About the Vodafone Nokia N95

fmagosso

Hi everybody. I'd like to know any information about this mobile beeing sold by Vodafone shops here in Dublin.

There's this Nokia N95 (Eur 599). They say the phone is UNLOCKED, when actually it is not. After you buy it, and spend Eur 130 in calls, you have to ask Vodafone website for the unlocking code.

Anyway, what I'd like to know is if the firmware within the mobile is chaged from the real unlocked version... or if is it branded by Vodafone with logos in the screen when you switch it on...

Well, if somebody knows about this please share with us!

Thanks.

Sam Vimes

fmagosso wrote:

There's this Nokia N95 (Eur 599). They say the phone is UNLOCKED, when actually it is not. After you buy it, and spend Eur 130 in calls, you have to ask Vodafone website for the unlocking code.

have you tried it? when the n95 first came out on vodafone they were unlocked and debranded. they might still be

fmagosso wrote:

Anyway, what I'd like to know is if the firmware within the mobile is chaged from the real unlocked version... or if is it branded by Vodafone with logos in the screen when you switch it on...

Well, if somebody knows about this please share with us!

Thanks.

again, go into a shop and have a look for yourself. if you have the money ready for them they shouldn't mind turning it on for you

culabula

fmagosso wrote:

Hi everybory. I'd like to know any information about this mobile beeing sold by Vodafone shops here in Dublin.

There's this Nokia N95 (Eur 599). They say the phone is UNLOCKED, when actually it is not. After you buy it, and spend Eur 130 in calls, you have to ask Vodafone website for the unlocking code.

Anyway, what I'd like to know is if the firmware within the mobile is chaged from the real unlocked version... or if is it branded by Vodafone with logos in the screen when you switch it on...

Well, if somebody knows about this please share with us!

Thanks.

If it is now locked and with splash screens and you are going to be forced to spend 599€ plus 130€ to get an unlocked but branded version, then why bother? Why not just buy a generic sim-free version?

fmagosso

Commander Vimes wrote:

have you tried it? when the n95 first came out on vodafone they were unlocked and debranded. they might still be

again, go into a shop and have a look for yourself. if you have the money ready for them they shouldn't mind turning it on for you

Yes, that's what I'm planning to do.
If those mobiles from Vodafone are still unbranded and possibly unlocked after the 130 euro calls, I'd ask them to show me the handset working on my hands before buying. (something ppl over over don't appreciate much).

Thanks.

fmagosso

culabula wrote:

If it is now locked and with splash screens and you are going to be forced to spend 599€ plus 130€ to get an unlocked but branded version, then why bother? Why not just buy a generic sim-free version?

Why?
I went to a 3G shop on henry street I think... There's this generic sim-free version for 725 euros... not sure...

If I buy it on Vodafone for 599 I'll get it unlocked, but after spending 130 euros in calls (i'll be using this 130 euros), I can unblock it. And even better, Vodafone gives me 80 euros in credit (10 euros a month).

So, basically buying it on Vodafone I'll have a UNLOCKED, UNBRANDED N95 for EUR 519.

Cheers.

culabula

fmagosso wrote:

Why?
I went to a 3G shop on henry street I think... There's this generic sim-free version for 725 euros... not sure...

If I buy it on Vodafone for 599 I'll get it unlocked, but after spending 130 euros in calls (i'll be using this 130 euros), I can unblock it. And even better, Vodafone gives me 80 euros in credit (10 euros a month).

So, basically buying it on Vodafone I'll have a UNLOCKED, UNBRANDED N95 for EUR 519.

Cheers.

It's a fair point about the calls but you will have to wait until you have applied that credit before you can have it unlocked (not un"blocked").

The rest of your post has me confused. Fist of all you can get it cheaper than the Henry Street price online. Secondly "If I buy it on Vodafone for 599 I'll get it unlocked" -did you mean to write "locked"? Then you would need to be sure that Vodafone actually have the codes.

