to told me that I wouldn't even need a SIM in the phone to perform the unlock, though I have since discovered this to be false information. From what I gather, the procedure involves inserting a non-Orange SIM into the iPhone before connecting with iTunes in order to unlock it.

Will the newly unlocked phone instantly lock to this new network? i.e. say I borrow a friend's Vodafone SIM to perform the unlock procedure, will the unlocked phone instantly become a Vodafone UK iPhone?

I want to be able to list the item on eBay as an unlocked iPhone 4, that anyone in the world can purchase and use on their carrier. Having paid £20 for the unlock code, it would be a shame if the phone is instantly locked to the network of the temporary SIM.

Also I've seen widespread stories of people not being able to send text messages on unlocked iPhones, due to some old carrier settings being retained during the unlock process. How can I avoid this potential problem? I just want to provide someone with a fully unlocked iPhone that will work on any network.

Many thanks.

(PS: I have already seen this page and it doesn't answer my question: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5014 )

iPhone 4, iOS 6.1.2, Black 32gb

Posted on Mar 29, 2013 1:23 AM

17 replies

wegras

Level 6

15,305 points

Apr 9, 2013 6:23 AM in response to Hal Incandenza

Hal Incandenza wrote:

Well, the people I'm talking to are the trained employees of a multinational mobile phone network, whereas you're just a random bloke on a forum, who may or may not have first-hand experience of the procedure.

Yes, I "keep talking to people who have no idea what they're talking about", I just haven't decided exactly which people they are yet.

OK Have it from the UK

Orange staff are useless they only understand the OTHER manufacturers where an unlock Code is used

Apple does not work in that way ,

wjosen has outlined above exactly how it works

He is in US and that is how it works there ,I am in the UK and that is exactly how it works in UK

Aug 11, 2013 6:42 PM in response to Hal Incandenza

I believe some people get confused when it comes to 'unlocked' phones. There are two different types of 'unlocked' device:

SIM FREE which come from the factory as 'unlocked' and...
UNLOCKED which are devices that have been unlocked after purchase via several methods etc

iphones sourced directly from Apple are classed as being SIM FREE

I currently have an iphone 5 that was an upgrade from my iphone 4 on the Three network, and I have recently had this phone unlocked through three at a cost of £15.32, my iphone 5 is now permanently unlocked as it would be if i had purchased the phone directly from Apple, like orange, three send an unlock request to Apple using the phones imei number and my phone will now be on the Apple database showing as 'unlocked'

Phones that are unlocked the proper and official way will never lock to another network

I agree with everyone who has mentioned that orange don't know what they are talking about when it comes to unlocking phones, their staff have obviously not been trained fully or properly!!

Is iTunes unlock of [Orange] iPhone 4 limited to carrier of SIM used during unlocking, or ready to use in any network?