UK Apple stores: do they stock unlocked phones?

[dallardice]

Need to go to the Genius Bar for strange calendar problem in list view that hasn't been fixed by anything including a restore. It's also cracking around the dock connector. My iPhone 3GS was originally O2 PAYG, and was unlocked by O2 and I'm now using it on Vodafone on their 30-day contract.

If the phone needs to be replaced, I really want another unlocked phone so that I can use non-UK SIMs and I can change provider again in the future should someone else offer better value for my needs.

Do Apple Stores hold unlocked phones in stock? How am I likely to achieve this? I suppose as a fallback they could give me another O2 on PAYG, but then I'm stuck for up to 14 days (and £15) while O2 unlock it...

Anyone experience in this position? The online Apple store only shows phones on O2 and Orange.

 

[Dee2001]

Your unlock will get transfered to the replacement iPhone when the Genius sets it up for you.

I've had my unlocked 3GS replaced and it's kept the unlock.

 

[dallardice]

Thanks for that. I was originally told I'd have to get a new phone locked to O2 and then call O2, explain the situation, and they'd unlock for free (uh-huh?)

Held my ground and eventually they worked out how to do it.

Thanks again

 

[slashjunior]

Or maybe iPhone's sold in the UK aren't locked anymore...

 

[dallardice]

Sadly not the case - the first attempt ("my supervisor says I just put in the Vodafone SIM and that will unlock the phone") failed to work as the SIM was invalid. It took a longer procedure on the Apple database to allow the new phone to accept the Voda SIM.