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

[Anonymous]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

As of today apparently O2 are waiting for unlock codes from Apple for the 5. Strange because Vodafone and EE are already unlocking these, although it takes three weeks for Apple to send the code, which then has to be updated onto the phone via iTunes. I have asked to be sent an SMS when these codes are made available from Apple. 

Wilson

---

Not strictly true.  O2 are refusing to process unlocking requests for the iPhone 5.  If you call any customer service advisor they will refuse to process it. 

If you fill the online form they *should* refuse it but the odd one or two have slipped through (ie the person processing hasn't noticed it was a request to unlock an iPhone 5).

It isn't anything to do with awaiting codes as Apple don't use a code system to unlock, they do the unlock from their end after a request from the network.

[Anonymous]

Then the O2 "chat" representative I had a conversation with this morning, was telling "Porkies". Not the greatest approach to customer relations!

I need the phone unlocked, so I can use my pay monthly Orange France SIM when I am at my French House. I will just put the O2 SIM (Pay Monthly) with an adapter in one of my old iPhones, which has a poor battery and needs to be charged a lot. As the UK phone just sits in the house when I am in France, that does not matter. I cannot see what the downside of O2 unlocking the phone for pay monthly customers. O2 will get their monthly fee whatever. It is a major inconvenience for folks like me who travel a lot, not to be able to switch their main phone to their local service provider, when outside the UK. 

Wilson

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but at the moment the answer is no, O2 aren't unlocking the iPhone 5. As said before, that may change but currently there aren't any plans for it to change.

[Anonymous]

If I had known that, I probably would have moved to Vodafone or Orange/EE. Phones 4U was offering me the same deal on all networks. This is not good customer service for any possible reason that I can see and some senior manager needs to take ownership of this issue and get it changed for long term customers, so that they are not inconvenienced. 

Wilson

[MI5]

It's a business decision made by O2 (and other networks) for good reasons.... No one is about to change the rules. Next time pay full price from Apple for a SIM free handset rather than a subsidised network handset....

[Liquid]

Pretty sure all networks are doing the same so it wouldn't affect it at all.

Just be thankful you don't live in the USA as new laws prohibit unlocking phones at all during your contract period

[Anonymous]

---

@MI5 wrote:
It's a business decision made by O2 (and other networks) for good reasons.... No one is about to change the rules. Next time pay full price from Apple for a SIM free handset rather than a subsidised network handset....

---

You are wrong that it is all networks. Both Vodafone and EE ARE prepared to unlock iPhone 5's, so O2 are not offering the same level of service to its customers, as its competitors are.

It never occurred to me that there would be an issue, as for the past 10 years that I have had both O2 UK and Orange France pay monthly accounts, I have had O2 and Orange France unlock my phones (Palm Treos then iPhones), so that I could freely swap SIM's between them. Just one example of when this is convenient is when I need to go out at short notice with a fully charged phone, in one or other countries, I can just pick up the phone with more charge. As yet nobody has explained what the downside for O2 is on a pay monthly account. I can understand on PAYG phones but not pay monthly with a new 24 month contract. 

[MI5]

O2 do it for all iPhones - Always have, they won't unlock for about the first 6 months of new releases. I'm not saying I agree with it but the reasons are to stop people taking an upgrade and immediately flogging the phone on ebay as there is always a short supply of iPhones at launch.....

[Anonymous]

Hi how I can unlock my iPhone 5?

[MI5]

No way to do it legally as yet - Have you read this thread?