O2 and carphone warehouse effectively stolen my iphone

gjchester

mrochester wrote: »

Sim free locked phones would be something like an upgrade from a network where the phone is supplied without a sim, but is probably locked to the network supplying it.

My view is the problem stems from the literal meaning and the common meaning differing.

Sim Free is as Grumbler says sold without a SIM, however we tend to think of and refer to a SIM free as meaning Free of Network Lock.

CPW's description is correct, but not really in line with how it's generally used. In their defense they are up front about it, its not like its hidden away on the page.

I expect its so CPW only keep one stock unit per variant, if you buy it on a network you get the "same" phone as Sim free, rather than CPW having to keep a "lock to network on use" versions and the "do not lock to network ever" variant in stock for each model/ memory size. That helps keep their in store inventory low and avoids tying cash up in stock.

mrochester

gjchester wrote: »

My view is the problem stems from the literal meaning and the common meaning differing.

Sim Free is as Grumbler says sold without a SIM, however we tend to think of and refer to a SIM free as meaning Free of Network Lock.

CPW's description is correct, but not really in line with how it's generally used. In their defense they are up front about it, its not like its hidden away on the page.

I expect its so CPW only keep one stock unit per variant, if you buy it on a network you get the "same" phone as Sim free, rather than CPW having to keep a "lock to network on use" versions and the "do not lock to network ever" variant in stock for each model/ memory size. That helps keep their in store inventory low and avoids tying cash up in stock.

My understanding is that is exactly what CPW are doing. They probably don't sell anywhere near as many sim free iPhones as they do with contracts so it's probably not worth their while stocking a separate line. But they could do if they chose too.

dealer_wins

Its all one big con and ripoff having phones lock to a single network IMO.

mrochester

dealer_wins wrote: »

Its all one big con and ripoff having phones lock to a single network IMO.

Some of the networks are starting to come around in this way.

grumbler

dealer_wins wrote: »

Its all one big con and ripoff having phones lock to a single network IMO.

Why a 'con' if a locked phone is cheaper? You can always pay more for a not locked one if you wish.

d123

mrochester wrote: »

I think there's some confusion in the terminology used here. Sim free indicates a phone that is sold without a sim.

That was never the industry definition commonly in use, in fact when I worked for a distributor we used to get a monthly "Sim Free" price list from the rep which was a list of unlocked phones that could be bought for connection to either Voda or O2 (Orange and T-Mobile supplied their own locked stock and you couldn't connect a sim free handset to them).

It is only since CPW started this nonsense with the iPhone that the confusion started, prior to that, sim free and unlocked were used to mean the same thing.