So frustrated, I could scream.......

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  • Smodlet
    Smodlet Posts: 6,976 Forumite
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    d123 wrote: »
    When did the networks ever have unlocking equipment?

    It would officially need to be sent to (the old) Nokia for service. The OP could try their local unlocker/repair phone shop, if they still have their older software like the JAF Box they could reset and unlock it.

    Problem is, to spend £10 to unlock a 15 year old phone that probably isn’t even worth £10 seems like a bit of a waste of money...

    The modern equivalent would cost £4.99 plus a topup.

    https://www.carphonewarehouse.com/home/products/nokia/105-2017.html#!colour=blue&dealType=pg


    OK, so confused, in same boat as melbury, please can somebody help? Contract with Talk Talk ending, prices through roof, loads of great deals out there, can't get any of them because phone is too old (Nokia 6300)

    As has been said pretty much, for the price TT now want for one month's SIM only charge, I could buy aforementioned phone (which is the thick end of £20 on Amazon) so bit of a no-brainer... But what the hell does "SIM free" mean? And what is the £10 top-up from CPW for?

    Does it mean it has no SIM so you go for one of these deals? Guys, I'm having a nightmare with this. Personally, I hate mobile phones but OH needs one and leaves this stuff to me to deal with. I am on the point of making him do it himself but not willing to quit just yet.

    Any help very much appreciated. :o:o:o:(
  • d123
    d123 Posts: 8,627 Forumite
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    Smodlet wrote: »
    OK, so confused, in same boat as melbury, please can somebody help? Contract with Talk Talk ending, prices through roof, loads of great deals out there, can't get any of them because phone is too old (Nokia 6300)

    As has been said pretty much, for the price TT now want for one month's SIM only charge, I could buy aforementioned phone (which is the thick end of £20 on Amazon) so bit of a no-brainer... But what the hell does "SIM free" mean? And what is the £10 top-up from CPW for?

    Does it mean it has no SIM so you go for one of these deals? Guys, I'm having a nightmare with this. Personally, I hate mobile phones but OH needs one and leaves this stuff to me to deal with. I am on the point of making him do it himself but not willing to quit just yet.

    Any help very much appreciated. :o:o:o:(

    Generally sim free means you’re buying an unlocked phone (with no sim). For a while CPW just meant sim free meant no sim (they sold a sim free iPhone that would lock), but fortunately the nomenclature of sim free effectively means an unlocked phone with no sim again.

    The reason there’s a top up is usually CPW will sell on PAYG cheaper than a sim free handset, but as they simply bundle a PAYG sim with a sim free handset it’s often cheaper to buy the phone on PAYG (and still get the same unlocked sim free handset) and pay for the top up than it is to just buy the phone simfree.
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  • Smodlet
    Smodlet Posts: 6,976 Forumite
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    d123 wrote: »
    Generally sim free means you’re buying an unlocked phone (with no sim). For a while CPW just meant sim free meant no sim (they sold a sim free iPhone that would lock), but fortunately the nomenclature of sim free effectively means an unlocked phone with no sim again.

    The reason there’s a top up is usually CPW will sell on PAYG cheaper than a sim free handset, but as they simply bundle a PAYG sim with a sim free handset it’s often cheaper to buy the phone on PAYG (and still get the same unlocked sim free handset) and pay for the top up than it is to just buy the phone simfree.


    Thank you so much, from OH and myself, d123. You are very kind. :T

    Could one buy this phone with this top-up and then change the SIM to one of these contract deals I have found? I actually think PAYG would be cheaper, given the amount of use the damned thing gets but OH is stuck in his ways. It would be interesting to see how long £10 would last him. I suspect I would have to buy the same "SIM free" phone elsewhere at 4x the price to do that.

    Thanks again, you have been very helpful and not taken the pee, which is appreciated (and rare, sometimes)
  • d123
    d123 Posts: 8,627 Forumite
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    Smodlet wrote: »
    Thank you so much, from OH and myself, d123. You are very kind. :T

    Could one buy this phone with this top-up and then change the SIM to one of these contract deals I have found? I actually think PAYG would be cheaper, given the amount of use the damned thing gets but OH is stuck in his ways. It would be interesting to see how long £10 would last him. I suspect I would have to buy the same "SIM free" phone elsewhere at 4x the price to do that.

    Thanks again, you have been very helpful and not taken the pee, which is appreciated (and rare, sometimes)

    Yes, as the CPW phones are sold unlocked you could use the new sim on PAYG or go for a cheaper alternative PAYG sim or even a sim-only contract deal.

    Once you have the phone you can go to any network you want as long as the phone you choose is at least 3G capable if you want to use Three or any of their MVNOs (an MVNO is a virtual network piggybacking on the real network, for example ID Mobile).
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  • Smodlet
    Smodlet Posts: 6,976 Forumite
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    d123, you are a star. Thank you so much. OH is now coming around to the idea of PAYG, given how little he uses the phone for all but two months of the year.

    You are great. :T
  • melbury
    melbury Posts: 13,251 Forumite
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    One quick query from me again:o

    The PAYG Nokia 105 2017 that is £4.99 + £10 top up at CPW doesn't appear to list 02 as an option - is this correct? Such a shame, I need to go to 02 as it has the best signal for my area and of course I already have the sim sitting here ready to go.
    Stopped smoking 27/12/2007, but could start again at any time :eek:

  • d123
    d123 Posts: 8,627 Forumite
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    melbury wrote: »
    One quick query from me again:o

    The PAYG Nokia 105 2017 that is £4.99 + £10 top up at CPW doesn't appear to list 02 as an option - is this correct? Such a shame, I need to go to 02 as it has the best signal for my area and of course I already have the sim sitting here ready to go.

    Buy it with whichever sim is cheapest, Voda is £4.99 iirc, don’t directly tell the sales assistant what you’re doing (while you’re doing nothing wrong some assistants are dumb and can get intransigent) but if you want to be sure it’s unlocked just ask if that particular model is unlocked as you use a foreign sim when visiting somewhere exotic on your annual holiday (like visiting a cousin in South Africa or something).

    When you get home you simply put your existing sim in the phone.
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