Emergency Budget Sim-Free Phone

2ndcoming

Hi folks,

Dropped my One Plus 6 and broke the screen... devastated but up sh!t creek work wise / social life wise without a replacement as I'll have to send it off to get fixed in the current climate.

Tesco have a number of budget Huawei / Samsung devices are any of them sim-free? I'm on Vodafone.

If not anyone know anywhere likely to be open I could grab one tonight / tomorrow morning??

you mean a phone that is not locked?

I would say that all of them are locked

you best option might be something like this

https://www.tescomobile.ie/phone-details/431/Sony-Xperia-10?prepay=1

as it doesn't cost that much to unlock < 20€

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_osacat=0&_odkw=p+smart+unlock+tescomobile+ireland&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=sony+unlock+tescomobile+ireland&_sacat=0

although the samsungs not that expensive to unlock either

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=samsung+a20e+unlock+tesco+ireland&_sacat=0


the huawei phones seem to be expensive to get an unlock code for -> 50 sterling!

jelutong

DoneDeal or Adverts.ie maybe?

silver2020

As an emergency, ask someone if they have an old vodafone phone about. Maybe you have an old one yourself?

leche solara

All the phone shops are closed. Online is only option

leche solara

leche solara wrote: »

All the phone shops are closed. Online is only option

Tescos aren't closed which is why OP specifically suggests buying phones from them.

Davy

https://powercity.ie/product/605634

Davy

Davy wrote: »

https://powercity.ie/product/605634

I got the impression that the OP may need something a little more "featured" than that...

RustyMam

Samsung a10 is dual SIM. Have purchased the ready to go one from Tesco and used a go mobile SIM in it straight away.

Teenage son uses it and happy enough with it. Should do you till you get your own fixed

2ndcoming

Thanks all for the help, I went with Samsung A20e from Tesco, 169 to buy and 15 to unlock and I'm promised that will come through tomorrow morning.

Nice little piece of kit for the money, may well keep it as a spare when I get the other one fixed.

2ndcoming

I don't know if we just got lucky but while waiting for the unlock code to come through I just tried the Vodafone SIM in the new phone and it worked straight away!

It appears these are actually unlocked phones from new!

2ndcoming

2ndcoming wrote: »

I don't know if we just got lucky but while waiting for the unlock code to come through I just tried the Vodafone SIM in the new phone and it worked straight away!

It appears these are actually unlocked phones from new!

try to cancel your code purchase....

AMKC

2ndcoming wrote: »

I don't know if we just got lucky but while waiting for the unlock code to come through I just tried the Vodafone SIM in the new phone and it worked straight away!

It appears these are actually unlocked phones from new!

You got lucky. I know because I just bought one in Tesco this evening because the phone I currently have has gone awol so had to get a new phone. I decided on it after what you said hoping mine would be the same but no luck. Kinda wishing I of bought the Sony 10 instead now.

AMKC

AMKC wrote: »

You got lucky. I know because I just bought one in Tesco this evening because the phone I currently have has gone awol so had to get a new phone. I decided on it after what you said hoping mine would be the same but no luck. Kinda wishing I of bought the Sony 10 instead now.

If it's the dual sim version be sure to try both sim slots.

AMKC

Deleted User wrote: »

If it's the dual sim version be sure to try both sim slots.

It is. I will do that. Is it safe to take the sim out and put it in when the phone is on?

Yes, but might as well restart the phone anyway just to be absolutely sure.

AMKC

Deleted User wrote: »

Yes, but might as well restart the phone anyway just to be absolutely sure.

No luck. The phone says network locked sim card inserted.

AMKC

Is this safe it says the phone would be unlocked within a day or is it a bad idea? ,

https://www.phonesunlockshop.com/Unlock_Now.html#!/Samsung-Unlocking/p/51098831/category=0

2ndcoming

I have an unlock code you can try, PM me

I paid for one before we realised we didn't need it. Should work unless your man reused it

DopeTech

2ndcoming wrote: »

I have an unlock code you can try, PM me

I paid for one before we realised we didn't need it. Should work unless your man reused it

Unlock codes only work on the specific phone you gave the details of. You can't use it on another phone just because you didn't use it on yours.