Will Telcos unlock an iPhone?

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drquack32

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#67860 9-Sep-2010 17:16

I have read through quite a few forums and have yet to find the answer.

In NZ, iPhones are sold unlocked through either Vodafone or from the Apple store.

If I purchase one on ebay and get it shipped into the country, would Vodafone or XT provide a mechanism to unlock the phone permanently to work on their network? (3GS I am referring to)

The reason I ask is because if XT are prepared to accept a Vodafone or Apple purchased iPhone onto their network, what stops them from unlocking an iPhone from the US and allowing the same usage on their network? I realise there is no fundamental reason to other than get my custom and also that there are various methods of unlocking the phone on the internet. (jailbreak first) Assuming I didn't want to travel down that road and I acquire my device through legitimate means and as has been stated, Vodafone are not exclusive suppliers in NZ, is there an avenue to do have the phone permanently unlocked by a mobile service provider?

IT Guy, ex-FIFA Referee, Dad

graemeh

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#378312 9-Sep-2010 17:22

No they won't and they are unlikely to have software to do this anyway, even if they wanted to.

Telecom don't do anything to "accept" a Vodafone or Apple purchased iphone on their network. You turn the phone on, it accesses the sim card and registers with the network.

sbiddle

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#378349 9-Sep-2010 19:05

Locked devices have nothing to do with mobile carriers in NZ - if you wanting an overseas deviced unlocked you will need to contact the service provider who locks it.

drquack32

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#378369 9-Sep-2010 20:37

graemeh: No they won't and they are unlikely to have software to do this anyway, even if they wanted to.

Telecom don't do anything to "accept" a Vodafone or Apple purchased iphone on their network.? You turn the phone on, it accesses the sim card and registers with the network.

Sorry. Accept was a poor word. What I meant was allow.

I was throwing it out there and to be fair I didn't expect a there to be an avenue where it would be allowed. I would be intrigued to find out why they would not explore that avenue. From a business sense if you have someone that says 'I like what you have to offer, sign me up' I would think you would try to facilitate that as best as possible to help increase revenue stream.

No matter.

In relation to your post sbiddle, is there a history of American carriers (I believe AT&T are sole carrier in the US??) unlocking a phone to be used in a different country? I would rather explore a legitimate avenue than go playing jiggery pokery with the firmware to have the threat of it being locked with the next firmware update.

Also in saying that, if I had more cash I would buy one from Apple direct but they don't do a 3GS with 32GB memory anymore and the version 4 is a bit over priced for my liking.

Thank you for the replies.

IT Guy, ex-FIFA Referee, Dad

sbiddle

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#378384 9-Sep-2010 21:26

drquack32: In relation to your post sbiddle, is there a history of American carriers (I believe AT&T are sole carrier in the US??) unlocking a phone to be used in a different country? I would rather explore a legitimate avenue than go playing jiggery pokery with the firmware to have the threat of it being locked with the next firmware update.

If you want a device that is 100% guaranteed of working now, and in the future, walk into your local retailer in NZ and buy an iPhone. It's the easiest way.

antant

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#378394 9-Sep-2010 21:55

From a business sense if you have someone that says 'I like what you have to offer, sign me up' I would think you would try to facilitate that as best as possible to help increase revenue stream.

in the uk where phone locking is rife there's heaps of dodgy little shops that will unlock your phone ... but the official carrier shops will only ever tell you you have to contact your previous provider to get it unlocked ...

in nz, where 99.9999% (guessing) of mobiles brought here or brought in from overseas are unlocked, there's very little incentive for telecom or anyone to get involved in the unlocking business ... especially with the very small but still slight risk of destroying a phone (it does happen) ... hence why dodgy little shops do it and big companies stay away

merve0o0

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#378450 10-Sep-2010 07:45

I would go and check a retailer that sells the iPhone. They may still have some stocks of the 3GS.

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gehenna

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#378457 10-Sep-2010 08:04

Buy it here. There is a clause in the Apple warranty that states service "may" not be available for devices that aren't in their country of purchase. It's a case-by-case basis clause I suspect, but I have heard of them denying service to foreign purchased iPhones.

After all is said and done, when you add the convenience and peace of mind, you're getting better value buying it here

graemeh

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#378585 10-Sep-2010 14:52

drquack32:
graemeh: No they won't and they are unlikely to have software to do this anyway, even if they wanted to.

Telecom don't do anything to "accept" a Vodafone or Apple purchased iphone on their network.? You turn the phone on, it accesses the sim card and registers with the network.

Sorry. Accept was a poor word. What I meant was allow.

I was throwing it out there and to be fair I didn't expect a there to be an avenue where it would be allowed. I would be intrigued to find out why they would not explore that avenue. From a business sense if you have someone that says 'I like what you have to offer, sign me up' I would think you would try to facilitate that as best as possible to help increase revenue stream.

No matter.

In relation to your post sbiddle, is there a history of American carriers (I believe AT&T are sole carrier in the US??) unlocking a phone to be used in a different country? I would rather explore a legitimate avenue than go playing jiggery pokery with the firmware to have the threat of it being locked with the next firmware update.

Also in saying that, if I had more cash I would buy one from Apple direct but they don't do a 3GS with 32GB memory anymore and the version 4 is a bit over priced for my liking.

Thank you for the replies.

Sorry but I was being a mobile phone geek. Even if you'd used the word allow I would have said the same thing. The locked or unlocked status of a phone is of no interest to Telecom. Locking stops the phone from accepting the SIM.

I've seen a few dodgy looking shops around Auckland advertising unlocking services. I assume they will unlock your iphone for you if you pay them. The risk, as you have said, is that Apple may push out an upgrade that breaks the unlocking. This isn't a risk with most other phones.

The best option is to have the original provider supply you with an unlock code. This will unlock the phone and leave it unlocked.

You might be able to pick up a good "NZ New" 3GS from someone who has upgraded to a 4. Good luck.