Unlocking iPhone 4, catch 22 situation

Raymond Lin · 17 Oct 2011 at 13:21

Right, I have a PAYG iPhone 4 on orange, which I have paid £20 to get it unlocked. I just got instructions via email to unlock it which involves the need of another 3G sim from another network. However, i do not have access to one.

My plan is to get sim only 12 month contract on 3 at £15 a month with £80 cashback which works out around £8 a month!

I have got the PAC code and about to order it online. However, when I get the sim, obviously it won't be activated? So would that sim work on the orange unlocking process?

Stuff · 17 Oct 2011 at 13:23

Can't you just borrow one? Everyone seem to have those damn phones at the moment

paradigm · 17 Oct 2011 at 13:34

Obtain (either get a free one, or a cheapo one from a local mobile store) PAYG sim, cut down with scissors, use to unlock.

uniQ · 17 Oct 2011 at 13:39

If you need one today pop into a Tesco they are £1.50 each. Otherwise google free sim offers or request one from giffgaf etc

Raymond Lin · 17 Oct 2011 at 13:39

All my friends who I see that will let me borrow their sim for a few hours are on orange. All my family are on orange so no....

Anyone know anywhere giving away free sim at the moment? It seems a waste to spend £10 for a sim then throw it away. I will never use that number, i already got the PAC code from Orange.

EDIT - just saw that, will get a free online one now.

PaulyD · 17 Oct 2011 at 14:32

See you got this sorted now but shops round my area sell normal sims for a quid, i just cut one of those down for my girlfriends phone

Skully · 17 Oct 2011 at 15:33

Should have come to me at lunch time.

NightShadow · 17 Oct 2011 at 15:37

Order a free 3 PAYG Micro-SIM? Takes a few days though.

Raymond Lin · 17 Oct 2011 at 17:21

Actually, I think I'll pop into tesco tonight to get the sim to unlock the phone.

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 17 Oct 2011 at 18:03

How did you go about asking to unlock. I also wanna unlock iPhone 4 on orange.

Raymond Lin · 17 Oct 2011 at 18:15

Johnny|lucidcomposure said:
How did you go about asking to unlock. I also wanna unlock iPhone 4 on orange.

You need to have the phone on payg for at least 3 months.

Call 450, speak to an advisor, ask for unlock, put £22 or something in your phone. In up to 30 days (a week for me) they email you the unlock procedure. Ther is no code, but they must do something on their end on the IMEI number as that was mentioned on the email which I never told them.

Now I need a sim card.

Although....won't I need to activate a payg sim? How do I do that without another unlocked phone? :/ or do they work straight out of the box?

Raymond Lin · 17 Oct 2011 at 20:19

Actually, can I use the iPad's sim instead?

Deleted member 651465 · 17 Oct 2011 at 20:28

I've got a 3 PAYG sim, If you want it?

Raymond Lin · 17 Oct 2011 at 20:31

EVH said:
I've got a 3 PAYG sim, If you want it?

Love to !!! I basically need a working 3G sim, only for a day.

I been reading these free PAYG sims, not sure if I actually can use it in the unlocking process, not to mention to activate the PAYG sim I need to top up by £10.

Can i email you with my address?

Deleted member 651465 · 17 Oct 2011 at 20:39

Sure. I had it free with my 3 contract so it hasn't been used.

To be sure though.. I had my Tesco iPhone unlocked and they recommended a sim from another network, however I did a restore in iTunes and it unlocked with my Tesco still inside. Tried that? Might save some faff.

Raymond Lin · 17 Oct 2011 at 20:43

EVH said:
Sure. I had it free with my 3 contract so it hasn't been used.

To be sure though.. I had my Tesco iPhone unlocked and they recommended a sim from another network, however I did a restore in iTunes and it unlocked with my Tesco still inside. Tried that? Might save some faff.

The instructions reads

1) Insert a non-Orange 3G SIM card. This must be a network provider who also supplies the iphone/ipad.
2) Switch ON the handset.
3) Use the “restore” option within iTunes
4) The handset should then display: USB cable and iTunes icon.
5) Disconnect from USB then re-connect
6) Synchronise device with iTunes
7) Once synchronised a message will appear on iTunes stating “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked”
8) Follow on screen set up instructions to enable new carrier settings

Between 4 & 5....just unplug it after it has been restored?

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 17 Oct 2011 at 20:51

I'm on contract

Raymond Lin · 17 Oct 2011 at 20:53

Johnny|lucidcomposure said:
I'm on contract

Then it should be free. Call them up and ask it to be unlocked. I am not sure if there is a time limit on how far you are into the contract before you are able to however.

Kol · 17 Oct 2011 at 21:33

re: these steps:

3) Use the “restore” option within iTunes
4) The handset should then display: USB cable and iTunes icon.
5) Disconnect from USB then re-connect

You shouldn't have to do a restore - I simply popped another sim card in, plugged into iTunes and got

“Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked”

Raymond Lin · 18 Oct 2011 at 00:23

Do you know what, i think I have just wasted £20 for no reason.

Because I just remembered that the day I got my iPhone 4 from Orange, i got home and noticed that there was a problem with the inline remote button on the headphones, tried 3 different pairs and they all have the same fault. Took it back to Orange and they want nothing to do with it and insist I take the phone to look at in the Apple store...

So I did and I got a replacement from Apple....and this is the $64,000 question.

Apple iPhones all come unlocked right?

To double check, the IMEI number that is in the email does not match the IMEI number of my iPhone (Duh!).

So....there is a refurb Orange iPhone 4 out there now will get a "Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked" next time it Sync !

Unlocking iPhone 4, catch 22 situation

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