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Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

Old Apr 24th 2013, 7:01 pm
  #1  
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Default Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

Currently living in the USA.
Have an iPhone 5 on AT&T.
Moving back to the UK in July.

Can I unlock my iPhone? I see lots of sites offering this service but do they work? Are they safe? I imagine it will invalidate the warranty.
Then back in the UK what would be the best network to use with an unlocked iPhone? I guess that's called 'SIM only'?
I would want a good allowance of minutes/text, unlimited data if possible.
I used to be on Orange in the UK. Have kept my number on GiffGaff while abroad.
Any ideas/thoughts much appreciated.
Thanks
Steven
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Old Apr 24th 2013, 7:32 pm
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

Hi Steven,

Have you fulfilled your contract with AT&T? If so you can call them and get the phone unlocked once you've fulfilled your contract.

My son went to the UK with an unlocked iPhone and got a SIM via 02, but there are lots of other companies out there that do SIM only plans (including GifGaf), he just went with 02 because he goes to university in remote place where 02 had the best signal.

http://www.o2.co.uk/tariffs/simplicity
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Old Apr 24th 2013, 9:28 pm
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

Ah the A&T contract, why didn't I think of that?!
Spoke to AT&T and it's not actually out of contract till Oct 2014 :-(
They want $245 as an early cancellation charge.
But that's still probably cheaper than buying a new phone in the UK?

I'll need to look at prices over there...
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Old Apr 25th 2013, 12:57 am
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

Originally Posted by 01steven
Ah the A&T contract, why didn't I think of that?!
Spoke to AT&T and it's not actually out of contract till Oct 2014 :-(
They want $245 as an early cancellation charge.
But that's still probably cheaper than buying a new phone in the UK?

I'll need to look at prices over there...
no it really isn't not even close.

https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/phones/app...-5-16gb-white/
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Old Apr 25th 2013, 1:05 am
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

Oh yes I can see that is a tremendous deal...
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Old Apr 25th 2013, 1:14 am
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

Originally Posted by 01steven
Oh yes I can see that is a tremendous deal...
The problem is getting a phone on contract in the UK you need some type of credit rating in the UK. So if you haven't lived there for a while it may be difficult to get some of the deals. My son wasn't able to get a contract when he moved back initially, hence why he used his unlocked phone and got a SIM
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Old Apr 25th 2013, 3:14 pm
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

I would unlock your phone instead of paying monthly for a mobile phone contract. When you do the math 24 months at £42 a month is really high. I would pay $245 to unlock your phone and then shop around when you get here. I pay £12 a month on Virgin unlimited texts, 1200 mins and 1GB data.
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Old Apr 26th 2013, 3:15 am
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

iPhone 5 is LTE, and there are many different versions of LTE between the US and Europe such that an AT&T iPhone 5 will likely not connect to the UK LTE network. The UK rollout of LTE is still underway though so not sure on the most recent status.

AT&T uses iPhone 5 Model A1428 using LTE bands 4 and 17. The 'world' version of the iPhone 5 is Model A1429. Your AT&T phone should still be able to connect to the 3G services, just not 4G LTE.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/5...in-the-uk.html

In addition, unlike most Apple products iPhones have a "country of sale" warranty, not a worldwide warranty.

If it was me, I'd consider selling my old iPhone in the USA / transfer the contract / whatever and then buy a new phone, possibly the iPhone 5S when it comes out, once in the UK and established so you can get a pay monthly deal.
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Old Apr 26th 2013, 7:00 pm
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

only verizon and sprint iphone 5's will currently connect to the uk lte system.
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Old Apr 26th 2013, 7:41 pm
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

Originally Posted by Sue
Hi Steven,

Have you fulfilled your contract with AT&T? If so you can call them and get the phone unlocked once you've fulfilled your contract.
Wow, I didn't realize you could only unlock an AT&T iPhone so you can use a non-US SIM after the end of the contract period. That's horrible. Verizon lets you do this almost immediately after purchase.
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Old Apr 26th 2013, 7:44 pm
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

Originally Posted by Giantaxe
Wow, I didn't realize you could only unlock an AT&T iPhone so you can use a non-US SIM after the end of the contract period. That's horrible. Verizon lets you do this almost immediately after purchase.
Thought it was illegal now to unlock a US cell phone.
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Old Apr 26th 2013, 8:05 pm
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
Thought it was illegal now to unlock a US cell phone.
Verizon unlocked my iPhone 4s last fall so I could use a UK SIM...

And this article suggests the iPhone 5 from Verizon comes unlocked anyway:

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/ga...cked-1B6078242

Last edited by Giantaxe; Apr 26th 2013 at 8:12 pm.
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Old Apr 26th 2013, 9:09 pm
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

I got my Sprint iPhone 4S unlocked last summer to visit the UK. I think we just had to be in good standing with them, bill paying-wise.

My contract doesn't end until November and I am moving this summer, so I'm just going to finish paying the bill and take it to the UK and get a SIM card there, it worked out really well last summer when I was visiting.
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Old Apr 26th 2013, 9:12 pm
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

Originally Posted by Giantaxe
Verizon unlocked my iPhone 4s last fall so I could use a UK SIM...

And this article suggests the iPhone 5 from Verizon comes unlocked anyway:

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/ga...cked-1B6078242
I think the new law came in late last year...or early this year.
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Old Apr 26th 2013, 9:17 pm
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Default Re: Moving back to UK from USA - iPhone question

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
I think the new law came in late last year...or early this year.
I just googled it. Apparently starting in January 2013 it ~is~ illegal for a third party company to unlock an iPhone, BUT totally legal for your carrier to unlock it. So then it should just depend on your carrier's policy.

"The U.S. Library of Congress has ruled that it is now illegal for you to unlock your smartphone if it was bought after January 26th, 2013. Carriers can still legally unlock your device for you, but it’s illegal to go through a third-party unlock vendor."

Tricky.
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