Is it worth buying an unlocked phone?

Horizon81

o2 have recently reduced the price of a phone I want, to £200 on PAYG. I've got an o2 SIM already which I plan to use in it so that's not a problem.

However, for £40 more I can get an unlocked, unbranded version of the phone at a different store. Is it worth paying the extra for the unlocked one? Obviously it may be handy if I decide to switch providers one day but are there other benefits? Is o2's interface on top of the standard android operating system any good? Do phones run a lot better without the providers software on top?

How much would it cost to get unlocked if I bought the branded one?

movilogo

Which phone?

Usually it is better to have unlocked phone. You can't be sure how much it will cost to unlock it later from a 3rd party.

JJ_Egan

Normal O2 branding is boot screen and a few O2 sites as favs in web browser .

Wont cost £40 to get phone unlocked if you buy the locked phone .

My SGS2 from O2 was branded as above but not locked to O2 likewise the previous O2 Android i bought .


I suppose one negative is that you wait for O2 to update the firmware .
But there are ways around that if its slow to update .

jje

Neil49

Put the ball into O2's court and just say that you are keen to buy the (locked) phone but that you go abroad quite a lot and want to put a local sim into it which requires an unlocked phone. If they want your money they may offer to unlock for you at little or no cost.

Horizon81

The phone is the xperia ray.

With updates to the firmware, can't you just connect it up to sony ericsson software you get with the phone and download it that way?

jayme1

no if the phone has an O2 customized ROM then you have to wait until SE releases the update then have to wait until O2 customizes it and pushes it to you, and sometimes it has been know that networks just don't bother so you would be stuck with the old firmware.

as others have said you can get arround this buy rooting and flashing a custom ROM yourself but you have to know what your doing or you can end up with a bricked device.

with the xperia ray sony has said that it will be getting android 4.0 (ice cream sandwich) in Q1/2 next year, so it is up to you if you would be wanting that update sooner rather than later, assuming you want to stay stock.

Horizon81

Interesting stuff. To be honest I'm not bothered about all the updates. Just learned I'd have to buy a £10 top up with o2 even though I'd have no intention of using the PAYG. Still, it's cheaper than buying the unlocked one.

richardvc

Just a thought but I always used to have a payg sim and buy my own phone BUT found a deal on Orange where upping my monthly cost by £5 p/m (taking me from PAYG to contract) for two years (extra £120) got me a HTC Desire (more than £120 !) and without the upfront outlay !

Have a look at some deals online and see if you can upgrade without spending a fortune.......