As ive just read this in another forum i visit and i find it very hard to believe..............

"The 5 is unlocked when you buy it, it locks to the network of the first sim inserted. Actually warns you about it on the phone itself or in one of the booklets. Providing it is still sealed or a sim hasn't been inserted your o2 sim will work straight away"


Locks to the network of the first sim that inserted? surely thats got to be aload of rubbish? unlocked means unlocked yes? especially if your paying over 500 quid for it

Unlocked means you can insert any sim therefore it is unlocked but AFAIK yes, it will lock to the network of the first sim.

No, SIM free iPhones direct from Apple are permanently unlocked and will never lock to a network.

It's only SIM free iPhones from resellers such as Carphone Warehouse or Phones4U that will lock to the first SIM used.

Thats not correct. If you purchase it unlocked sim free it will be unlocked regardless.

However if your purchase it from T-Mobile for example it is unlocked out of the box however when you insert the sim it will lock to that network. So if you are moving from say vodafone to T-Mobile and you decide to put your vodafone sim in first it will lock to vodafone.

The information on Apple's website completely contradicts what you've read on the other forum. The only phones that will lock when a sim is inserted are the contract ones. If you buy one on PAYG from Apple, it will be unlocked forever allowing you to get a sim for a foreign carrier to take advantage of cheaper tariffs rather than roam for example.
http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/hom...family/iphone5

To further confirm what others have said, I got a sim free iPhone 5 from apple when it was first released and put my Vodafone sim in. Last month I moved to EE using the same phone.

Bought direct from apple without a contract will stay unlocked.
Bought on a contract from apple, cpw, phones4u will lock to the first sim put in it.
Bought direct from one of the networks will already be locked

Stupid rumor. Some third party retail versions ie from Phones4U apparently do this however ive not actually seen it happen either but direct from Apple are unlocked for life.

Ahh just as I thought, thanks for confirming it folks