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SIM free phones |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Wakefield
Posts: 5,338
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SIM free phones
Hi guys, my knowledge of mobile phone technology is very basic, so please bear with me as I try and explain the situation.
My 10 year old son wants a Sony Ericsson W850i for Christmas as he wants one like his cousins and likes the look of this. At present, he has my old motorola with a O2 pay as you go genie SIM card. The cheapest W850i is been sold by carphone warehouse at £109 if bought with a £10 airtime voucher. It comes with an Orange Sim card. My son wants to keep his old phone number and the O2 genie SIM card works well for him. Will I be able to buy this new phone and just switch the SIM cards over or will I need to have the phone unlocked? I could buy a W850i SIM free phone, but this will cost me £170. Thank you for reading |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 845
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best bet is to get the orange one then get it unlocked
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Wakefield
Posts: 5,338
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Quote:
best bet is to get the orange one then get it unlocked
Thanks for your help chllyphylly , I had a feeling that's what I needed to do, but I didn't want to find myself with a phone that was rendered useless unless it had the Orange Sim card. |
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 845
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Quote:
Thanks for your help chllyphylly , I had a feeling that's what I needed to do, but I didn't want to find myself with a phone that was rendered useless unless it had the Orange Sim card.
but be aware this may void any warranty |
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Wakefield
Posts: 5,338
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Quote:
no probs, next time you're in town, just pop into the market and ask them if they unlock them
but be aware this may void any warranty |
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#6 |
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Posts: n/a
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If you buy from the Carphone Warehouse on any network the phone should be unlocked already. Thats what I always do as most of their phones are sim free and they just give you a new sim with it. So I just buy it on the cheapest network and put my sim in.
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ryanwilliams479;
If you buy from the Carphone Warehouse on any network the phone should be unlocked already. Thats what I always do as most of their phones are sim free and they just give you a new sim with it. So I just buy it on the cheapest network and put my sim in.
I've been looking to buy a Samsung D900 or D900i from Carphone Warehouse but the cheapest version isn't on Orange, which I use and in any case, when I go to visit family abroad, I need to be able to use a foreign sim card. I've been trying to find out whether either can be unlocked, whether I can do it for free (as I've done with my Nokias, courtesy of links on this site), or whether I have to take it either to the market or somewhere else. If the above is correct, my problem may well be solved. Or does anyone know something else that I need to know??? |
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#8 |
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Posts: n/a
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Every sing'e phone ive bought from there has been unlocked. Best thing to do is just go in there and ask is the phone already opened to all networks.
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 44
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Thanks for that -mind you, I WAS going to be bone idle and order it online but maybe best to go into a shop hey!
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: London
Posts: 1,252
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The only thing is, it'll probably have a crappy orange logo on it and it'll have crippled orange software (can be removed with reflashing), which the simfree one won't.
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#11 |
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Posts: n/a
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Quote:
The only thing is, it'll probably have a crappy orange logo on it and it'll have crippled orange software (can be removed with reflashing), which the simfree one won't.
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 44
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Thanks all. Went to CPW shop and, yes, you're right. Bought the Samsung D900i on T Mobile, put my Orange card in and away we go! Absolutely correct. Buy from there and save all the hassle of trying to unlock!
Not too sure about the phone though. As a Nokia user, it takes a fair bit of getting used to and the ledge at the bottom of the keyboard is a pain if you have long finger nails - or maybe that makes it easier as I find I have to use my nail rather than my finger. Menu system to send a text message is a bit tedious too but it's early days and I guess I'll get used to it. I hope! Oh, and there's no branding visible on it either. |
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