Buying SIM-Free Iphone4 in the UK ?

Good evening,
I'm visiting london soon i hope , and planning to get Iphone4 , I read somewhere that i can get a SIM-Free IPhone4 from the apple online store .. can I buy it (unlocked) from the Apple local stores in London(physical stores), if yes , where exactly?
any further information should be appreciated and thanks in advance.
Message was edited by: Meme987

It's best to contact the Apple retail Store you plan on using and inquire directly. Here is a list of all stores and their contact numbers. http://www.apple.com/retail/storelist/
Here are the FAQs about buying from the UK Online Store: http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone?mco=OTY2ODA2OQ#f aqs

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If I buy a Sim free iPhone in the UK will I be abel to use it on PAYG in Australia?

If I buy a Sim free iPhone in the UK will I be abel to use it on PAYG in Australia? Or will in need jailbreaking? And what does this even mean?!
Also, I'll still have a UK SIM (vodafone) that I'll want to check from time to time - will this work?
thanks

The iPhone4 and 4S use a microsim about half the size of the normal sim
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Go to an UK Apple Store
you can reserve the night before online so you don't have a wasted journey
http://www.apple.com/uk/retail/iphone/
UK Apple stores only sell unlocked iPhones
They will sell you one with a contract but you will have to go through a contract sign up process etc etc so there is no scope for error

Best option for a 'sim free' phone in the UK

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gadgetman2000 wrote:
Thanks for the comments above.
Why would a warranty not apply just because the phone ends up in a different country? If an Apple product is defective, then surely they have a legal responsibility to put the product right. It would be interesting to see how it stood up in a court of law. As consumers we all have rights regardless of what any manufacturer puts in their warranty information. In the UK the Sale of Goods Act means you are covered for up to six years if a product is defective because of an 'inherent fault' no matter what the manufacturer says.
Not true. I used to work for a company down in Berkshire. One of their products bought through official channels over here was covered.
Try buying one in the states because it was cheaper tho, and you'd suddenly find you had no warranty.
The Sale of goods Act is UK law not international law. It might apply to products bought somewhere in the EU but it wouldn't be worth the paper it was written on in the US.

Where can I buy a locked iphone4s in the uae?

where can I buy a locked iphone4s (white)16gb in the uae?

tried the big carriers in the country
most carriers sell locked phones it's the unlocked ones you may have problems finding some places

Locking sim-free iPhone with the first sim

I'm going to get a sim-free iPhone, but I've been told that iphone would be locked to the first sim that is inserted. The problem is that I regularly commute between London and Berlin, and need to change my sim once a week or 10-day. I have a T-mobile contract in the UK, and O2 contract in Germany.

As noted by Ingo2711 above, if purchased as officially unlocked, it will remain unlocked. The Apple store is the only place to do this. Be certain it is "Unlocked" as opposed to just "Sim free"

Best Buy has Zero iPhone4s but the AT&T store NEXT DOOR has 80 (with more arriving!)

Best Buy in Mount Laurel, NJ (1400 Nixon Drive) has ZERO iPhone 4s as of 6 PM on 6/28. Despite preordering on the 15th and I am still waiting with no word on when my phone will be in.
So I call the AT&T store that is located NEXT DOOR @ 1420 Nixon Drive. I mean it is literally right next door in the strip mall. I'm told that they received 80 phones today and are expecting a shipment of 60 to 80 MORE phones tomorrow. The rep told me that they will have extra phone for walk-ins, but it's going to be first come-first served, etc.
I mean, C'MON! It's like a bad joke.
I've heard the arguement "it's not us, it's Apple" from Best Buy, but I guess I'm not clear on why Best Buy seems to have no leverage to get their pre-orders expedited.
Heck, I don't understand why Best Buy can't, at minimum, get a straight answer from Apple about where/when Best Buy will be getting replenishment stock.
As a customer, I don't care who's "fault" it is - in my opinion, it's Best Buy's fault. Obviously, there's no universal shortage of iPhone 4s when the AT&T store is getting extras and Best Buy can't fullfill it's preorders from the 15th.
IMO, the problem is that Best Buy must have a pretty weak relationship with Apple to be treated this way. As a small business owner, if one of my suppliers was jerking me around like this, I'd sever the relationship. (Sure, I know this is more complex, but the principle is that Best Buy has a bunch of angry customers due to Apple's lack of support. That's a BAD business relationship, when your partners force you to lose crediblilty with customers).
I'll never pre-order from Best Buy again. But you can blame Apple for that ...

