Unlock Your iPhone in the UK for Free
What is better than free Wi-Fi for the holidays? Unlocking your iPhone from the O2 network in the UK for free. That’s exactly what O2 in the UK is allowing iPhone customers to do after Nov. 10. Unlockers will still have to honor the remainder of any O2 contract, but can use any SIM in the iPhone at no charge. Pay and Go customers can unlock the iPhone 12 months after paying off the phone for a £14.69 one-time fee.
Here’s all you need to do to unlock your iPhone according to the O2 site:
“Firstly, complete the unlocking form – it will take up to 14 days for the iPhone to be unlocked and we’ll text you to confirm the unlock request. Then place a non-O2 sim into the iPhone and connect to iTunes via a USB cable. iTunes will confirm that the iPhone has been successfully unlocked.”
Thanks to Gavin Miller for sending this in!
We are fortunate enough to already have this in Australia. Under any contract with any Telco (all of ours carry the iPhone) you just ask to be unlocked and in anything from a few days to a couple of weeks you are! Even iPhones bought on prepaid can be unlocked once you have put enough credit across them – Optus for example demands you spend at least $80 in call credit. This could be over the first year or the first day.
Now I’m a little confused: I though that most phones in Europe were sold unlocked and if you did happen to get a locked one, your carrier had to unlock it for free on request.
That’s Correct. In The UK, the carrier is legally required to unlock a locked phone once the contract period is over as the phone then belongs to the customer.
O2 had been getting a lot of Flak for not doing so with the iPhone even though they claimed that they informed customers that it would not be unlocked after the contract. I believe there have a been a lot of complaints to the regulator and talk of taking them to court where they probably would lose so this is an easy way out for them, as while some will switch, most will not.
The contracts being offered by Orange are pretty pathetic, and as such not much of a reason to change unless you are getting very poor coverage.
BBusyB, I’m not sure there is a de facto legal requirement to unlock in the UK.
Here’s the link to OFGEM guidance which basically states that you should be able to request an unlock but there may be a fee or minimum term.
I think you are wrong. There is no legal requirement for a UK mobile phone company to unlock a phone they provide.
@Gavin Miller
Perhaps mu language was correct. What I meant was that once the Contract period is over, the Customer can Request an Unlock and expect to get it, though they may be charged a reasonable fee.
Looking at OFTEL (The Telecoms Regulator.OFGEM is for Gas) and more specifically their policy on SIM Locking
“Key points
* SIM locking is permitted under current EU and Oftel guidelines as mobiles sold are subsidised – therefore it is allowable for the mobile companies to recover the associated cost of subsidising the mobile phones sold.
* However, mobiles should be able to be unlocked once the subsidy has been recovered. This should generally be within a year if not before.
* · Charging for the associated admin costs of unlocking a mobile is acceptable, but customers should not expect to pay more than £30 + VAT”
From My reading of this, the carrier does not have to option to refuse once the period is over, as such giving Defacto right.
Oops, yes, I meant Oftel and forgot the link:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/oftel/consumer/advice/faqs/mobfaq3.htm
The point is though, there is no UK LEGAL requirement and there are no court cases setting any precedent yet. They are only guidelines.
I’m moving from the UK to Canada in Jan and I was thinking I was going to have to have jailbreak/unlock my iPhone 3GS to get it to work on a Canadian network, but if I get this done 1st then I won’t have to jailbreak/unlock it – correct?
(Downside is I still need to pay the next 12months of my UK contract even though I won’t be using the phone – but that’s my fault for signing up)!
I completed the form yesterday. I have a 3GS under an 18 month contract that expires in December 2010 so obviously I have to honour that. I do want the flexibility to be able to use a different sim in the phone if I need to.
@BBusyB
Thanks for clarifying this for me.
Note though he is incorrect by saying there is no option for a carrier to refuse, there is! However, if it ever went to court they would have to justify why they wouldn’t do it.