Problem with iPhone 4

Irn-Bru-Kid

Hi there,

My OH has been given an iPhone 4. It is an ex-contract phone which belonged to his father.

The original network was T-Mobile. My OH has tried a T-Mobile and EE PAYG Sim in the phone the phone accepts the SIM but comes up as no service. His dad tried his current contract SIM and it worked.

Can someone advise what we need to do to get the phone to accept the PAYG Sim?

Do we need to get the phone unlocked?

We have searched everywhere and just can't get a definitive answer so any/all advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

grumbler

No, you don't need to get it unlocked for using on the same network, although it's worth doing regardless.

Have you tried your T-mobile sim in other phone(s)? Also, try cleaning the sim's contact plates with an abrasive eraser.

Irn-Bru-Kid

Thanks. We are just trying it now.

Irn-Bru-Kid

The SIM works in his dad's phone. We have tried the eraser thing, but no joy.

As it is PAYG, do you think he needs to put credit on it first?

grumbler

If it works in another phone I don't see why any extra credit can be needed to work in iPhone.

What phone does you dad have? Is it a smartphone?
How big is the balance and how much does the mobile data cost? Without a data bundle it can be very costly to use a data-hungry iPhone on PAYG.

Any chance it's some very old sim-card? If so, it's worth asking T-mobile and, possibly getting it replaced.

Irn-Bru-Kid

grumbler wrote: »

If it works in another phone I don't see why any extra credit can be needed to work in iPhone.

What phone does you dad have? Is it a smartphone?
How big is the balance and how much does the mobile data cost? Without a data bundle it can be very costly to use a data-hungry iPhone on PAYG.

Any chance it's some very old sim-card? If so, it's worth asking T-mobile and, possibly getting it replaced.

His did is on a contract phone, so no credit. He has a new Galaxy S

The SIM came from EE yesterday.

We have just called them and have been told that the phone is locked and the original owner will need to call to get it unlocked. Is this necessary? Or can we just take it somewhere to be unlocked?

Many thanks

Silk

I don't think an EE sim will work in a phone that's locked to T-Mobile.
Have you tried the T-Mobile sim in another phone to check it works

Irn-Bru-Kid

Yes, tried them both, nothing seems to work.

I think we will try to get it unlocked and see what happens

grumbler

If you want to unlock it do it via T-mobile/EE. It will probably cost ~£20 and you have to ask the previous owner to do this.

ste_wilko

I think you will need to get it unlocked to all networks for the EE SIM to work in it. iPhones will accept any SIM because they check the SIM lock differently to other phones. If there is a SIM lock on it for a different network to the SIM you are putting in then it will just fail to register on a network.

Just had a quick Google around and it seems that EE have changed their MCC + MNC codes (this is what the SIM locks run off). They used to use the T-Mobile one but appear to have their own dedicated ones now

Silk

ste_wilko wrote: »

I think you will need to get it unlocked to all networks for the EE SIM to work in it. iPhones will accept any SIM because they check the SIM lock differently to other phones. If there is a SIM lock on it for a different network to the SIM you are putting in then it will just fail to register on a network.

Just had a quick Google around and it seems that EE have changed their MCC + MNC codes (this is what the SIM locks run off). They used to use the T-Mobile one but appear to have their own dedicated ones now

The problem is that doesn't explain why someone else's T Mobile sim will work in the phone and the sim they are trying to use will also work in someone else's phone