It simply amazes me that Best Buy continues to point fingers away from themselves. I understand the RS situation. They've never been what I'd consider an outlet for this type of situation. While sad, RS's ineptitude doesn't surprise me. Best Buy's does.
That tells me there are more fundamental problems with Best Buy. They either don't have a good relationship with their vendors (in this case, Apple). Or, they really don't have a handle on inventory and shipping basics. Maybe, as has been suggested, there's something amiss with employees taking the customer pre-orders and putting their family and friends in front of them. Still, this has happened at seemingly every Best Buy store. That tells me the problems with Best Buy are very widespread.
As I posted before, I just walked into an AT&T store yesterday and bought a 32GB iPhone 4, no reservations. Others have reported doing the same. AT&T probably has fewer stores than Best Buy. And, from what I can tell, have smaller iPhone stock than Best Buy. Yet, they handled it much better.
All pre-orders were filled first. Then, walk-ups were allowed to buy. No employees were allowed to buy them, under any circumstance, for anyone, until the customers were taken care of first. Simple concept. Apparently, too simple for Best Buy to understand.

I tried to buy a free ap on the App Store and it asked me for billing information! What do i do?

How do I get a free app without it asking me for billing information? It worked for the first 5 apps but not this one

When you created your Apple ID, did you provide credit card information? If you did, then there may have been something that has changed with that credit card. Despite the fact the app is free, your account has to be in good standing to be able to downoad an app.

Are Apple stores (not online) selling the iphone 4 SIM free?

hi,
i read in several places that buying the iphone 4 from the apple online store will get u a SIM free version. i wanted to know if you go to the Apple store, can we still get the iphone 4 SIM free straight from the store. Or is getting the iphone from the online store the only way to get it sim free?
Please provide any info you might have
thanks

Theoretically, yes, you should be able to walk into an Apple store and purchase a sim free iPhone.
However, if you were thinking of doing this on 24th, then I would not bother, unless you have either pre-ordered or reserved for in store pick up. You probably will not get one on launch day, unless you are prepared to go and camp outside your local Apple store from perhaps midnight on Wednesday, or 3 or 4am on Thursday.
I am sure there will be lots of disappointed people on launch day who come away without a phone. Unless you have reserved, then I would wait or go and order directly from the Apple UK store and you will get it delivered by July 14th then.

I am from Nepal and want to buy unlocked sim free iphone 5s from USA. So will it work in Nepal?

I want to buy sim free iphone 5s from USA. So can I be able to use it here in Nepal with either of NCELL or NTC network?

Any unlocked iPhone should work as a GSM phone anywhere in the world. However, iPhones have additional features that will not work on networks that are not partners with Apple. The features that may not work include:
iTunes store and App Store
Visual Voicemail (almost certainly will not work)
LTE networks
3G networks
iMessage
FaceTime
MMS
GameCenter
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You might be be better off getting a phone in India; at least getting repairs and warranty service won't require traveling back to the US.

Confirmation on the term "SIM free"

I have been planning to buy an iPhone 6 Plus while in Japan next month as for the first time, Apple stores in Tokyo are selling SIM free iPhones in-store. I have been reading contradicting articles/forums on the terms "SIM-Free" and "unlocked". Can someone please confirm this for me...it just doesn't seem right for a SIM-free phone to be at the price it is if it will only be locked down to one carrier.

maybe things have changed as according to Apple Online Store Japan (with the help of google translate) it states:
"All the features of the iPhone is equipped with the iPhone SIM Free, but there is no wireless contractual obligations. You can select your favorite businesses from telecom operators of wireless network corresponding NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, such as Softbank, and use it to activate the iPhone. For more information about SIM SIM and whether it is available, please contact your wireless service provider to use. The 6 Plus iPhone and iPhone 6 of SIM free, there are times when it does not correspond to the 4G LTE network in some countries. Please contact your wireless service provider for details.
If you do not want the service signed multi-year agreements, if you want to use the communication operators of local overseas, it is recommended that you choose the iPhone SIM Free. Since the nano-SIM card is not included with the 6 Plus iPhone and iPhone 6 of SIM free, please obtain a card from the telecom operators of the corresponding countries. Is inserted into the slot of the iPhone this card, if you turn on the power, please set according to the display on the screen. You can start using the iPhone in this."
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What's the diffence between T-Moble and Sim Free

Is it just with sim card and without sim card only?
Is it the same iphone?

Contract free versus SIM free are different. What you want to do is to wait for Apple to sell the SIM free version of the iPhone 6 if you want to take it for use outside the US.
See this explanation from the Apple 5S page that details this...
If you buy iPhone for T-Mobile, it will arrive with a nano-SIM card already installed that you can activate by visiting an Apple Retail Store or a T-Mobile store or by calling T-Mobile. If you buy a SIM-free iPhone, you will need to purchase a GSM-compatible nano-SIM card separately. In the United States, you can purchase such a SIM from AT&T or T-Mobile. When you travel internationally, you can use a nano-SIM card for iPhone 5s from a local GSM carrier.
Also be aware warranty service is country specific. So if you buy a phone in the US and it develops problems you would need to return it for service in the US...
Historically I believe its been 2-4 months after the release of the provider locked versions that Apple starts selling SIM free iPhones. You just have to be patient. Personally I am also waiting for Apple to release a truly unlocked SIM free device before I upgrade one of our iPhones.

