I'm buying my first iPhone tomorrow. I plan on using GiffGaff as my service provider.

CarPhone Warehouse offer a "sim-free" iPhone for £489.

Apple offer an 'unlocked' iPhone for £499.

Is there a difference?

Thanks.

No difference at all. Both mean they will take any sim card.

If you find an iPhone that is cheaper and locked to o2 then you can buy that as well because giff gaff run on the o2 network.

Oh really? So I could get an 02 PAYG sim and use that until my GiffGaff card arrives? thanks, might do that tomorrow and use O2 for the first month.

Not really. A SIM Free device is one sold without any form of subsidy from a network.

Potentially that might still be locked to a network.

Always check with them when you buy it that it isn't locked to a network.

Yeh but carphone warehouse sim free phones are unlocked

If it was a sim free phone from a network then yeh it would be locked to that specific network. e.g if you buy it from an o2 store it'd be locked to o2.


Yep, if its unlocked you can put any sim in it. If its from o2, you can put an o2, giff gaff or tesco mobile sim in it.

Dont buy it from CPW if you want it unlocked.CPW iphones will lock to the first sim you put in it.Their term sim free doesnt mean unlocked.

"iPhone will lock itself to the network of the first SIM card that is used in the phone. Subsequently attempting to use it on any other network, for example by replacing the SIM card, may mean it becomes permanently unusable. SIM free iPhones can only be used with a UK-network SIM card, and will not accept foreign SIM cards."



http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/mob...iliateId=78888

All my CPW supplied phones have so far been unlocked.

Of course there is always an exception.

iPhones are a special case, for most other phones you can take the below meaning.

Unlocked only means the phone can take a sim from any network provider.

Sim-Free means the phone is a) unlocked AND b) unbranded i.e. there is no network software on the phone.

For non-iPhones i.e. Androids and Windows Phones, sim-free is highly desirable as it means you should get all the features of the phone (e.g. on WP7 networks can choose to block the tethering feature) and it generally means you get an update for your phone as soon as the phone manufacturer has it ready, with a network branded device, your network decides if/when to give you that update.

No CAr phone warehouse iPhones lock to the first sim. Pay the extra £10 and get it from Apple.