Glam

Hi,

Your thought please!!.

I have 2 iphone 4 contracts (1 for me 1 for mrs). Both still have about 4mths left on contracts that i will have to buy out before we go next week.

Do i....

1, buy out the contacts then cash them in on O2 recycle for £275 each, take the cash with me and use it get 2 new ones on contracts when we arrive.

or

2, buy out the contracts, pay to unlock them (don't know how well this works, any experience would great) and not have to sign up to a 3 yr contract.

I know, not really important to a lot of people in the grand scheme of things but it's just another dilemma going round in my head!!

Cheers,

Gav.

cheeky_monkey

not 100% sure but dont unlocked iphone relock if you update the software at a later date?

Oink

If you're planning to stay at least three years, then sell them in the UK, then get new phones when you get out here. No worries about warranties or recharging issues.

Glam

Ill he honest mate, I've no idea

Glam

Yeah, was my initial thoughts.

Bet the iPhone 5 come out just as I sign up for three yrs!!

Oink

Most are betting the iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S release date is either Sept or Oct.

pTeronaut

O2 will unlock contracted iPhones for free (but hold you to the contract, so you will have to pay the Earty Termination Fee), but charge £15 for PAYG iPhones.

Any iPhone unlock performed by Apple at the request of the Carrier will be permanent.

Any iPhone that is permanently (factory) unlocked has a significantly higher resale value than a carrier locked one.

FWIR, Rogers, the major (if not the only) iPhone carrier in Canada does not unlock iPhones. My advise is to get O2 to unlock your iPhones and take them with you. <O2 Unlocking form.> As there is only a technically illegal hardware unlock available for new iPhones at the moment, it may be difficult to use them without paying extortionate international roaming charges on any trip back to blighty or to the US. (The illegality lies in the unlock being an intermediary chip which briefly dials 112 to gain a connection with the unsupported SIM's network.)


The recent issue with some Rogers iPhones sold as factory unlocked becoming locked when they were updated to 4.3.* is presumed to have been a batch of iPhones which were destined for another region which locks to the carrier upon first use.

Almost Canadian

The alternative is to sell it in the UK and get a proper smartphone when you arrive in Canada - HTC et al.

rich07

No they dont. 02 charge £20 to unlock

Glam

Ha, very good. I take it they had no iphone's in when you went to get a new phone and came out with a wanna be!!

:0)

G.

Glam

U seem to know your stuff. I think i'll speak to O2 today with a view of taking them with me unlocked.

Thanks all.

Gav.

pTeronaut

There's a whole thread about it over at ModMyI, including the possibility of them unlocking foreign iPhones that can get on their network (via the rare jailbreak unlock or the Gevey MicroSIM).

sharkus

I'd probably get them unlocked on O2. They would be the same as if they were unlocked by Apple.

Rogers / Fido / Bell / etc... do NOT sell unlocked iPhones. They will be locked to the network, and additionally you would need to sign a 3yr contract with them. Apple is the only place over here you can buy an unlocked iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4. Current prices are, $549 for an iPhone 3GS and $659 for a 16GB iPhone 4, and $799 for a 32GB iPhone 4. Not exactly cheap.

Obviously if you get a phone from Robbers, sorry, Rogers, and get the 3yr contract it will be cheaper. If you can hold off getting a contract until September I would strongly suggest you do that, as indications are an iPhone 4S / 5, will be released in September, and you would not be able to upgrade from your iPhone 4 without paying through the roof for it. It's one of the reasons I've not gone for an iPhone 4 yet.

jeff66

The thing I have hated most since being here..... ARE PHONES! Cell phones, home phones, AND I HATE BELL!!!!! But I hear Rogers are just the same.
The contracts are awful and the prices are high, the companies are useless. Oh and be prepared for the hours spent on the phone to Indian call centres!

Jeff

delsol79

I second taking the phones with you or else you are going to end up getting locked in to a horribly long contract over here! Once network unlocked they will remain unlocked.

Just get some SIM cards when you land.

I believe if a new iPhone comes out this year it will merely be a minor upgrade (4GS) with 5 due next year but we will see.