[8801]

Sorry if its been asked before but are their phones all unlocked?
Want a back up sim free phone and was thinking of getting one of their cheap Virgin Nokia PAYG

[scorpionatthepc]

Normally yes they are.

[dpwykes]

Originally Posted by 8801

Sorry if its been asked before but are their phones all unlocked?
Want a back up sim free phone and was thinking of getting one of their cheap Virgin Nokia PAYG

I'm sure I've read on here that some of the phones (possibly iPhones) from the Carphone Warehouse lock to the network of the first SIM card that is inserted.

[SkipTracer]

There is no 100% way to be sure they are unlocked as some phones are network branded and the box the phone comes in is covered with the network logo so you can guarantee the phone will be locked.

If you look at their on line range you will see phones that are available on all network and chances are there unlocked but where the phone is only available on one or two network there’s a chance it may be locked.

Since the late 1990’s I have brought many, many phones from the CPW and all have been unlocked but the past 2 or 3 years I have found the CPW not to be as competitive as once they were so have not brought anything from them for 3 years now so things may have changed but I doubt it.

[BKM]

Originally Posted by dpwykes

I'm sure I've read on here that some of the phones (possibly iPhones) from the Carphone Warehouse lock to the network of the first SIM card that is inserted.

True! Also Orange phones (which used to be supplied with Orange modified and branded firmware) were not supplied from CPW unbranded stock. Not some PAYG handsets either!

[12december1984]

Originally Posted by dpwykes

I'm sure I've read on here that some of the phones (possibly iPhones) from the Carphone Warehouse lock to the network of the first SIM card that is inserted.

It's true of the iPhone at least.

I went to order one from them last year but changed my mind as my contract was nearly up with my old network and I was moving over to someone else.

[MGS4SnakeRulez]

Phones 4 U use unlocked phones as far as I'm aware.

[BKM]

Originally Posted by MGS4SnakeRulez

Phones 4 U use unlocked phones as far as I'm aware.

The iPhone 5 I just got from them on contract was most certainly locked to Vodafone. Or perhaps, like CPW, it just locked to the first SIM used.

It's hard (impossible?) for any supplier to offer unlocked phones on Orange due to Orange insisting on their branded handsets!

[Step666]

Originally Posted by BKM

It's hard (impossible?) for any supplier to offer unlocked phones on Orange due to Orange insisting on their branded handsets!

CPW sell unlocked handsets on the Orange network, have done for years. P4U are almost certainly the same.
The iPhone will be pretty much the only exception.

In extremely rare cases, CPW sell branded/locked handsets because they cannot source them any other way or because the price on the locked units is so much cheaper than the unlocked units that they can't pass them up (applies almost exclusively to Three PAYG handsets).


Also, the only handsets that lock to the first SIM are iPhones.
Other handsets are unlocked or locked when they come out the factory, there's no middle ground (unless something has changed drastically in the past week or so).

[BKM]

Originally Posted by Step666

CPW sell unlocked handsets on the Orange network, have done for years. P4U are almost certainly the same.
.

That's clever of them as Orange used to insist on their branded firmware and packaging on most handsets - which was always locked!

[finbaar]

I have bought phones from e2save (CPW company), P4U and dialaphone in the last 2 years on Talk Mobile, O2 and Vodafone and none of these were locked and all were unbranded. I wouldn't buy a phone from a carrier for this reason. However there is no guarantee that the phone will be unlocked but the advice from SkipTracer is spot on - a handset offered on a number of carriers should be unlocked.

[Step666]

Originally Posted by BKM

That's clever of them as Orange used to insist on their branded firmware and packaging on most handsets - which was always locked!

They can't force a third-party to stock and sell branded handsets, certainly not one as big as CPW.
And they wouldn't dare move away from CPW, that would just risk them losing sales.

[bowland37]

Originally Posted by 8801

Sorry if its been asked before but are their phones all unlocked?
Want a back up sim free phone and was thinking of getting one of their cheap Virgin Nokia PAYG

I recently bought a Nokia 100 on Vodafone PAYG and that was unlocked. Cracking little phone as well, the best cheapo Nokia I've had.

[BKM]

Originally Posted by bowland37

I recently bought a Nokia 100 on Vodafone PAYG and that was unlocked. Cracking little phone as well, the best cheapo Nokia I've had.

That's useful! Tesco had mountains of these for only £9 last week - but locked to Tesco Mobile!

[d123]

Originally Posted by BKM

That's clever of them as Orange used to insist on their branded firmware and packaging on most handsets - which was always locked!

It's been a number of years since that was true, in recent times the only 2 instances are the iPhone (locks to first sim as already posted) and some phones on Three, the SonyEricsson X8 for example, was significantly cheaper on Three, but it was a locked and branded handset at the cheaper price.

I haven't seen even these type of "special offer" devices on the CPW site for a while though.

[BKM]

Originally Posted by d123

It's been a number of years since that was true,

Fine - my memory was from a few years ago when it was said that CPW, while mostly using generic stock, had also to stock Orange (and some others networks just for PAYG??) ones - as the networks then insisted.

Obviously the place to buy cheap second handsets for use where smartphones could get nicked! Tesco seem to lock theirs down to the £9 Nokia 100!

[8801]

Update;

My Nokia 100 on virgin PAYG was unlocked

The guy in Carphone Warehouse said that all their phones apart from iPhones are unlocked