Won an O2 iPhone 4 - How to Unlock?

LeanMeanRacing

Hi there. This is my first post on the MSE forums, although I have used the site before and benefitted from the advice given. Fingers crossed that the collective knowledge can come to my rescue once again!

I was lucky enough to be given a Tinie Tempah branded iPhone 4 by O2 as an apology for an O2 Academy competition prize being delayed. My problem is that I already have a long-term Vodafone contract in place.

Could someone please tell me the easiest way of getting the phone unlocked? I can then obtain a suitable micro-SIM card from Vodafone and start using the iPhone 4 with my existing contract.

Many thanks in advance for your help and advice

DUTR

Since you got the phone for free, even if it cost £40 to unlock it's still a bargain for the handset .

cgk1

Since you completely own the phone will O2 not unlock it for you?

watcherman

Try a non O2 sim to make sure it is not already unlocked.
If it is locked, put £15 on an O2 payg sim, then ask O2 to unlock it for you via their online form.

grumbler

cgk1 wrote: »

Since you completely own the phone will O2 not unlock it for you?

Ownership is not the only reason for locking. Majority of PAYG phones are locked.

bengalknights

Best solution is top it up then just contact o2 who will unlock it or jailbreak it if the firmware is 4.3 and below.

LeanMeanRacing

Thanks for the advice. Sadly, the people I know with an iPhone 4 are on O2, so I can't try another operator's SIM to see if it is indeed locked.

I have requested a free payg micro-SIM from O2 and once it arrives, I will activate it and then contact O2 and ask them to unlock the handset.

Fortunately, it is currently running on 4.1 and on the advice of a mobile phone shop, I have not upgraded when prompted to on iTunes [I borrowed a friend's O2 SIM to get the phone working].

As a shortcut, I may go back to that shop as the guy I dealt with had an iPhone 4. If he puts his SIM into my phone, he should be then able to unlock it.

It's a small headache but a nice problem to have!

Thanks again for your assistance - collective knowledge is a great thing! :T

Wintermute

LeanMeanRacing wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. Sadly, the people I know with an iPhone 4 are on O2, so I can't try another operator's SIM to see if it is indeed locked.

If you trust one of them and they're on contract you can get it done free of charge if you don't mind waiting about 5 days and being a little creative with the truth.

1. Activate the iPhone with your own iTunes account.
2. Get your friend to use the handset with their o2 SIM for about 48 hours which should be long enough for the handset to register on the network.
3. Call up customer services (well your friend will probably have to), ask for the iPhone to be unlatched and say you just had it replaced by apple so it's not the handset O2 provided (this bit's important or they'll just unlatch the original iPhone).
4. Wait 3 days, you'll get a text then put your vodafone SIM in the iPhone and sync with your iTunes account.

Wont cost you anything that way, the alternative is get an O2 PAYG handset, put £15 on it then contact O2.

For the amount of hassle I'd get the handset unlatched properly, that way you can run the latest iOS and not have to screw about with jailbreaking unless you want to anyway.

DeusXM

The other option is that if it's a custom branded phone and you aren't really bothered either way, you could always just sell the handset for more than the retail value of a standard iPhone 4 as it'll be a collectable. Then you buy an unlocked standard iPhone direct from Apple and you've also made a tidy profit.

MaggotAJ

If you are interested in 3rd party apps as well as unlocking it then you should take a look at jailbreaking it. I have done it with mine and there are some really great free apps out there.

aardvark-training

MaggotAJ wrote: »

If you are interested in 3rd party apps as well as unlocking it then you should take a look at jailbreaking it. I have done it with mine and there are some really great free apps out there.

Hi again. This is LeanMeanRacing but re-registered as for some reason, I couldn't sign-in with my original password or when having requested a new one.

I have looked at some of the videos on YouTube on Jailbreaking. My questions are: how difficult is it for a Jailbreak newbie and can you recommend a video for me to use? [my iPhone 4 is on iOS4.1].

I am still awaiting the free O2 payg SIM, so the phone is still in the cupboard drawer!

Any help would be much appreciated