SIM locked iPhone activation

Bought an iPhone 5c with simlock to British operator and then restored it. Is it enough to have any nano-SIM or do I need the one from the carrier it is locked to in order to activate the phone? The only thing I need is to get to iOS. And if i need the British SIM, what carrier should it be? iPhone said that its carrier is Three UK, while imei.info says it is T-mobile Orange UK.
Thanks for help.

If the device is locked to a carrier, as I said earlier, then you would need one of their SIM cards. I hope that is what you are intending to borrow from a friend. If the device is not unlocked, it will not work with another SIM until you get the carrier it is locked with to unlock it. It you believe it will just work with the Czech carrier after activation, it will not if it was not unlocked by the British carrier you say it is locked to.
To address your question about the SIM, it has to stay in the device until the activation is complete.

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Restoring SIM locked iPhone

I turned on my iPhone 3G, and got the "need to restore" message. When I plugged it in, my computer gave me the "iTunes cannot activate your iPhone because the SIM card is not inserted, or a SIM PIN is required". I've checked my SIM card, and its fine. HELP!

i have the 2g and this is the same thing that happened to me. does yours stay on the connect to itunes screen?

Iphone 6 64GB (model: A1586) + Sprint Carrier + have paid full price of 749 USD (excl taxes in Nov 2014) = Unlocked or Locked Iphone 6??

Hi all,
How should I start. Will try to keep it short and to the point:
I was in US in Nov 2014 for work
In Nov 2014, I have purchased on online Apple Store US in first instance an Iphone 6 64GB (model: A1549) with T-mobile carrier (unlocked version) for a price of 749 USD (excluding taxes & etc)
Upon arrival at Apple Store at Monterey, CA, to pick up above purchase. I had discussed with Apples sales person that I lived in The Netherlands and that latter purchase should be compatible on the Dutch mobile phone carrier: Vodafone and that full LTE-capabilities would work in The Netherlands.
This Apple Sales person had advised me that I should purchase a different model and should change from model: A1549 to model: A1586.
He showed me this website: https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/. Based on this site and his expertise, I believed him and have changed above model and have purchased an Iphone 6 64GB (model: A1586) with Sprint Carrier for price of 749 USD (exl taxes & etc)
I have read so many stories online, that I am screwed with this above purchase, because I have purchased a simlocked Iphone and that I will not be able to use this phone to its fullest capabilities and also not workable with my Dutch simcard of Vodafone.
I kindly ask your expertise opinion, whether my Iphone 6 64GB (model: A1586) + Sprint Carrier + have paid full price of 749 USD (in Nov 2014) is sim-"Unlocked" or sim-"Locked" Iphone??
If "Locked", are there any solution to have it unlocked since start of, I think, Jan or Feb 2015 Sprint carrier will be selling unlocked Iphone 6. Prior to latter date, it doesn't say whether they will apply this retrospectively for other phones as well.
If "Unlocked", please confirm how I can check this? If I look at the current price for the Iphone 6 with the Sprint carrier and 2 year contract. This combination is being sold for 199 USD (excl taxes). I would think that my Iphone is unlocked since I have paid 749 USD (excl taxes) in Nov 2014.
Please, please help me guys...I guess this is lesson learned for me the next time to do a better research before buying any Apple Iphones in US to be used in Europe (in this case The Netherlands).
Thank you in advance for your help and taking a look into this issue.

Hi Peter,
I did insert my Dutch Vodafone simcard on the Iphone and it works.
I read on some newsgroup that at some point I will not be able to make use this phone, because Sprint would give a certain window to activate the Iphone and if you don't do it, then it would lock the usage of any simcard beside a Sprint simcard. Due to latter, I got nervous and wanted to check this to be sure that there is no need to get stressed all about it.
Indeed, you are right, just checked the model of my Iphone 6 an can confirm is a (CDMA) Sprint MG6G2LL/A.
I am not sure what you mean whether I have "activated" my Iphone. For my understanding, could you please explain what you mean with "activate"?
Did I need to follow certain procedures on the Iphone? I just took out the Sprint carrier simcard when I came back to NL and just popped in my Dutch Vodafone simcard on this phone and was able to internet with LTE and receive and make calls.
When I purchased this Iphone in US, there was indeed a Sprint carrier simcard in the iphone. I never did anything with this Sprint carrier simcard.
I had only made of use of this Iphone in US and in The Netherlands:
of its (free) wi-fi capabilities on the road during my stay in US and
had tested it in US by inserting a Dutch T-mobile simcard and a Dutch Vodafone simcard in this Iphone.
And I was able to calls and receive calls with both Dutch simcards on this Iphone in US.
Upon arrival back in The Netherlands I was able to make use of the 4G/LTE capabilities.
But did find out that sometimes it would act weird and therefore I had linked it that it was due to the Sprint simlock.
Based on above facts, what would your answer be? Did I miss something else that I needed to take account on?
And to be frankly, looking at the paid price for the Iphone 6 64GB of approx 749 USD (paid in Nov 2014) and the price offered for a Iphone 6 64GB icm Sprint subscription would be 299 USD (as of today, Jan 2015). I would assume that I have unlocked version. Wouldn't you agree on this?

