O2 does not unlock iPhone 5 even if it was not bought from O2!

[Anonymous]

I bought my iphone 5 from Carphone warehouse on it's release, it was supposed to be SIM FREE, little did I know it gets locked to the first SIM that is inserted in to the phone.

After my contract ran out with O2, now with the ability to shop around, O2 refuses to unlock my phone, while in the same time refuse to match any offers on other networks for contract renewal.

I think this anti compeitive, espically 6 months after it's release, with iPhone 5 in pentful supply. All other networks now freely allow their phone to be unlocked, with O2 refuses to do so, even though I did not buy my iPhone from them in the first place!

[Anonymous]

I thought I could sneak past this way too, sadly it wasn't to be. I just wanted to make people aware because for most people it's a bit of a trek to an Apple store (70 miles for me!). Luckily I genuinely had a problem with the button that needed sorting anyway.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
The above advice is incorrect. My power button on my iPhone 5 was faulty and I took it into an Apple store last Friday. They issued a replacement and I had hoped that the above statement would happen. So I put a different sim into the phone (on your compatible list above) and it worked just fine...

For 5 minutes I even managed to make a phone call. Then it stopped working. I went back to the Apple 'Genius' who said there is a small delay in the old sim lock info being transferred and he checked the sim lock status on the old phone and confirmed that it does indeed take about 5 minutes for the profile to be carried over to the replacement.

So now - I have an iPhone 5 still locked to O2, even though the first sim in the new phone was not on O2. So please don't follow the above advice expecting an 'unlocked' phone.

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They might have improved the system to carry over the restriction and the trick no longer works. Or maybe if CPW sold you the phone you have to investigate if they do iPhone swaps as one would think that if new units lock to the first SIM maybe exchange units do the same.

Even if this worked, I strongly recommend to wait until O2 allows iPhone 5 unlocks. After the swap you may face all sorts of difficulties trying to unlock the unit as swapped iPhones don't seem to follow the same unlocking paths that network provided units do. Just go on eBay and check what third parties charge for unlocking iPhones provided by networks and what they charge for unlocking iPhones swapped by Apple. The latter is noticeable more expensive. 

[Anonymous]

My original iPhone 5 was supplied by O2. CPW have had no involvement at all with my phone so perhaps that's why the sim lock carried over. Hopefully when O2 do allow unlocking - even though its a replacement device it unlocks smoothly and with no issues.

[adamtemp64]

All my swaps have always carried over sim lock status. Hence my comments earlier in the thread.

[Anonymous]

My swaps haven't but I've never been to an Apple store to do them. I'm sure you are deadly right and this is how it works over there. I'm sorry but I can't tip you further, you just need to read my previous comments. 

[MI5]

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@adamtemp64 wrote:
All my swaps have always carried over sim lock status. Hence my comments earlier in the thread.

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and as mentioned by at least 3 more of us.... but will they ever listen.....?