Will a UK mobile work in Australia?

daveboy

Recently, I sent a very close friend a mobile phone that I had sitting around as they needed one. I thought it was a simple case of putting in an Australian SIM card (phone was on Vodafone here and will be there).

Does anyone know whether it is a straight case of this, or whether the phone won't actually work. I simply thought that the phone can't be any different from the phones over there, and that using it wouldn't be a problem.

Any advice very greatly appreciated!

kai666

if the phone is unlocked it should work ok.

JPR

I took my Virgin mobile to Oz & bought a Virgin Australia SIM. Guess what - it was locked.
It may need unlocking even though it's the same company.

balt

I used Ausie vodafone sim in my unlocked Nokia worked fine also it is one of the cheapest payg sims as Woolworths and radioshack sell them for $2 with topups at 10% discount!
I don't think Ausie Virgin phones use a sim card and they do warn about this on site I think.

planetdannii

I spent a year in oz and I used my nokia phone on vodafone but i believe my phone had no locks on it as it was an old contract phone, I would say your vodafone mob is locked to voda and will need unlocking in order take another sim. Even if it is voda oz I would say get it unlocked first here as its fairly cheap and could end costing more over there to have it unlocked.
My aunt took her voda prepay mob over there, I gave her my old oz voda sim to use but she came back saying it didnt work and had to buy a new phone. Hope this helps

seaniboy

Companies lock phones to codes for example.... Vodafone UK 234-06 that means a Voda UK only sim will work in it, unless unlocked Voda sims from any other Voda wont work, same for all the networks

Browntoa

I can always unlock it for you

daveboy

Many thanks to all that have responded.

My friend in Australia had it unlocked by Vodafone there so the phone now works - it was a Sharp GX30. She picked up on the fact it needed unlocking before I had been able to tell her, but it was a new one on me that it wouldn't work straightaway.

Once again many thanks for all your replies.