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US sim free Iphone 4 work in the UK


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Old 02-10-2010, 14:33
Daleboy16
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Hi

I might be going to Florida on holiday next year and was toying with the idea of buying an sim free I phone 4 and bring it back to the uk to use with my current contract Vodafone sim card, but work colleague was told in summer when looking at the I phone 3gs that if he bought one in the states it would not work in the uk. Is the any truth to this I thought with it been sim free it should work without any problems am I wrong

Regards,
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Old 02-10-2010, 14:42
moox
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Hi

I might be going to Florida on holiday next year and was toying with the idea of buying an sim free I phone 4 and bring it back to the uk to use with my current contract Vodafone sim card, but work colleague was told in summer when looking at the I phone 3gs that if he bought one in the states it would not work in the uk. Is the any truth to this I thought with it been sim free it should work without any problems am I wrong

Regards,
Are you sure you can even buy an iPhone 4 SIM-free? I've heard that even if you pay full price, you still have to sign up for service at the same time.

It is only available on AT&T, so there is no issue with multiple networks like the UK has.
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Old 02-10-2010, 15:16
Daleboy16
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No am not thats one of the things I need to look into but that sounds like a major rip off buying full price and still having to sign up for a contract
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Old 02-10-2010, 15:29
davethorp
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According to HERE the handset is only available in the US with an AT&T contract and not available sim free like it is over here
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Old 02-10-2010, 15:30
Gormond
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No am not thats one of the things I need to look into but that sounds like a major rip off buying full price and still having to sign up for a contract
You can't buy a SIM free iPhone in the USA, they are subsidised and locked by AT&T which is why they are so cheap, you are required to take out a contract for it to work.

We are one of the few countries that sell iPhones unlocked which is why many people buy them when on holiday here.
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Old 02-10-2010, 15:39
Gormond
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According to HERE the handset is only available in the US with an AT&T contract and not available sim free like it is over here
Indeed people think the iphone is cheap in the USA which is certainly not true.

The cheapest you can get an iPhone 4 for in the USA is $200 + 24 month contract of $55 / month ($1520 total) and this doesn't include sales tax (VAT here). Also all you get for that is 450 mins (calls made and received) and 200MB of data. Text messages are 20 cents each (send and receive).

We get a far better deal on phones here.
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Old 02-10-2010, 15:44
psionic
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You can't buy a SIM free iPhone in the USA, they are subsidised and locked by AT&T which is why they are so cheap, you are required to take out a contract for it to work.

We are one of the few countries that sell iPhones unlocked which is why many people buy them when on holiday here.
Yep, UK, France and Canada are SIM free. Not sure about Asia and other countries that have just started selling the iPhone 4. But USA is locked into 2 year contracts with AT&T.
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Old 02-10-2010, 21:20
Daleboy16
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I guess I better start saving then guys
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Old 02-10-2010, 21:37
machare
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I guess I better start saving then guys
There are differences between the ways that 3g type networks work in Europe and the US. I do know that my Nokia phone will not work properly in the US for this reason.
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Old 02-10-2010, 23:50
call100
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The iPhone is Quad band so will work here or the Us......and Vice Versa....
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Old 05-10-2010, 05:04
digimon900
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The i-phone on AT&T has no SIM card in it. Its connected to the network using the IMEI number and an authorization code. There is nowhere to put the SIM card in.
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Old 05-10-2010, 07:20
prking
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The i-phone on AT&T has no SIM card in it. Its connected to the network using the IMEI number and an authorization code. There is nowhere to put the SIM card in.
What? Where did you get that idea?
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Old 05-10-2010, 10:25
psionic
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The i-phone on AT&T has no SIM card in it. Its connected to the network using the IMEI number and an authorization code. There is nowhere to put the SIM card in.
What's the little tray on the side for?
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Old 05-10-2010, 22:40
digimon900
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What's the little tray on the side for?
There is No SIM card. Apple are now making chipsets for Verizon another wireless carrier that does not use SIM cards in ANY of its phones, the I-phone will be available on verizon soon.
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Old 05-10-2010, 23:32
psionic
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There is No SIM card. Apple are now making chipsets for Verizon another wireless carrier that does not use SIM cards in ANY of its phones, the I-phone will be available on verizon soon.
The main model used around the world and on AT&T does use a MicroSIM though. I understand Verizon uses CDMA technology that apparently doesn't need SIM cards, but so far no iPhones have been released like this. It will be interesting to see when the Verizon model comes out if it will be cross compatible with the other networks and include a SIM tray for compatibility. This would be useful for those that travel a lot. Releasing an iPhone that only works on CDMA alone will limit it's flexability IMHO.
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Old 06-10-2010, 04:10
acer
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You can buy sim free in Qatar no phones sold in Qatar can be locked to a supplier its an open market.
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Old 06-10-2010, 08:13
MrKev
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There is No SIM card. Apple are now making chipsets for Verizon another wireless carrier that does not use SIM cards in ANY of its phones, the I-phone will be available on verizon soon.
Incorrect. There are rumours of a CDMA iPhone for Verizon but at the moment they are just that - rumours. Apple are not selling nor have they announced a CDMA iPhone.

It's also utterly different from what you initially said:

The i-phone on AT&T has no SIM card in it. Its connected to the network using the IMEI number and an authorization code. There is nowhere to put the SIM card in.
All AT&T iPhones (so ALL current US iPhones) use a MicroSIM on their GSM network.
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Old 07-10-2010, 03:49
digimon900
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I-phone for verizon is definitely in production and will be available in early 2011
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Old 07-10-2010, 08:55
prking
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I-phone for verizon is definitely in production and will be available in early 2011
Did you actually read that article? Just like your earlier post about AT&T, you are woefully mis-informed.
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