The O2 "unlockmyiphone" web-page

[Moi un Mouton]

I wonder if we're all in for a disappointment once this page is live......

I'll start by saying that I've never understood the logic (business or any other sort of logic) in O2 saying "once Orange have the iPhone we'll be willing to unlock your O2 iPhone". It seems to me to make no sense, given that Ofcom does not force them to unlock.

But, reading the recent threads about Canada and Australia multi-carrier models, AND reading what is already happening in the UK with iTunes allowing the Orange carrier update (ie change the lock on your phone from O2 to Orange), here is my prediction.

The web-page will say:

At the end of your contract you may switch your iPhone to any other legitimate UK carrier for the iPhone. To achieve this, you should carry out the following procedure:

1. Please enter your O2 phone number once your existing O2 contract has reached its term and press Confirm (may require up to 15 days before confirmation of cancellation is received by you)
2. Obtain an iPhone-compatible SIM from any other official UK iPhone carrier
3. Connect iPhone to iTunes with the iPhone turned on
4. Swap O2 SIM card for the other carrier's SIM card
5. Click 'sync'
6. Accept carrier update when offered by iTunes
7. Your iPhone may now be used on the other carrier's network

In other words, there will be no genuine factory unlock for UK iPhones. Just the choice to use Orange or O2, and next year Vodafone as well (and no, O2 won't release you from your existing contract commitment.)

I realise that in a week's time my crystal ball may turn out to be totally rubbish, but that's what I think now is going to happen.

 

[RandomKamikaze]

Typically, when you got a carrier to unlock any other phone it would use a NUC that would simply unlock the phone to all carriers.

People on other carriers that have asked to have their iPhone unlocked by their carrier have found that it is the same as a factory unlock.

And as O2 won't know what carrier you want to move to, they can't ask Apple to lock it to another carrier.

You would have to keep using your O2 SIM until the updated file was pushed to you via iTunes, at which point you would put your other carriers SIM in. The file is already on your phone by this point, and when you put the SIM in, it will reference the settings for that carrier from an existing phone.

I am hoping and to be honest would be surprised if they locked it to another carrier instead of just unlocking it

 

[OllyW]

There's a few people on here who have already got their iPhones to swop from O2 to Orange so your theory might be correct.

I hope it isn't though, I would prefer to have it totally unrestricted to enable you to use any SIM.

 

[arkitect]

Unfortunately, Moi un Mouton, I think you are probably correct.
At first the euphoria clouded my better judgment…

So yes, we'll probably only be able to exchange one jailer for another.

 

[RandomKamikaze]

But how would you get locked to another carrier if you don't tell O2 who you are going to go to?

 

[Moi un Mouton]

iTunes does it via detection of the SIM card and download of the carrier file. That's already happening with Orange SIM's.

 

[RandomKamikaze]

Hopefully, the update is merely updating the info.plist file on the iPhone so that it is aware of the Orange UK settings, which before it wouldn't have been as Orange UK wasn't an official carrier.

Someone commented in one of those threads that Orange were aware of what was happening and it wouldn't continue. I think that is more a fluke rather than Apple locking your handset to a different carrier.

Also, don't forgot, anyone can create an IPCC file and upload it to their phone. It doesn't unlock it, but merely defines the settings such as APN configruation, Voicemail settings, tethering etc etc

iTunes does it via detection of the SIM card and download of the carrier file. That's already happening with Orange SIM's.

Don't forget, that O2 say it can take up to 15 days, therefore, you would get the update/unlock pushed to you you should be running the O2 SIM.

 

[alexph]

This is exactly what O2 sent to me:
For iPhone:-
- complete the unlocking form on o2.co.uk (www.o2.co.uk/unlockmyiphone) - it will take up to 14 days for the iPhone to be unlocked and we’ll text the customer to confirm the unlock request.
place a non-O2 sim into the iPhone and connect it to iTunes via a USB cable. iTunes will confirm that their iPhone has been successfully unlocked.

I dont think that it will simply be a switch to another locked provider. After all if I put a sim card in from a non Iphone network - e.g. Three in the UK, how would Apple be able to lock me to that network.

i think that the problems with Orange may have been due to services being available before the O2 exclusivity actually ceases at midnight on 09/11/09

I guess we will all know in 72 hours

Alex

 

[Moi un Mouton]

I am hoping I'm wrong. Life will be easier - if a bit less interesting.