If you get it on Voda or O2 contract it will be unlocked, cheaper and you can still spend money on calls (and probably get a bundle minutes/SMS). All my information points to the RTG versions being unlocked too but as discussed, that may have changed.

Having already written how the RTG phones are branded and possibly now locked, I don't understand your last sentence at all: why will the phone be unbranded after you unlock it?

fmagosso

Sorry, culabula, probably I didn't express myself right.

What I was trying to say is if I buy the mobile in a Vodafone shop, they'll give me the device for 599 euros. LOCKED, but UNBRANDED (I think).

After I spend the 130 euros in calls, I'll get the UNLOCK code, so that's why I'm saying that I'd get a UNLOCKED mobile in vodafone, do you know what I mean?

And besides, I'd get the 80 euros credits.

But, if I go to the store and see that this very mobile IS BRANDED (with all the splash screens and modified firmware), I'm definitely not buying it.

Got me?

Thanks.

skearon

fmagosso wrote:

Sorry, culabula, probably I didn't express myself right.

What I was trying to say is if I buy the mobile in a Vodafone shop, they'll give me the device for 599 euros. LOCKED, but UNBRANDED (I think).

After I spend the 130 euros in calls, I'll get the UNLOCK code, so that's why I'm saying that I'd get a UNLOCKED mobile in vodafone, do you know what I mean?

And besides, I'd get the 80 euros credits.

But, if I go to the store and see that this very mobile IS BRANDED (with all the splash screens and modified firmware), I'm definitely not buying it.

Got me?

If you prepared to spend this money on a phone, why waste your money on prepay? You will save money by being on contract for calls and text and get the phone cheaper.

Flashing with generic firmware is not a problem so dont let that put you off

culabula

My point exactly and the O2 and Vodafone versions ARE unlocked.

culabula

fmagosso wrote:

Sorry, culabula, probably I didn't express myself right.

What I was trying to say is if I buy the mobile in a Vodafone shop, they'll give me the device for 599 euros. LOCKED, but UNBRANDED (I think).

After I spend the 130 euros in calls, I'll get the UNLOCK code, so that's why I'm saying that I'd get a UNLOCKED mobile in vodafone, do you know what I mean?

And besides, I'd get the 80 euros credits.

But, if I go to the store and see that this very mobile IS BRANDED (with all the splash screens and modified firmware), I'm definitely not buying it.

Got me?


Thanks.

Yes, I understand except that all information until now is the the phone is not locked but is branded.

It will take a while before you can top up to the value of 130€ -in fact you would be deliberately making calls in order to top up some more and speed up the process. Then you would have to be sure that Voodoo really have the code or that it isn't going to take an age to retrieve it.

It will take 8 months to get the 80€ credit in full. As I understand it, you will also have to top up to trigger these 'free' credits.

On contract, you will not incur any of this hassle but the O2 one IS branded but neither locked nor crippled in any way.

Sam Vimes

culabula wrote:

If you get it on Voda or O2 contract it will be unlocked, cheaper and you can still spend money on calls

O2 doesn't do the phone on speakeasy, the contract ones are locked and vodafone doesn't provide different handsets for contract and rtg. The same handsets are used for both

of course getting it unlocked on bill pay isn't as difficult as on rtg

culabula

Commander Vimes wrote:

O2 doesn't do the phone on speakeasy, the contract ones are locked and vodafone doesn't provide different handsets for contract and rtg. The same handsets are used for both

of course getting it unlocked on bill pay isn't as difficult as on rtg

The contract ones on O2 Ireland are not locked.

Sam Vimes

culabula wrote:

The contract ones on O2 Ireland are not locked.

i put my 3 sim in one and it was locked so i can only assume the rest are locked too

culabula

Commander Vimes wrote:

i put my 3 sim in one and it was locked so i can only assume the rest are locked too

Maybe they are now: I tested one bought by an early adopter and it definitely was NOT locked as I put an Orange UK and Vodafone ES SIMs in it.