All Articles Tagged uk

Chris from Mobiletech Addicts let us know that, as previously reported, O2 is coming through with the iPhone unlocks. Once their web form is submitted, they send a text (it took all of 15 minutes form him), then:

I put in a Vodafone Sim Card into the phone and fired up iTunes, a couple of minutes later and the [above] message appeared.

Congrats UK residents, you’re free at last!

(Now if only Rogers Canada would find a pair and do likewise right…)

Making good on their promise from a few days ago, O2 UK has launched a website where customers can get their iPhone’s officially unlocked starting November 10, 2009. Here are the details:

• Pay Monthly customers can get the unlock any time, but you have to keep paying O2 for the length of your remaining service contract.
• Pay Go customers can get the unlock after 12 months, for a one-time £15 fee (deducted from airtime balance).

To begin the process, customers need to complete the online form (via the link above). The process will take up to 14 days, but customers will get an SMS confirmation when it’s completed, and they can then place a non-O2 SIM in their iPhones, hook up to iTunes, and finish the unlock.

Curious as to whether the other major new iPhone multi-carrier market would be following suit, TiPb contacted Rogers and received the following reply:

Rogers policies haven’t changed in this regard.

One step forward, one step back. Hopefully Rogers will reconsider and take a page from O2’s consumer-friendly approach.

Meanwhile, if you go for the new O2 unlock, let us know how the process works out for you!

[Via Chris Oldroyd]

With the UK moving from the iPhone exclusively on O2, to one launching on Orange UK tomorrow, with Vadafone UK/Ireland and perhaps 3 also in line, what does this mean for existing iPhone users and their carrier-locked iPhones? Thankfully, it looks like O2 is doing to do right by you:

Once the iPhone becomes available on other UK networks, we will allow O2 customers to unlock their iPhones, although of course they will still need to honour any outstanding contract period they have. At the end of their contract period, they are entirely free to move to another operator — though naturally we hope they won’t want to!

Excellent news for the UK, and we can only hope other countries and carriers, like Rogers, Bell, and Telus in Canada, will swiftly follow suit (we won’t hold our breath though…)

We’re not sure how this process would be handled, for example, would an iPhone user need to physically go to an O2 service rep to have their iPhone unlocked via in-store iTunes tools? If anyone has an answer, let us know.

[Times Online via Stuartino in the TiPb forums]

Long anticipated, longer rumored, the iPhone is finally set to hit UK’s Orange network this November 10. Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U are both expected to offer the Orange version of the Apple iPhone, though there’s no word yet on pricing (they’re — sigh — looking to “add value” rather than “reduce cost”).

With O2 exclusivity ended (but the iPhone still for sale on their network), Vodafone ramping up soon as well, and rumors of 3 next year as well, so UK iPhone lovers will have what US readers still lack — a huge amount of carrier choice.

Orange claims 200,000 registrations on their iPhone “interest” page. Are you one of them?

[Guardian via Engadget Mobile]

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Join Chad and Rene for 2 billion apps, Tweetie 2 and TomTom pricing, the latest on the iTablet and Light Peak, AT&T MMS redux, Orange and Vodafone UK, plus your questions! Listen in!

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Pop-quiz: You’re O2 and you just lost iPhone exclusivity in the UK, and now have to compete with both Orange and Vodafone for users’ iPounds. What do you do? Why, tell them you still have the iPhone… and are getting the Palm Pre?!

We’re proud that we’ve been able to offer an exclusive iPhone deal to our 20 million customers for the last two years. We always knew that iPhone exclusivity was for a limited period of time, but our relationship with Apple continues and will be an ongoing success. We have over 1 million iPhone customers and they remain very important to us.

We aim to offer our customers the best devices on the market, including becoming the home of Smartphones and we are really pleased to now add another device in the Palm Pre. We also offer award-winning customer service and benefits, which is why more people choose O2 than any other network in the UK.

What say you UK readers, if you’re thinking of taking your iPhone to another network, will offering you the Palm Pre change your mind?

[via Engadget Mobile]

Vodafone has just announced that they will begin selling Apple’s iPhone 3G and 3GS in the UK and Ireland in Early 2010.

This comes on the heels of a similar announcement by Orange UK, and means iPhone users across the pond will soon have 3 carriers battling it out for their love and data affection. And hopefully prices will reflect that.

So, UK readers, with O2, Orange, and Vodafone all on the table, who’re you going to go with?

[Thanks everyone who sent this in!]

Orange UK is set to start offering the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS according to ITProPortal. Previously exclusive to O2 in the UK, that deal is said to end on Oct. 9, clearing the way for some competition in the UK market. (At least beyond T-Mobile smuggling in a few units from Germany…)

Orange was previously the exclusive French iPhone provider until Bouygues-Telecom got into the game, and these latest deals seem to indicate Apple is serious about increasing their customer base…. at least outside the US. (Though it’s admittedly easier internationally where almost all providers are GSM and on similar frequencies).

Rumors about Orange getting the iPhone hit TiPb back in May, but there remain no details yet on when and how much. If you’re in the UK, however, let us know if you’re planning to make the jump to Orange when you can.

[Thanks bengillam for the tip!]

The Register, (via Engadget Mobile) is reporting that T-Mobile UK is slipping unlocked iPhones to high-value customers in an attempt to keep them from switching to the exclusive UK iPhone carrier, O2.

It seems if you do indeed appear to be a big spender on T-Mobile, you just need to find a willing customer service rep, threaten to take your money and go to O2, and they’ll slip you an unlocked iPhone (smuggled over from T-Mobile Germany, perhaps?). Apparently, however, they’re limiting this to 150 units a week so as not to be too overt — or called out to joust by angry O2 bigwigs.

Any UK readers nab one?

Very brand-conscious start time aside, looks like UK customers on O2 now know what time the queue ends and the buying begins…

UPDATE: Sounds like the second poster, below, might be there just in case a store sells out and wants to inform customers. Thanks to everyone in the comments for logic-ing this out!

Due to high demand we have run out of the iPhone 3G S

The good news is there are more coming soon

Ask a member of staff for details

Posterized version after the break!

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