Assuming I go to a small dodgy looking independent phone shop – how much would it cost to unlock a phone & what would they need.

My wife lost her phone at the weekend, there is c6 months to run on the contract so she just needs something to get her through – she rang orange/ee and has requested a sim. I have an old work phone, it was on O2 and I would like to use that. I turned it on for the first time in about 3 years yesterday and it asked me for a pin code, I had 3 goes and it locked me out, is that a problem.

Unlocking your phone for any network is not the same as unlocking a pin code.

http://www.o2.co.uk/puk/

With O2 if it was on a contract call them up and they’ll give you the code. 3 fails might have knacked it though.

I think the pin code issue is for the sim (the o2 one I don’t intend to use). I need it unlocking for use with a new EE/orange sim, how much will it cost – I don’t know if its worth it for an older phone. It might be easier to find an old phone that was on Orange.

Is this thing on?

Follow the link I posted to unlock the phone. Then ring O2 to ask them to remove the carrier lock. Should be free if it’s out of contract.

I’d expect that a market trader will probably charge you something in the region of ten quid, which is ten quid more than O2 will.

I’ve been trying since April to get Orange to unlock an iphone for me.

I have spoken to 10 different staff and spent over 8 hours on the phone.

I’m currently assured it’ll happen today.

Orange charge £20 and promise to do it ‘within 20 working days’. The former is true, the latter a lie.

I cant ring O2 as this is an old work phone and I have no idea of the original contract details, I don’t think I’d get very far with them. I’d quite happily pay £10 do get it done in one go through a dodgy market type operator, £20 and I’d be wasting my money on an old phone.

P.S. do sims from smart phones work in older non smart phones? Again I’d be gutted to dick around with this throwing money at it for it not to work.

Orange unlocked my iPhone within 20 days so it can be true!

I cant ring O2 as this is an old work phone and I have no idea of the original contract details

Why not try? You have nothing to lose.

Shouldn’t have too many issues with the sim provided its the same size (not micro or nano for example). Newer sims will often have the carriers software for their web based features embedded on the sim card. You may see these features display on the phones menu but its possible with an older phone that you won’t be able to access them, for example if the old O2 phone is not a smart phone.

HTH

OP a backstreet unlock shouldn’t cost that much, I think I paid £15 for an old Blackberry.

Unlocking generally, the companies here are obstructive and allowed to get away with murder. In France they are obliged to unlock phone free even if it’s still in contract and they do it immediately, none of this 20 day nonsense. Downside is you have to pay more for the phone upfront.

Orange unlocked my iPhone within 20 days so it can be true!

*seethes quietly*

Call up O2, they just need the phone’s IMEI and should know it’s one of theirs from a contract. They’ll give you the code for free.

I’ve done this twice, I’m speaking from actual experience. First time I had to pester them after a week to supply the code, second time I got it within the day.

Just a thought, have you actually tried putting an EE SIM in your old O2 phone? A friend of mine has inherited two old O2 phones of mine, the last one an SE K750i, which he’s been using for the last five years or so with a Orange SIM in it.
It never needed unlocking, because I was told by O2 that it wasn’t their policy to lock phones to their network, other than the iPhone.

Went to a suitably dodgy looking but very friendly phone shop yesterday. They suggested the same thing i.e. get hold of a sim card and give it a go.

If it won’t work they have offered to do it for £18 as they will need to obtain the code for me.

Just waiting on a new EE sim now to see if it works.