i thought i had read a ruling that all phones bought after a certain date were automatically unlocked,???
Not as far as I know.
All the phones you buy in O2, T Mobile, 3, Orange and EE and most in the supermarkets etcetera are locked to their networks.
You can unlock them, either by waiting a statutory period (which varies by manufacturer) then paying a fee upon which you will receive a code which will unlock the phone to other networks. The other way is to have a shufty on the interwebby for the codes yourself.
OR, buy an unlocked handest from the off. The other advantage of an unlocked handset is that it won't have any branding on the case or the startup screen, or any brand-related bloat-ware.
While I'm here and while I remember, I want to remind anyone upgrading a mobile about number porting. In case anyone doesn't know about this, you don't have to give up your mobile number if you want to move networks.
As long as you have ended your contract (assuming you have one), and don't owe any money to your provider, they must give you a PAC (Port Authorisation Code) if you ask for one.
This is a series of letters and numbers, usually three letters and 6 numbers, which is normally valid for a month.
A PAC is usually free, but some providers (I am told) make a small charge. It has never happened to me, and I've ported from One2One, Orange, Virgin, Vodafone, O2, Asda Mobile and T Mobile.
If you're on a contract, it varies as to what you need to do. Some companies will only port your number at the time of purchase and not after, others will do it either at the time of purchase or afterwards and others will only do it afterwards.
See this link from the Car Phone Warehouse:
http://selfhelp.carphonewarehouse.c...iew()=c{ec7fe140-e8b2-11de-da00-000000000000}
Your number will be connected within a few days and there is usually a period where neither the old SIM or the new SIM work, while they are transferring the number. You should be advised of the changeover date by your provider.
Things to be aware of:
You cannot transfer disconnected numbers so DO NOT cancel your existing contract or PAYG or SIM-only SIM if you wish to port your mobile number. To transfer your number, when you provide your PAC number to a new network the cancellation process will begin automatically with your old network.
Once the changeover is complete, your old SIM will be useless, so make sure you have transferred any data (contacts, etcetera) from it before the changeover date, or you will lose that data.
BTW, I know I keep mentioning CPW. Just to let you know....I don't work for them, or earn any commission...I just buy stuff there!
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