How to get the cheapest officially unlocked iPhone in the UK
I’ve already written articles about getting the cheapest iPhone on O2, Orange and Tesco Mobile. But all these operators sell their iPhones locked to their individual networks. What if you want more freedom than that? What if you want to use two different SIMs, or simply want to switch to local network when you’re abroad?
You could pay an eye-watering amount buying an officially unlocked one imported on the grey market from Play.com. The 16GB iPhone 3GS will cost you £715.99 (with free delivery!). Or, you could take your chances and buy an iPhone from eBay. I just watched an auction end for an unlocked iPhone; a 16GB 3GS went for £470 plus £6.99 postage – saving £239 on Play.com’s price. Not bad. However, the seller said he had “opened the box to unlock”, indicating that it’s probably unofficially unlocked using the iPhone Dev Team‘s fine work on their ultrasn0w unlocking software. So that means you’ll have to update your iPhone using a jailbreak tool and custom firmware everytime – or to put that jargon-free – no easy software updates from iTunes.
So here’s an easier and cheaper option to buy an officially unlocked iPhone in the UK.
Vodafone UK iPhone’s are to be sold locked to their network
I received an email from a former colleague of mine today (who knows I’m a thorough iPhone geek!), with a question from a friend of his about getting an iPhone on Vodafone. One of the big appeals of Vodafone for his mate is that they supply phones on Pay Monthly unlocked as standard – no need to go faffing about with unlock codes and the like. Just buy your phone, and get on with using it however you want.
It’s not long to go until Vodafone launch their iPhone offering in the UK on January 14th, and my friend’s mate really wants an iPhone 3GS. So his simple question was: “It’ll be supplied unlocked right?”
Nope.
Visual Voicemail won’t be available for the iPhone on Vodafone UK
Vodafone are due to launch their iPhone offering in the UK on January 14th. I’ve been looking at the Vodafone iPhone web pages, and thought it odd that Visual Voicemail wasn’t mentioned.
Yesterday, I came across a conversation between James Robinson and Vodafone on Twitter, and the carrier has confirmed that they won’t be offering Visual Voicemail in the UK at launch.
How to get the cheapest iPhone on Tesco Mobile
LAST UPDATED: December 28th 2009
Tesco has been selling the iPhone in-store from December 14th. I already have articles describing the cheapest way to get an iPhone on O2, and a similar article for Orange. Both of these operator’s tariffs are quite similar. But if you’re looking for a budget or an unlimited option, then Tesco Mobile may be able to grab you on price alone.
Read on for a guide comparing the best deals for both Pay As You Go and Pay Monthly iPhones on Tesco Mobile.
Extra details on the Tesco Mobile iPhone deal
You’ve probably seen that Tesco have announced the availability and pricing of the iPhone on Tesco Mobile. You’ll be able to pick it up from any Tesco store that sells phones Tesco Stores that contain Phone Shops (there’s a list here) from December 14th. PAYG iPhones are available online from Tesco Phone Shop, and from from Customer Services on 0845 600 4411.
There are a few things that their iPhone page doesn’t mention, such as whether tethering or an unlock will be allowed. I’ve been in touch with the very helpful Jo at Tesco Mobile PR, and here is some info that may swing your decision to chuck an iPhone into the basket with your Christmas turkey.
Review: Proporta TurboCharger 3400
I’ve had the Proporta USB TurboCharger 3400 for a quite few months now so I’m in a good position to be able to give a accurate account of how the TurboCharger 3400 might fit in to your daily smartphone usage. If there’s one item that has remained underpowered on all smartphones throughout 2009 it’s the battery. For those impatient types, or for those of you who are actively looking for a portable battery backup solution, let me cut to the chase. You need a Porporta TurboCharger 3400. With is 3400 mAh capacity and swappable charging heads, it’s hard to see why you wouldn’t want one.
I’ll give you three common scenarios – all real life examples – that should resonate with many readers.
The cheapest way to get a pay monthly iPhone on Orange UK
LAST UPDATED: November 18th 2009
November 10th has come and gone, and O2 is no longer the sole iPhone provider in the UK. I already have an article describing the cheapest way to get an iPhone on O2, and to be honest, the pricing from Orange is quite similar – there’s no price war at the moment. But there are a few differences that could make it worthwhile choosing Orange as your iPhone network, if you’re basing your decision on price alone.
So, read on for a quick guide highlighting the total cost of ownership for a pay monthly iPhone on Orange (the Pay As You Go article will be along shortly…)
iPhone 3G to 3G S on O2 – upgrades and insurance
Have you heard? 
There’s been a bit of discontent about O2’s attitude towards existing iPhone 3G customers who would like to upgrade to the new iPhone 3G S, which is due to be released in the UK on Friday.
There is no special upgrade deal available (unlike AT&T users). When the iPhone 3G came out last year, existing iPhone customers on O2 with original (2G) iPhone were allowed to break their contracts and upgrade to the new device. No such joy this time.
So how can existing O2 customers get an iPhone 3G S now?
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The cheapest way to get an iPhone 3G S on O2 UK
Apple have announced the iPhone 3G S, and O2 have released their pricing for the phone, which will be available from June 19th.
If you’re thinking about getting an iPhone deal with O2, there is a page on Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert site that looks at the monthly tariffs. But it’s well out-of-date now, so I’ve put together a quick guide highlighting the total cost of ownership for the new iPhone.
So whether you’re looking for Pay Monthly or Pay As You Go, read on for the cheapest way to get your hands on Apple’s shiny mobile, short of nicking it!
UPDATE: There are also articles covering iPhone deals with Orange and Tesco Mobile This article was last updated on January 7th, 2010.
CPW “announces” 32GB iPhone
It’s all over bar the shouting.
Although not exactly an official announcement, Carphone Warehouse has added black and white 32GB iPhones to its ordering system.
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