Hi
I have the opportuinity to purchase an iPhone 5s from Japan while I'm out there on holiday. Considering the price is a lot cheaper than purchasing from the UK, I was wondering if the iPhone will work in the UK with a UK sim card (assuming it is purchased unlocked)?
Thanks
iPhone 5s
Jamie.Reid, VERY interested to hear if you had a chance to try the Japan-bought iPhone with a diff. carrier sim and if it worked ok as the actual status of Japanese Apple-sold phones (NOT carrier-sold iPhones) is a hot topic i.e. Apple staff saying yes it will work basically anywhere with any compatible carrier without locking to the first carrier used but people in these forums without actual experience with these phones swearing up and down this not be the case as these are sold as sim-free as opposed to unlocked. Yes I'm aware of the supposed difference but I'm looking of evidence as opposed to hearsay or received knowledge.
Please let us know!
Hi all - I managed to buy an unlocked iPhone from an Apple Store in Tokyo. So this is to confirm you can buy an unlocked iPhone in Japan and it does work in the UK (Virgin network). I don't have 4G, so would not be able to advise on that and I did save a fair amount of money. But as deggie said above, any warranty service would have to be returned to Japan as far as I am aware but I guess this is one of the risks you take!
Jamie.Reid wrote:
Hi all - I managed to buy an unlocked iPhone from an Apple Store in Tokyo. So this is to confirm you can buy an unlocked iPhone in Japan and it does work in the UK (Virgin network). I don't have 4G, so would not be able to advise on that and I did save a fair amount of money. But as deggie said above, any warranty service would have to be returned to Japan as far as I am aware but I guess this is one of the risks you take!
Have you tried with another UK carrier to ensure it is truly unlocked rather than sim free and then it locked to the first carrier sim
That's good if you only plan on using it with Virgin for the rest of the phone's life. Your phone is now probably locked to Virgin after you activated the phone. Do as Peter has suggested and borrow a SIM from someone on a different carrier. If the phone does not work, your phone is not unlocked.
I bought an iPhone 6 at the Apple store online and had no problem using it with a different carrier while I was in South Korea recently. Tethering even worked. If you purchase the phone from Apple's online store, it is unlocked and the fine print even says this. The SIM Free and Unlocked terminology mean the same thing in Japan per Apple's wording. So yes, the Japanese iPhone bought from Apple will work anywhere with any SIM.
As far as I know, no iPhone in Japan is sold as unlocked. You will not be able to use the 4G/LTE network in the UK with that iPhone and you will have to return to Japan for warranty service.
Buy in UK ,you will not ultimately save money as legion before you have found out
Heed deggies comment about no Japan sold iPhones being unlocked for use on any carrier
Will iPhone from Japan work in the UK?
