Help! Daughter put old O2 sim in to her new EE iPhone 6.

d123

grumbler wrote: »

I think this stupid decision was made by Apple, not by CPW.
As the networks have access to the locking database, they can easily use this access for locking handsets without this stupid system invented by Apple.

CPW is one of the few (if not the only) retailer in the world who does this, I would put the blame right at their door.

If other retailers like Giffgaff can sell unlocked handsets, so could CPW if they wanted to.

System

Rogers and Verizon in the US also do this.

It's the difference between a sim free phone (locks to the first network) and sim unlocked phone (any sim works).

CPW sell sim-free phones because they are cheaper for them to buy.

grumbler

!!!!!! wrote: »

It's the difference between a sim free phone (locks to the first network) and sim unlocked phone (any sim works)...

Don't know about USA, but in UK "sim-free"="not locked".

That's why CPW had to add a special warning when selling their "sim-free" (not really) iPhones.

System

grumbler wrote: »

Don't know about USA, but in UK "sim-free"="not locked"..

Unfortunately that is not what sim-free actually means. It just means that it comes without a sim.

Sim-free phone means that CPW do not have to keep separate stocks of phones for EE, Voda etc. but just have one that automatically locks to the first provider.

If you want a totally unlocked iphone where you can swap sims the get it direct from Apple or get it unlocked by your provider

grumbler

!!!!!! wrote: »

...CPW do not have to keep separate stocks of phones for EE, Voda etc. but just have one that automatically locks to the first provider.

The question is why they have to have iPhones that lock to the first provider.

All other phones they sell, including on contracts, are not locked.

If you want a totally unlocked iphone where you can swap sims the get it direct from Apple or get it unlocked by your provider

Yes, e.g. iPhone 6 by O2. LOL.

System

grumbler wrote: »

The question is why they have to have iPhones that lock to the first provider..

Because that is the business model they decided on.

grumbler

Or because Earth orbits Sun.
This doesn't explain anything. Are 'locked' iPhones cheaper than 'sim-free'? If so, why would Apple sell them cheaper in the first place?

d123

!!!!!! wrote: »

Unfortunately that is not what sim-free actually means. It just means that it comes without a sim.

That is not what it meant for years before CPW started this stupid idea.

I can remember from the late '90s into the early 2000's we used to get monthly "sim free lists" of handset prices for phones that we bought to connect to either Voda or O2. These were unbranded, unlocked handsets that the various distributors supplied to dealers.

They were known as "sim free" stock by the entire industry. one2one and Orange stock used to arrive locked and branded with a phone and sim together.

d123

grumbler wrote: »

Or because Earth orbits Sun.
This doesn't explain anything. Are 'locked' iPhones cheaper than 'sim-free'? If so, why would Apple sell them cheaper in the first place?

His theory is also slightly blown by the fact that Giffgaff sell unlocked iPhone handsets cheaper than the CarPhoneWh*rehouse sells their "sim free" stock for...

dealer_wins

Reason no. 1595 not to buy Apple products.