I have sim lock problems.

ı have ıphone 4 T-mobile Germany ı have simlock.19.02.2013 finish contrat..My ıphone is unlock?

I have a t-mobile sim locked iphone 4. T-mobile lock removed. But it seems not try to lock updated my phone

BBC News app on sim free iphone live tv message error

hello forum. just downloaded the new bbc news app to my iphone 4 from the app store which is amazing but i noticed that when i click on the live tv icon i get the message that you cannot view it from outside the uk but when i try it on my vodafone sim locked iphone 4 i am able to view bbc news 24. is anyone else having this problem. (i live in the uk)
could it be that sim free iphone 4's are recognised by the bbc as being from outside the uk?

I'm trying to access BBC news on iPad 2 through the app. Have the same problems.
I wrote to BBC tech support complaining about my access problem through computer, iPhone and iPad. On May 2, I received the following reply:
Thank you for your email.
We are aware that some people in Spain are having problems accessing the
BBC News site. We have identified the problem to the Telefonica ISP.
We have contacted Telefonica and they have advised anyone with problems
to contact them directly
Kind regards,
BBC News website
Hence, I contacted Movistar (new name of Telefonica) tech support. I was told they knew nothing about the problem and tried to blame my computer for it. And then they hang up!!! Not impressed!!
I wrote to BBC again on May 19 asking WHO I should contact in Telefonica/Movistar, since their tech support staff claim not to know about the problem As of today, no reply from BBC, so still very frustrated!

HT1438 i keep getting SIM locked message on my iphone 4s and I need to unlock it please please can someone help me? The voice activation is on and when I type in what I think is the code It wont even put in the numbers

I am trying to unlock my SIM from my iphone 4s, as I am getting a mesage SIM locked. How do I unlock this?Also I am typing in what I think my code is and it is not working. The voice activation wil not allow me to type in the numbers for some reason. I have turned it off and on about 7 times now. please please please can someone help me?

If you bought the iphone in the US and it is locked to a specific carrier, then you can't use a different sim (from another carrier). Is this your situation?
Otherwise I'm not sure what you mean by "trying to unlock my SIM". In which country did you buy the iphone? Who's your carrier?

I got an iphone from Hong Kong which is locked one. Can anyone explain me what does a locked iphone means. How do I use it in India now, with my own sim card. How do I unlock it???

I got an iphone from Hong Kong which is locked one. Can anyone explain me what does a locked iphone means. How do I use it in India now, with my own sim card. How do I unlock it???

If your iPhone is locked to a wireless provider, only that wireless provider
can unlock it. Contact the wireless provider in Hong Kong to see if they
offer unlocking and if you qualify.
If your iPhone is locked to an AppleID that you do not know, return it for
a refund as it is useless. Only the person whose AppleID was used for
activation can remove the lock. There is no workaround for Activation Lock.
If neither of the above is what you are facing, provide more detail so someone
may offer a solution.

Will i be able to listen to music, watch videos and take pictures and sync with itunes without a sim in my locked iphone 5?

Will i be able to listen to music, watch videos and take pictures and sync with itunes without a sim in my locked iphone 5?

You will need a SIM to activate it. There is no way around that. The SIM does not have to be active, but it must be from the correct carrier if the phone is carrier locked. Once activated, it can be removed and used like an iPod touch, but if you ever have to restore or update iOS, you will need the SIM to re-activate it.

I recently inherited a restored iPhone 5 from my uncle and its needs a sim to be activated, could i use my friends sim just to activate my iPhone and then give the sim back once its activated without affecting his contract and later on get a sim ?

