Orange iPhone (prepaid) - Unlock offered?

[ubugger]

I've tried searching around to find the answer but I cannot (here or on Orange's site)...

If you buy a prepaid iPhone 3GS - how long before you can unlock it? Is it 12mths like the O2 ones, or maybe 3 months? (I remember someone mentioning 3mths before you can unlock the post-paid one...)

Any ideas?

 

[cal6n]

I don't know if Orange are even offering unlocking of their iPhones. You'd be better off emailling their customer support.

 

[Badfoot]

I posted this a little while ago, when you could just use an orange sim and it locked to that. No replies though.

"I have an O2 3gs on pay and go, so will have to wait another 6 months or so before O2 will unlock it. But I am also able to lock to Oange. If I do, does Orange offer unlocking on more favourable terms than O2 ?"

It's all getting very messy now, why don't they just unlock the thing for everyone in this country and let service providers compete for customers like in e.g Australia, Italy etc

 

[ubugger]

Ha, after much searching, I found this:

· pay as you go - call 450 from your handset or 07973100450 from any other phone:
o you’ll need to have been with us for at least three months
o you need to have a balance of £20 or more on your account
o it needs to be an Orange branded handset (this would mean it has the Orange logo on the case, but if you’re not sure, give us a call and we’ll tell you)
o you’ll need to give us your address, or an email address, for us to send your code out

An iPhone is not 'Orange' branded, so I guess this doesn't really answer the question, however, if they unlock on their standard process then that is brilliant!

 

[Badfoot]

Ha, after much searching, I found this:

· pay as you go - call 450 from your handset or 07973100450 from any other phone:
o you’ll need to have been with us for at least three months
o you need to have a balance of £20 or more on your account
o it needs to be an Orange branded handset (this would mean it has the Orange logo on the case, but if you’re not sure, give us a call and we’ll tell you)
o you’ll need to give us your address, or an email address, for us to send your code out

An iPhone is not 'Orange' branded, so I guess this doesn't really answer the question, however, if they unlock on their standard process then that is brilliant!

So I can pop in a 3 month old Orange sim in my O2 pay and go phone, that will lock it onto Orange, then being a 3 month old sim, I can get an unlock straightaway ?

This is alternative to having to wait until I have had iPhone for 12 months under O2's scheme.

 

[Bbusyb]

So I can pop in a 3 month old Orange sim in my O2 pay and go phone, that will lock it onto Orange, then being a 3 month old sim, I can get an unlock straightaway ?

This is alternative to having to wait until I have had iPhone for 12 months under O2's scheme.

There is no way to LOCK a locked phone from one Network to another. What O2 does is unlock the phone for any Network.

So Orange is Probably not going to be able to help you as the Operator has to Pass the IMIE to Apple to Unlock, and they are not going to able to do so for a phone they did not sell.

Having said that, if Orange offers to unlock their Pay and Go iPhones after 3 months, its likely that O2 will also follow suit. Following discussions on the forum, it seem pretty obvious that their policy's about which they will and will not unlock is still pretty fluid.

 

[Badfoot]

There is no way to LOCK a locked phone from one Network to another. What O2 does is unlock the phone for any Network.

So Orange is Probably not going to be able to help you as the Operator has to Pass the IMIE to Apple to Unlock, and they are not going to able to do so for a phone they did not sell.

Having said that, if Orange offers to unlock their Pay and Go iPhones after 3 months, its likely that O2 will also follow suit. Following discussions on the forum, it seem pretty obvious that their policy's about which they will and will not unlock is still pretty fluid.

These posts refer to people just inserting an orange sim and getting service without having to involve O2.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/814645/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/814608/

Are they all wrong ?

 

[iMacDragon]

These posts refer to people just inserting an orange sim and getting service without having to involve O2.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/814645/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/814608/

Are they all wrong ?

I recall an earlier posting of similar happening with refurb phones, wondering if this may be the case again?

it would make sense for apple to flag all their refurb phones as valid on any official carrier so that store replacement would always work when activated.

 

[Gav2k]

Alot of people are reportin the phones are unlocked and only lock to a network after insertion and activation to save apple producing models specific to each network.

 

[ubugger]

If your phone is locked to O2, then it's locked to O2. Inserting an Orange sim and 'locking' to Orange may be possible, but as your IMEI wasn't registered in their system as sold to you then i'm sure they won't unlock it.

But I e-mailed Orange and:

Thank you for your email regarding unlocking an iPhone.

You can currently use an Orange phone on another compatible network if you have your phone unlocked, and then buy a SIM card from the network you would like to join.

If you are a Pay Monthly or Pay As You Go customer and your phone has been registered for more than 3 months, all you will need to pay to unlock your phone is the unlocking fee of £20.00 including VAT, payable prior to unlocking the phone.

To unlock your phone all you will need to do is call our Customer Service team on 150 from your Orange phone, or 07973 100150 from any other mobile or landline or 450 (07973 100450) if the phone has been used with a pay as you go SIM. Unlocking generally takes between 7 and 10 days.

I trust this information is of assistance.

Kind regards

Nina
Orange Online Services