Buying Unlocked iPhone 4 from Apple Site: What do I have to do next?

PictureFrame

Hi everybody,

I am considering purchasing an Unlocked iPhone 4 from the Apple website. The phone arrives sim free for €399, which is €90 cheaper than stores and good value IMO.

I'm just wondering what is entailed if I buy an unlocked iPhone from the Apple store? Do I just go into my local Vodafone shop and purchase a Micro sim, insert it and away I go? I'm assuming by purchasing a micro sim the phone becomes a 'pay as you go' phone, no monthly charges or anything?

Also does anyone know how much a Micro-sim would be?

Thanks a million for the help in advance

thisisadamh

Yup that is correct. All you have to do is go into a store and ask for a micro sim. If you are already a customer they should do it for free.

PictureFrame

thisisadamh wrote: »

Yup that is correct. All you have to do is go into a store and ask for a micro sim. If you are already a customer they should do it for free.

And i'm just on pay as you go as per usual paying my €20/25 credit a month? Thanks! Is it anyway risky to buy from the online Apple store I wonder?

Gumbo

PictureFrame wrote: »

And i'm just on pay as you go as per usual paying my €20/25 credit a month? Thanks! Is it anyway risky to buy from the online Apple store I wonder?

No risk at all.
Get microsim and transfer number in store or at home by calling customer care, takes 5 mins.
Bear in mind the phone uses data so ensure your plan is enough to cover this. I know some people who go through 1gb in 10 days on theirs.

PictureFrame

kceire wrote: »

No risk at all.
Get microsim and transfer number in store or at home by calling customer care, takes 5 mins.
Bear in mind the phone uses data so ensure your plan is enough to cover this. I know some people who go through 1gb in 10 days on theirs.

Would it not be pay as you go though? So I couldn't use the internet if I had no credit?

Gumbo

PictureFrame wrote: »

Would it not be pay as you go though? So I couldn't use the internet if I had no credit?

Yes it would but depending on your PAYG plan that credit could be used in 10 mins or 30 days. The phone doesn't care if your PAYG or bill pay.

It runs in the background too wih update notifications, push emails etc etc

PictureFrame

kceire wrote: »

Yes it would but depending on your PAYG plan that credit could be used in 10 mins or 30 days. The phone doesn't care if your PAYG or bill pay.

It runs in the background too wih update notifications, push emails etc etc

Ok, I could just connect the phone to Wi-fi points as often as possible to ensure this wouldn't happen though! I'd only ever use the internet on a phone to check a quick email, google something and FB/Twitter! I wouldn't watch videos or anything like that on my phone.

Gumbo

PictureFrame wrote: »

Ok, I could just connect the phone to Wi-fi points as often as possible to ensure this wouldn't happen though! I'd only ever use the internet on a phone to check a quick email, google something and FB/Twitter! I wouldn't watch videos or anything like that on my phone.

You say that now. But when you get the phone it will be Addictive! Anyway, I'm sure your network has some PAYG data packages available?

PictureFrame

kceire wrote: »

You say that now. But when you get the phone it will be Addictive! Anyway, I'm sure your network has some PAYG data packages available?

Well for 25e a month you get your free texts and 150mb of data?

Or for €30 you get free texts to every network, free calls to vodafone and 500mb of data.

Gumbo

PictureFrame wrote: »

Well for 25e a month you get your free texts and 150mb of data?

Or for €30 you get free texts to every network, free calls to vodafone and 500mb of data.

yeah, up to you which plan/network you choose.

JoeA3

PictureFrame wrote: »

Well for 25e a month you get your free texts and 150mb of data?

Or for €30 you get free texts to every network, free calls to vodafone and 500mb of data.

I would suggest you look at other networks. Assuming you are out of contract, there's so much better value to be had than that, and if you are getting a SIM free phone, you can use any network you like and keep your existing number too.

PictureFrame

Thanks for the suggestion! Yeah, I was thinking myself of taking a look at the 'less purchased' brands, like E-mobile, 3, Meteor etc. to see who would do me the best deal! Any opinions on Go 48?

naasrd

PictureFrame wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestion! Yeah, I was thinking myself of taking a look at the 'less purchased' brands, like E-mobile, 3, Meteor etc. to see who would do me the best deal! Any opinions on Go 48?

For me it's all about data, 3's all you can eat for 20 a month does the job. There are no "less purchased brands". There's just expensive and affordable.

