iPhone 5 Unlocking Question

panthro · 6 Aug 2013 at 08:31

Hi guys need some help. I bought an iPhone 5 off another forum. Its brand new and the guy claimed it was unlocked.

Turned out its not and is locked to EE. The guy I bought it from said he's paid EE £30 to unlock it (last Friday) and is waiting for them to send a confirmation email.

I haven't heard from him since and wanted to know if I need an EE sim card in there to activate the phone, or can it be unlocked to any network before activation?

He said that once EE have unlocked it, you just have to plug it into iTunes and it should unlock. Is this right? Worst case scenario is I sell it and buy another that is actually unlocked

thep02 · 6 Aug 2013 at 10:55

Soz dude no idea, however someone in the apple hardware forum may be able to help you.

panthro · 6 Aug 2013 at 11:00

Thanks for that, maybe a mod should move this then?

Meatball · 6 Aug 2013 at 11:35

Worst case scenario is he lied about unlocking it and thus the handset will be permanently locked to EE. Networks will only unlock an iphone if the original owner requests the unlock.

panthro · 6 Aug 2013 at 11:47

Meatball said:
Worst case scenario is he lied about unlocking it and thus the handset will be permanently locked to EE. Networks will only unlock an iphone if the original owner requests the unlock.

Yep, I will buy a PAYG sim from EE today and activate it. I've already provisionally sold it though to someone if I can't get it unlocked.

WiseBat · 6 Aug 2013 at 13:39

You could try ebay as I got a vodafone iphone 4 unlocked via a seller on there a few years back. Didnt need the old owner to do it and he had only just got the phone as an upgrade recently before selling to myself. Was very good server but did take a few days to do. Just read some of the feedback on ones that do it first, so you pick the right one. Was about £15 at the time.

panthro · 6 Aug 2013 at 14:45

Went into the EE shop earlier and activated it using an Orange PAYG sim. I will just keep this sim in it for the meantime and see if the guy follows up on his word of getting it unlocked.

Sho · 6 Aug 2013 at 14:51

You can only get unlocked iPhones from Apple directly. Any other store, claim it's unlocked. But reality is, the first sim you put in will lock it to that network.

panthro · 6 Aug 2013 at 15:05

Sho said:
You can only get unlocked iPhones from Apple directly. Any other store, claim it's unlocked. But reality is, the first sim you put in will lock it to that network.

Good to know. The giff gaff sim I tried would not allow activation, only the orange sim. Hopefully it will be unlocked soon as he has requested it to be unlocked from orange/EE.

Kanpai · 7 Aug 2013 at 00:34

Might have been the case with the 3gs,4S, but I think it's a bit different for the iPhone 5 now Kermit.

Sho · 7 Aug 2013 at 02:43

Kermit said:
rubbish, maybe new ones but you can ask for any iphone to be unlocked and its official if done by your provider who pass the details onto Apple (or a third party working for Apple) who process the unlock.

I've had two iphones (a 3GS and now a 4S) both on contract with Orange/EE and requested to Orange that they were unlocked. Costs about £20-25 and can take 10-15 days to come through but as mentioned it will unlock within itunes when its done.

Iirc most providers will unlock a phone even if still in contract and you might have to wait 2-3 months into the contract before they'll do it and as mentioned usually for a fee although a friend of mine on O2 upgraded her 3GS to a 4 and asked O2 to unlock her old phone which they did for free. That old phone is now my Mrs phone on Orange/EE

Yes any iPhones can be unlocked.

Say you buy an iPhone 5 from Carphone Warehouse. Yes it'll be unlocked to all networks as advertised. But everyone who have bought the iPhone 5's from Carphone warehouse or any other stores. Have reported back being locked to the first network that they used at the time. So you end up with a phone that's locked to a ceratin network.

Buying from Apple directly, is the only way having it unlocked from the box.

Yes you can pay the £20-£25 fees to have it unlocked. But why should you if they are claiming it to be unlocked?

panthro · 7 Aug 2013 at 09:53

Can't get hold of the guy I bought it from and I'm becoming impatient. I think he's on holiday, but I might just sell this one and buy a brand new one, but its grating on me knowing that the next one is just round the corner, but the wife is desperate for a new phone. Arrrrgh.