I recently inherited a restored iPhone 5 from my uncle and its needs a sim to be activated, could i use my friends sim just to activate my iPhone and then give the sim back once its activated without affecting his contract and later on get a sim for myself and a contract for me and it all be normal??? Thanks

The phone MUST have a SIM present in order for activation to complete. The process will not finish otherwise.
For the OP:
If the iPhone 5 is locked to a carrier, you must use a SIM from that same carrier. Otherwise I think you would be OK borrowing the SIM to activate the phone.
~Lyssa

I accidentally erased my phone from Find my Iphone App and I have a sim lock on my phone - now it wont let me restore. any ideas? Thanks

I accidentally erased my phone from Find my Iphone App and I have a sim lock on my phone - now it wont let me restore. any ideas?
When I try to connect to itunes, It states ''The sim card of this phone is PIN locked - please enter the PIN code of your SIM card and connect again to iTunes" however I don't have the option to enter the Pin code on my phone as on my phone screen it states "your iphone could not be activated because the activation server is temporaily unavailable"
PLEASE HELP AND THANK YOU

With a sim lock,
you'll have to contact your carrier for the PUK code, as described here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1316

I updated my iphone 3gs to ios 5.0.1 from ios 4 , now its saying that sim is not activated but the sim is still inside

i updated my iphone 3gs to ios 5.0.1 from ios 4 , now its saying that sim is not activated but the sim is still inside
PLSS HELP ME OUT !!!!

Sounds like your phone was hacked to work with any network. Doing the update re-locked it to the original carrier. All you can do now is contact the carrier it is locked to to see if they have an unlocking policy. Note that if it's AT&T they do not offer unlocking. otherwise find an un-activated sim for the original carrier and you can use it as an iPod.

Activating Japan Sim Free Iphone While on International Roaming

I am based from the Philippines and bought my sim-free iPhone6 Plus via online Apple Store and had it shipped to a Japan address. I will be going to Japan next month to spend my vacation and will get my iPhone as well. I understand that a sim free iPhone will be locked to the first sim that you will insert into it. I would like to ask for answers on the ff:
1.If I use my local sim (PI based) and activate my iPhone while on international roaming, will that lock my phone to my local sim and use it like a normal phone when I get back home?
2. Is phone activation while on international roaming recommended or will I need to wait until I get back home so I use the local signal?
Thanks!

I am in the same situation so i asked a friend from japan (also Filipino) and she said that only the Apple store online sells SIM free/openline iPhones. Apple store only provide Japan locked iPhones (daw)

Does sim-free iphone lock to the network?

HI all,
I've been asking different question here recently connected to iphones and now I have one more question. Does sim-free iphone lock to the carrier of the first sim used in it? I've been using mine for a while and now i'd like to change mobile carrier. So, aren't there going to be any problems with it? Thanks in advance.

Apple does not use the term "SIM free" in any of their marketing materials. If you bought the phone at Carphone Warehouse in the UK, it will lock to the first UK carrier used to activate it. It can not be activated on a foreign network unless unlocked by the UK carrier used to activate it. Other than that, so far as I'm aware, phones are "locked" or "unlocked". I don't know of anywhere else where things are done like they are at carphone warehouse in the UK.

HT2693 iPhone bought from eBay was sim locked

Two iPohne 5 we're bought last year in eBay and were locked the SiM lock. As these two iPhones were located in US and the Carrier is Sprint previously but I use them either in Hong Kong or Mainland. Is there any solution for me to release the SIM lock so that I can use other service provider such as HGC or China Mobile without regional restriction?

No. Apple can not help you. ONLY the carrier the phone is locked to can authorize unlocking it.
If the carrier wants to charge for unlocking, that's up to them. Most carriers will not unlock them if you are not a current or former customer of theirs and many will not unlock them if the phone is not currently active on thier network.
Dick Cheng wrote:
Since the BUY IT NOW cost is very low I bought them and shipped to HK.
I guess now you know why they were so cheap.

I baked up my iphone and when i had issues with sim lock i got it to finally work isynced my phone with i tunes and lost all apps recently downloaded how do i get it back

i had to get an internet conection from a friend to download akll my apps evrytime i sync with my pc wich already had itunes all apps except statup are gone only thing left was an i tunes song i brought from itunes each time i use my apple id pass word it tells me to retry i do this 4 to 5 times and some times have no success my latest issue was my sim locking buy itself then asking me to put in a sim without a lock , i only have 1 sim i brought 2 phones and have had no issues with the other phone and when i do have the original startup apps i can not move or arange them thru itunes apps and i cannot use sim from other iphone pls help evry1 i ask wouldnt have a clue because there having there own dificulties

If you also backed up to your computer - you can restore from that backup - to retrieve the files. As far as I know- that should have no bearing on deleting them from iCloud - they should still be in that backup.
If you used iOS file sharing with your computer - and saved the files to your computer - you can retrieve them from there.
if the only place that the files were saved to was iCloud, I know of no way to get them back.

SIM locked iPhone activation

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