iPhone network unlocking

[Tommy2]

Longish story so scroll down if you're bored but...
I'm changing my phone to an old iPhone purely because my android is not well and this is one we had lying around.
I was with 'life' network on my android which was carphone warehouses network but then was taken over by plusnet, I'm switching to virgin mobile as they offered me a good deal (I use my phone very little) they sent a SIM card so tried to port my number over but they then said they were changing their network from EE to Virgin so they needed to send a new SIM card, which they eventually did but now it won't work in the iPhone because I assume the old network was EE as well so the phone must think that Virgin is a different provider so blocked.
Called virgin and gave them all the details to unlock it but still have heard anything amonth later!

Currently paying 2 providers as I can't cancel my old one till this is sorted, I will be telling virgin I want refunding for the last few bills! That's if I don't just sack it off and stick with my current provider.

Anyway to the point, How do I get my phone unlocked to any network without handing it over to someone geezer in Leeds market for £25?

 

[Cycleops]

If it's a iphone using the old 32 bit architecture it won't update to the latest OS so most stuff simply won't work. 5 or later is ok I think.
I thought the going rate for unlocking is about £5-10.

 

[midlife]

Have you got a SIM that works? Use that provider to unlock the phone, usually under a tenner.

 

[sight-pin]

Phone EE for a puk code to unlock the phone, or have it unlocked yourself as already said: assuming the phones now out of contract.

 

[midlife]

Puk codes are for unblocking not unlocking?

 

[sight-pin]

Puk codes are for unblocking not unlocking?

You could be correct.

 

[classic33]

If the phone is out of contract, your provider, EE(not Orange or T-Mobile?) should allow it to be opened to any network.

 

[PaulSB]

@Tommy2 from your post I’m not 100% clear on what you’re trying to achieve. If I’m interpreting this correctly you want to unlock an iPhone which has previously been on EE?

I did this roughly ten days ago, with EE, it took 48 hours and cost £8.99.

I used this link to find the info and contact details for EE:

http://ee.co.uk/help/help-new/getti...nlock-a-ee-device-to-use-with-another-network

Spoke to an EE person who checked the phone qualified, took the £8.99 payment and explained I would next receive a text from Apple with a link to unlock the iPhone. This was on March 4th. Text from Apple was promised by 17.00 March 6th but arrived early.

From the Apple link you will be sent to the correct instructions. There are two options:

1. To unlock IPhone where you have a SIM available - I think this needs to be from a new provider but I’m not sure

2. To unlock without a SIM. All I wanted to do was unlock the phone in preparation for finding a new provider. After performing the unlock procedure - 60 seconds - back up the iPhone if necessary. The phone then has to be set up as a new iPhone either using the backup or without. If you create an encrypted backup the setup is prett much done for you as all old settings are stored n the encrypted backup.

The whole operation is very simple.

 

[Drago]

Contact the provider that, er, provided the handset. Once you're out of contract they'll give you the Subsidy PIN for free. Bish bang bosh, handset unlocked.

 

[oldwheels]

£25 in Leeds market is probably easiest way. Cost me £35 and took 10 days but it worked. No idea what the guy did.

 

[PaulSB]

I don’t know about Leeds market but on Preston market the guy screwed the phone.

What happens on markets, small shops is jail breaking not unlocking.

Once the phone has been jail breaked updates etc. won’t work. My wife found out the hard way.

Why give some unknown trader £25 when a known company do it legitimately for less than a tenner?

 

[subaqua]

Virgin uses EE as the carrier . So there shouldn’t be an issue .

 

[Tommy2]

Virgin uses EE as the carrier . So there shouldn’t be an issue .

I think they did when they sent me the first sim but when I phoned with my PAC code they said they were changing to virgin and needed to send a new SIM card which the wouldn't work in the iPhone.