If i buy a sim-free iphone 5s in America, can i use it in China with a Chinese sim card?

i've bought a sim-free iphone 5s in apple store in America but i am worried that i cannot use it with a Chinese sim card. Can someone help me?
Thank you very much!

The iPhone is sold as "unlocked and contract-free" when purchasing that option from the Apple Store, though Apple's verbiage is using "unlocked" and "SIM-free" rather interchangeably:
The unlocked iPhone includes all the features of iPhone but without a wireless contract commitment. You can activate and use the unlocked iPhone on the supported GSM wireless network of your choice, such as AT&T or T-Mobile in the United States. The unlocked iPhone will not work with CDMA-based carriers, including Sprint and Verizon Wireless.
If you don’t want a multiyear service contract, or if you prefer to use a local carrier when traveling abroad, the unlocked iPhone is the best choice. If you choose T-Mobile, your iPhone comes with a T-Mobile SIM card already installed. You will need to contact T-Mobile or visit an Apple Retail Store to activate your iPhone.
Otherwise, the unlocked iPhone does not come with a micro-SIM card for iPhone 4s, or a nano-SIM card for iPhone 5c or iPhone 5s so you’ll need to get one from any supported GSM carrier worldwide. To start using your iPhone, simply insert the SIM card into the slot and turn on iPhone by pressing and holding the On/Off button for a few seconds. Then follow the onscreen instructions to set up your iPhone.
Purchasing an unlocked iPhone means you will not qualify for the lower iPhone price associated with a contract. The unlocked iPhone 5c model is A1532 (GSM). The unlocked iPhone 5s model is A1533 (GSM).
To help decide whether the locked or unlocked option is right for you, compare wireless service plans. Or call our iPhone Specialists at 1-800-MY-APPLE.
Be aware that if you purchase an iPhone in the US, that will be the only place you will get support from Apple should you need it. You will not get any support for a US-sold iPhone in China.
Regards.

Problems with my new SIM-free iphone 4s

Hi there
I just recieved my new SIM-free iphone 4s ordered from the UK apple online store last week. I used O2 simcard to activate it for the first time.
However, when I took it back to my own country, the phone simply doesn't work on any local operators...
I done some google, and someone says the iphone4s will be locked to the simcard it used to activate the phone. Just wondering if it is true?
What I got is a sim-free phone, and it should be work with any network operators all over the world.. isnt it?
thank you~

I have the same problem!
I purchase an Iphone 4S in the UK SIM Free for £499, the handset is totally SIM free meaning supplied without a SIM card. I returned to China inserted my China Mobile SIM and the handset simply says SIM not supported.
I have restored with the SIM inside (China Mobile), I have restored the phone to factory set through Itunes but I still have the same problem.
Any ideas?

Should've offered a sim free version as well...

Apple is well known for being apart of the open source community and intergrating developers into OS X and I think they have really let their dedicated followers down by not also providing a sim free iphone to the open market but locking it to a single network. Yes, the iphone has features which need a special network operator to use but really are all of us that concerned with rewinding and fast forwarding through our voicemail to go ahead and change our lives just for that?
I know Apple claims that by going with AT&T they also keep the price of the phone down to the buyer but come on, on a two year contract how much are you actually paying for the thing. A lot more than I think it's worth. If Apple had decided to sell the iphone on it's own what would have been it's rrp? Are you going to tell me that the iphone would have exceded $1000? It's a phone not a mac.
I guess for my own reasons that I can afford an iphone but because of logistics I cannot be bound to a single network operator for an extended period of time and thus will probably never own something I have been waiting for to come onto the market since it Steve Jobs brought it to life. I think I will never understand why Apple did not offer the stand alone version to the market and you would have to do without certain features which I think as mentioned are not the main features of a truly amaizing piece of technology.

If you plan to buy from an Apple Retail Store in UK paying full price the
iPhone 5 will be unlocked (for ever) and work on any supported GSM
network anywhere on 3G
ALL other iPhones sold in UK will be locked to a carrier .
You can then get a sim only PAYG or month to month contract deal

Sim free always unlocked?

An Iphone 3gs 32gb bought from the Apple store (UK) can any sim be used in the device, or once one sim is used is it locked to that network? For example if bought and used on Vodafone could I then use an 02 sim after. Thanks.

<http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone?mco=OTY2ODA2OQ# faqs>
"Buying a SIM-free iPhone from the Apple Online Store allows you choose your own carrier and change carriers at any time."

Buying SIM-Free Iphone4 in the UK ?

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