Unlocking iPhone 5

[Anonymous]

Been looking on the internet on how to unlock the iPhone 5... Mostly curiosity. 

And came across a few sites where they do a IMEI unlock.... I was wondering how they do it? Surely it must be illegal?

But to my main point (Last sentence), is this true?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_lock#United_Kingdom

[MI5]

There have been many issues reported with the iPhone 5 and 3G. I suggest you book an appointment with Apple to have you phone looked at rather than suggesting anything sinister is going on

[Bambino]

Where, exactly is 'down here'? Is it everywhere you go 'down here' or just in specific places? What makes you think it's O2's responsibility to tell you about coverage? There is a coverage checker on the O2 website. Shouldn't you have checked that yourself?

[Anonymous]

MI5, I don't think that it's a phone problem. Everyone I know down here with O2 has poor G3 coverage. It's fine in the towns, good even, but in the countryside (and we have a lot!) it's very patchy.

I don't think it's sinister and I see why locking is done, I guess I'm just disappointed in a brand that I have liked and been loyal to for years.

Banbino, I live in Cornwall (that doesn't seem to appear in here on my signature). 

Indeed, I could have but I had always thought that O2 was very good and with my old phone I never once had a problem so I didn't think. 

Ironic really, with the payment protection thing I always said that those people should have thought about it properly beforehand so tough - now I'm one!!! Nevertheless, there is a duty of care on the supplier as evidenced by the rulings against the banks. 

[MI5]

Sorry, my bad. The way I read your post was that your old phone worked fine but the new phone didn't in the same location.....?

[Anonymous]

It's just the smartphone elements that require G3 that I can't use owing to O2 coverage.

[MI5]

Any public wifi connections available?

[Anonymous]

Only in the towns and O2 cover there is pretty good. Thanks though.

I'll stop moaning and be quiet now and await the glorious news that unlocking is possible!

[Bambino]

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@Anonymous wrote:

MI5, I don't think that it's a phone problem. Everyone I know down here with O2 has poor G3 coverage. It's fine in the towns, good even, but in the countryside (and we have a lot!) it's very patchy.

I don't think it's sinister and I see why locking is done, I guess I'm just disappointed in a brand that I have liked and been loyal to for years.

Banbino, I live in Cornwall (that doesn't seem to appear in here on my signature). 

Indeed, I could have but I had always thought that O2 was very good and with my old phone I never once had a problem so I didn't think. 

Ironic really, with the payment protection thing I always said that those people should have thought about it properly beforehand so tough - now I'm one!!! Nevertheless, there is a duty of care on the supplier as evidenced by the rulings against the banks. 

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Do you know if other networks have good 3G coverage in the countryside in your area? I think as far as duty of care goes, O2 provide a coverage checker on their website. It isn't their responsibility to make sure that every individual has good 3G coverage, and as MI5 said in a previous post, there are 3G issues with the iPhone 5, so this may be an Apple problem and not O2's. I really don't think you can equate your lack of coverage to the PPI scandal. They aren't connected in any way.

[Anonymous]

That's all fine for tech-savvy folk.

Anyway, I accept that I was naive and am taking my punishment.

As for "duty of care" the keyword is "care", i.e. to make sure that people truly understand what they are signing-up to. With the PPI thing all the data was there but no one looked (like me and the coverage checker) and STILL the banks were in the wrong!

As I said, it was just a thought. Cheers.

[Bambino]

As far as PPI is concerned, it wasn't down to the customer, even though the data was there. The banks were doing something illegal, which is why they are having to pay back people who unwittingly took PPI. 

As far as O2 is concerned, they provide a coverage checker on their website, as do all the other networks, and that's probably as far as they need to go regarding their duty of care. The customer has to take some responsibility, which as you say you you are doing, and it's unfortunate for you that you don't have the 3G service that you would want.

You didn't answer my other question, though. Have you checked as to whether the other networks provide any better coverage in your area? You can easily go on their websites and take a look. If their coverage is better, then that's where you have to go when your contract with O2 ends.