Unlocking iphone

[Emma232]

Can anyone help I got an o2 contract out via mobile phones direct with a brand new sealed iPhone 7. I contacted o2 via the form to get the iPhone 7 unlocked as I was going to give it to my other half as I'm happy with the iPhone 6 I have and his is broken and he is with 3. This is the response I got from o2 but I don't know if this means it's not locked to a network or not "This is not an O2 device, it will not be possible for us to provide an
unlatching code."
Can anyone help please?

[Cleoriff Level 85: Esteemed]

@Emma232Try another sim in the phone, it may already be unlocked

Our unlocking guide here https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/How-to-Guides/Unlocking-an-O2-phone-to-use-a-different-SIM-card/ba-p/1...

[MI5 Level 94: Supreme]

The iPhone does not need an unlatching code as it is all done on Apple's servers, but it does need to be used on the o2 network first for a few days before O2 can process the request.
You need to put your sim in the new phone and use it to makes calls etc then when it is showing in your MyO2 http://www.o2.co.uk/myo2 submit the request by clicking the link under "device details".
It will not work by any method until you actually use the phone on O2 network.

[jonsie Level 91: Illustrious]

Unless it's already unlocked. ...

[MI5 Level 94: Supreme]

Only Apple sell unlocked iPhones.
iPhones from CPW lock to the first sim and I believe iphones sold on their online outlet are network specific so will require an o2 sim to activate them.

[jonsie Level 91: Illustrious]

I thought, now I realise mistakenly, that some iphones were sold unlocked. Is this same with giffgaff?  I could have sworn you said their iphones were sold sim free .

[MI5 Level 94: Supreme]

What giffgaff do is a bit different.....
They are network specific phones but they send all the IMEI numbers to Apple upfront so when you receive the phone, any sim can be used to activate it.
This shows up if you connect to iTunes to setup the phone as it pops up a message saying "congratulations, your iPhone is now unlocked"

[jonsie Level 91: Illustrious]

---

@MI5wrote:
What giffgaff do is a bit different.....
They are network specific phones but they send all the IMEI numbers to Apple upfront so when you receive the phone, any sim can be used to activate it.
This shows up if you connect to iTunes to setup the phone as it pops up a message saying "congratulations, your iPhone is now unlocked"

---

What a shame all retailers and networks don't do the same....😕

[MI5 Level 94: Supreme]

I think we'd all agree that the locking of any phone in this day and age is just plain wrong and totally unnecessary.

[pgn Level 38: Lively]

---

@MI5 wrote:
I think we'd all agree that the locking of any phone in this day and age is just plain wrong and totally unnecessary.

---

Locking a phone to a particular network, supplier or carrier definitely limits customer choice, and is practice verging on anti-competitive, @MI5