JoeA3

PictureFrame wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestion! Yeah, I was thinking myself of taking a look at the 'less purchased' brands, like E-mobile, 3, Meteor etc. to see who would do me the best deal! Any opinions on Go 48?

I signed up to a meteor SIM Only deal at the weekend. 30 day contract... €25 pm.

- Free meteor to meteor calls & texts
- Unlimited texts to any network.
- 200 any network minutes
- 1 GB data.

I was going to go with 3 but was put off a bit by reports I've heard on poor signal, bad customer service...
Very happy with meteor so far. I was with Vodafone.

PictureFrame

Wow, that's brilliant! :O Wonder could you get a year long contact with them for that deal?

JoeA3

PictureFrame wrote: »

Wow, that's brilliant! :O Wonder could you get a year long contact with them for that deal?

Why would you want a year contract? Unless you want a subsidised new handset from the operator, it makes no sense to sign a long contract.

PictureFrame

JoeA3 wrote: »

Why would you want a year contract? Unless you want a subsidised new handset from the operator, it makes no sense to sign a long contract.

How would you re-activate this contract every month though?

JoeA3

PictureFrame wrote: »

How would you re-activate this contract every month though?

It just rolls on every month unless you instruct them to cancel it.

PictureFrame

And you pay through like direct debit? That seems like a great deal, did you build than plan yourself?

grindle

Edit: responded to wrong post...somehow... Must not drink and board.

No, just top up by €20 every 30 days.
They're running a promo at the moment where if you're switching to them from another carrier, they give you €30 on top of the €20 just paid for - BUT - only €20 of credit actually paid for activates the all you can eat data, so don't imagine that €30 is gonna do anything but dwindle in the face of a few YouTube videos/Skype chats.

Also, with something like Viber, you'll never have to go over that €20 per month.

JoeA3

PictureFrame wrote: »

And you pay through like direct debit? That seems like a great deal, did you build than plan yourself?

Yes, direct debit. It's a special offer plan they are running in store at the moment. There's an even cheaper option, €20 pm, only difference being 200 any network texts rather than unlimited.

manu2009

PictureFrame wrote: »

Hi everybody,

I am considering purchasing an Unlocked iPhone 4 from the Apple website. The phone arrives sim free for €399, which is €90 cheaper than stores and good value IMO.

I'm just wondering what is entailed if I buy an unlocked iPhone from the Apple store? Do I just go into my local Vodafone shop and purchase a Micro sim, insert it and away I go? I'm assuming by purchasing a micro sim the phone becomes a 'pay as you go' phone, no monthly charges or anything?

Also does anyone know how much a Micro-sim would be?

Thanks a million for the help in advance

For 399e its not good value at all imo, its very old tech now, the phone was released in June 2010.

You'd pick one up on adverts.ie for around 250e.

DubDJ

PictureFrame wrote: »

Wow, that's brilliant! :O Wonder could you get a year long contact with them for that deal?

The above deal is Smart Lite. Which basically is like a contract plan without the contract. Meteor just take the €25 from your account every month and you can cancel at any time.

Allyall

For What it's worth, 3 Offer the same for €20 euro.

Free Unlimited Internet
Free 3 to 3 calls
Free unlimited texts to any network
Free calls to any network at the weekend
Free €10 during the month (means an extra €10 worth of calls to any network)
And free €30 for switching to them

http://www.three.ie/products_services/priceplans/prepay/index.html



48 offer
Free Calls/Texts to any network for €10 per month
Free Calls/Texts to any network Plus 3GB (Nearly unlimited) internet for €20 Per Month..
You would have to be doing crazy downloading to reach that limit on your phone.

http://www.48months.ie/vip

You can't beat the 48months deal, no matter where you look.
(They don't look for proof of age)

Piliger

Allyall wrote: »

48 offer
Free Calls/Texts to any network for €10 per month
Free Calls/Texts to any network Plus 3GB (Nearly unlimited) internet for €20 Per Month..
You would have to be doing crazy downloading to reach that limit on your phone.

http://www.48months.ie/vip

You can't beat the 48months deal, no matter where you look.
(They don't look for proof of age)

"Free Calls/Texts to any network for €10 per month" PLUS 20 minutes calls to landlines AND can turn on 3G internet by text for 30 minute bites for 15c.

This is the one I use with my new iPhone 5 direct from Apple.