The cost of unlocking your iPhone 4...

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David Flynn29 July 2010, 10:37 AM

Want to travel overseas with your iPhone 4? Here's a list of the network lock policy, and the unlock cost, for each of the Aussie carriers.


If you love your iPhone and you love to travel, you definitely won't love the way carriers lock the iPhone onto their network. This prevents you from using a pre-paid local SIM card once you arrive at your destination, which can save a fortune on phone calls and SMS messages.

So what's the story with the iPhone 4? We polled Telstra, Vodafone, 3 and Optus on their iPhone 4 unlocking policy.

If you buy an iPhone 4 outright from Apple it comes unlocked, of course. That's just as it should be. You've paid anywhere from $859 to $999 for the phone. It's yours.

All Telstra iPhone 4 units will be locked to Next G, with a flat $150 fee to unlock them.

An Optus spokesman confirmed that while their iPhone 4 handsets would be locked, "if you want to unlock the iPhone there is no extra charge."

Vodafone and 3 will sell the iPhone 4 locked, but a spokesperson confirmed to APC that both carriers "will unlock the handset free of charge for postpaid (contracted) iPhone 4 customers".

This is a significant but very welcome change from Vodafone's previous policy, under which the iPhone 3G and 3GS would be unlocked for between $75-$100 if you were in the first six months of your contract, and between $25-$50 after that period.


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tara2010 (New user):

if I bought my iphone 4 in canada and it is locked to my canadian provider (rogers) when i come to australia, can I get it unlocked? (i will be staying in canberra for 6 months, hence why i want it unlocked) THANKS!

29 July 2010, 2:34 PM (1 month ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

ryryry (New user):

I'm afraid that ONLY the phone provider that you bought the phone from, can unlock the iPhone, because they keep a database of all the phones they've sold, and the relevant unlock codes for those phones. No phone carrier in Australia will be able to unlock a Canada-sold iPhone, sorry.

30 July 2010, 6:14 PM (1 month ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

n4rca (New user):

i spoke to a telstra employee who offered to unlock the new iphone4 for $20. it can be done if you know how to hack into the phone settings.

31 July 2010, 12:53 AM (1 month ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

tara2010 (New user):

if I bought my iphone 4 in canada and it is locked to my canadian provider (rogers) when i come to australia, can I get it unlocked? (i will be staying in canberra for 6 months, hence why i want it unlocked) THANKS!

29 July 2010, 2:35 PM (1 month ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

lordy16 (User):

you'd have to talk to Rogers?

29 July 2010, 4:20 PM (1 month ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

tara2010 (New user):

i found this website: www.iphoneunlockaustralia.com

are they legit?

29 July 2010, 11:58 PM (1 month ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

todd_h86 (User):

wait for the jailbreak lol

29 July 2010, 4:56 PM (1 month ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Lex (New user):

Hi David Flynn, could you please look into this, as the T&C on vodafones page for the iphone says the following:

1. Approved customers only. Minimum monthly spend is $69. Early exit fee: $69 x months left on contract. Min cost and early exit fee exclude any applicable handset charges. Unlocking fee applies

30 July 2010, 2:50 PM (1 month ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Lex (New user):

.

30 July 2010, 2:51 PM (1 month ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Cairns Dude (New user):

I have a Vodafone IPhone 4 on two year contract.
Vodafone's unlocking website wants to charge me $75.
Where did you get your information - it would seem to be wrong.

07 August 2010, 7:44 AM (1 month ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

wakeupgeoff (New user):

Quoting Cairns Dude:
I have a Vodafone IPhone 4 on two year contract.
Vodafone's unlocking website wants to charge me $75.
Where did you get your information - it would seem to be wrong.



I have the same problem, I have lodged the question online with vodafone, with a link to this page, and have also asked Dave on the Vodafone facebook page. Still no answer.

To the author of this article: Can you please help us follow up on this?

Cheers

09 August 2010, 7:36 PM (3 weeks ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Cairns Dude (New user):

bump


07 August 2010, 7:49 AM (1 month ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

iphone 4 user (New user):

i brought my iphone 4 out right from vodafone,. im in australia and it STILL is $100 to unlock within 1st 6months with a $25 discount to do it online yourself,. in shop it is $100 or for cus service to unlock,. THREE is free to unlock ATM,... so i unlocked my iphone 4 for $75,. i was unlocked within a couplr hrs after plugging into itunes to restore and unlock,. i am "pre-paid",.

11 August 2010, 5:20 PM (3 weeks ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

djsflynn (APC staff):

To those asking where the info in this article came from: we were told this by Vodafone's PR manager.

13 August 2010, 5:04 PM (3 weeks ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

fonesunlock (New user):

This isn't the case for Vodafone iPhone 4 from UK. Vodafone aren't unlocking them yet. Instead I found a place that does through iTunes, expensive but it works and apparently is a permanent unlock: http://www.fonesunlock.co.uk/mobile-phone-unlocking-codes/iphone/4/unlock-vodafone.html

21 August 2010, 9:13 PM (2 weeks ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

fonesunlock (New user):

sorry double post..

21 August 2010, 9:14 PM (2 weeks ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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