Advice- iPhone 3G in UK

[peteyyt]

I hope I'm posting this in the right place. If not, attack as much as you wish.

I just unlocked my U.S. iPhone 3G, and it works. I tested it with an American T-Mobile SIM and an Italian TIM SIM. I can make and receive calls on both networks.

My main issue is that I will be in the UK for about five months starting this Sunday and I want to use my phone there and still have internet access (with voice and text services also). Are there any stores I can just walk into, purchase a Pay & Go SIM, and be on my way? Will O2's Simplicity SIM work with my unlocked phone? Are there better, cheaper services? I'm just looking for the most hassle-free solution.

Thanks!

 

[Tallest Skil]

O2 are a bunch of jerks and won't sell you a Pay-as-you-go plan without an iPhone.

FYI before you try. I have an Italian friend (lives in Ireland) who bought her iPhone factory unlocked in Italy, but O2 wouldn't let her get a plan without buying another iPhone, so she went with Vodafone.

 

[dubhe]

Vodafone do unlimited internet on their sim only plans.

 

[peteyyt]

How do you add unlimited mobile internet on to Vodafone's SIM only plan?

 

[dubhe]

How do you add unlimited mobile internet on to Vodafone's SIM only plan?

I'm sure you can add it for £7.50 a month or something. I'm on a slow internet connection at the moment so can't search, sorry

 

[ppc750fx]

My main issue is that I will be in the UK for about five months starting this Sunday and I want to use my phone there and still have internet access (with voice and text services also). Are there any stores I can just walk into, purchase a Pay & Go SIM, and be on my way? Will O2's Simplicity SIM work with my unlocked phone? Are there better, cheaper services? I'm just looking for the most hassle-free solution.

It's simple:

1) Get an O2 SIM.

2) There is no step 2. That's it. Your O2 SIM will work fine, and although they'll know you have an iPhone, there's absolutely no downside to getting a normal SIM and using it.

You can add a data bolt-on for £7.50 a month (200MB soft cap), or an unlimited data bolt-on that includes WiFi access for £10 -- but those aren't mandatory. Basically, if you've got an unlocked phone, there's no need to get any special anything from O2.

 

[peteyyt]

How's set up? Can I just stick the card in and be on my way, or do I need to change internet settings?

 

[sparkyms]

O2 are a bunch of jerks and won't sell you a Pay-as-you-go plan without an iPhone.

http://shop.o2.co.uk/tariffs/pay_and_go/sim_only what's this then?

Ireland and the UK are two different O2 operations. What happens in Ireland probably won't happen in the UK.

To the OP, if you're going to be here for 5months, and want to use o2 then I would look at the SIMplicity tariffs,
http://shop.o2.co.uk/sim-only-simplicity
and add the web bolt on of 7.50.

Here are the Vodafone SIM only 30day contract sims:
http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/cat...lters=flt_30dayplansSIMonly&_requestid=565039

but I'm not sure how easy it is to add data to these contracts, although Vodafone do have the best coverage and 3G.

 

[AlecEdworthy]

To the OP, if you're going to be here for 5months, and want to use o2 then I would look at the SIMplicity tariffs,
http://shop.o2.co.uk/sim-only-simplicity
and add the web bolt on of 7.50.

Or choose a Simplicity tariff costing over £20 per month and get a bolt-on for free.

Alec

 

[peteyyt]

Tried to get a simplicity SIM today, they want my UK address and debit card, which I don't have. Is there anyway to get a SIM with data without having a UK bank account or credit/debit card?

Thanks.

 

[sparkyms]

Then you might be better off waiting until you get over here and payin £10 for a PAYG Sim, and then £7.50 p/mo for the data bolt-on. Because then you won't need a UK address OR debit card, you just need to top up the SIM when you are low on credit and when the Bolt-On is ready to be renewed each month.

 

[ppc750fx]

Tried to get a simplicity SIM today, they want my UK address and debit card, which I don't have. Is there anyway to get a SIM with data without having a UK bank account or credit/debit card?

Yes. Do what I recommended in my previous post:

1) Get a normal O2 SIM (not this "Simplicity" jazz that everyone's recommending.)

2) Buy either the £7.50 or £10 data bolt-ons (depending on what you need.)

 

[AlecEdworthy]

Yes. Do what I recommended in my previous post:

1) Get a normal O2 SIM (not this "Simplicity" jazz that everyone's recommending.)

I assume you mean a Pay As You Go SIM rather than what many would assume a "normal" SIM is (i.e. a standard contract SIM).

Alec

 

[suniil]

O2 3G sims with unlimited data are available in ebay for £20 or less. I got one for £18 other day.

 

[drlunanerd]

O2 are a bunch of jerks and won't sell you a Pay-as-you-go plan without an iPhone.

FYI before you try. I have an Italian friend (lives in Ireland) who bought her iPhone factory unlocked in Italy, but O2 wouldn't let her get a plan without buying another iPhone, so she went with Vodafone.

Since the iPhone 3G was launched in the UK we've been able to put O2 PAYG SIM cards in all iPhones and have them activate without any hacking in iTunes. This applies in Northern Ireland but not sure about Eire.
O2 give out free PAYG SIMs too.

 

[peteyyt]

Thanks for all the help guys. I got the O2 Pay and Go SIM this morning, texted to get the Web Bolt-on, but I'm still awaiting my confirmation text (they said 48 hours). Should web work automatically after this?