Telstra removes unlock fee for Apple iPhone for jet-setting Aussies
Filed under: Apple, consumer, customers, gadgets and gizmos, iphone, iPhone 4, lifestyle, mobile phone, Next G™, smart phone, unlocked
It is no secret that Telstra is changing and for the better. At the centre of this is looking at ways we can better serve our customers.
One way to do this is to no longer charge customers a fee for unlocking a Post-Paid Apple® iPhone™ they purchased from us.
All iPhones purchased from Telstra are locked to the Telstra mobile phone network and as a default will only work with a Telstra SIM card. This will still be the case.
Many of you have told us that when you travel overseas you would like the ability to put a local operator’s SIM into your iPhone™. However the network lock prevents you from doing this.
We’re now removing the fee to unlock your Post-Paid handset to give you the freedom to change the SIM in your iPhone™ when you travel overseas.
We are still confident, however, that the speed and reliability of the Telstra Next G™ network means you will have a better iPhone™ experience with us.
If you have purchased a Post-Paid iPhone™ 3G, iPhone™ 3GS or iPhone™ 4 from Telstra and would like to remove the network lock restriction, all you need to do is contact Telstra.
When you contact us, make sure you have your details: your mobile number, your iPhone™ serial number and your iPhone™ IMEI number. You can locate these by pressing the Settings app, scroll down and select General then press the About tab.
If you have purchased a Pre-Paid iPhone 3GS from Telstra, then the unlocking fee will remain.
To complete the unlock process you need to make sure you have the latest iTunes™ software on your computer. Once the unlocking has been processed, the next time you tether your iPhone™ to your computer, iTunes™ will unlock the phone.
Consumers: call 1800 iPhone (1800 474 663).
Business: call 1800 027 167 or contact your Telstra account representative.
Enterprise and government: simply contact your Telstra account representative.
I fail to see, in any way at all, how this is Telstra’s fault. You were advised to sync your phone with iTunes (which is not Telstra’s rule, it’s Apple’s) and the phone will unlock. If you did not sync your phone correctly, that’s 100% your fault, not Telstra’s.
I rang Telstra this morning to unlock 2x iphone4S as I am traveling overseas tomorrow. I spoke to someone straight away and all i had to give are the IMEIs and my account numbers. The customer service rep was very polite and yes – like everyone else mentioned on here – was told that the unlock will take 5 hours and up to 3 days. He also told me that I need to sync my phones.
since the iphone4s has the wifi itune sync function, I did the sync as instructed and after approx 5 hours, I plug in another sim (not telstra) and rebooted the phone. I noted the Apple logo flashed with a blue glow around it and straight away the phone pops up a message “activation required”. I clicked next and it did the job !! So for everyone who are concerned, it is not hard at all. And the phones were unlocked in less than 3 days ! Great work Telstra.
Called Telstra today and the rep failed to unlock my phone. He told me that the phone should already be unlocked and technically any sim card would work in it. Despite me telling him that my China Sim Card was not allowing me to move pass the ‘Sim not Valid’ page. Tried an Optus Sim card, didn’t work either. Don’t know what they are doing, but I’m not pleased.
hey can you tell me how you did it and what are the steps of doing it?
So fed up with this!
Spoke with the girl in the Telstra shop when buying the phone and she told me that the phone was already unlocked for international roaming, I asked her to confirm with her manager as I had heard different, her manager assured me that it was unlocked so I decided it must be true so therefore bought the phone just before travelling international and didnt think i needed to get it unlocked.
Few weeks later whilst in Philippines and hey presto, NO SERVICE! so I got onto Telstra and they said they would unlock it for me, but that was 4 weeks ago and nothing seems to have happened, have backed-up and restored my phone a few times but still nothing…..even after i do i dont recieve any message saying that the phone is unlocked? i am now in the uk and have tryed it again but still no avail.
fed up, stressed and pissed off!
can anyone shed any light for me?
having the same problem as Mark D! despite several calls to Telstra nothing seems to work …… have also backed up, restored, but syill no ‘congratulations your phone is unlocked’ message
Erin and Darren read my post on 7 Nov as shown here.
I decided to phone Apple today and they took the serial numbers and assured me that my phones were unlocked and confirmed that iTunes now doesn’t say they are unlocked when you restore your phone for the first time so all good and I am happy. Thanks once again. Bob
I’m getting an iPhone 4S on Monday and as soon as it arrives, I’ll be calling to unlock it, rather get things sorted in case I decide to go overseas again in the near future.
Would I have to really back anything up or should I be right to go?
Call up now and they will have apple unlock it before you get it then just run setup as normal after that grab a $2 sim from another provider and check it, My 2 I got was as easy as that.
If its a prepaid its not so easy.
Is there a way to tell with the 4S if unlocking has been successful without inserting a non Telstra sim card?
Actually, I think I have an AT&T sim from when I was in the US a while back. Would that be good enough to test?
Vanessa,
You do need to be sure so its wise to get another providers sim to use and check.
The AT &T may work if set to roaming from USA and also it must be a mini sim.
It maybe easier to just buy a $2 prepaid sim from anyone but telstra and test the phone.
Wayne
Nothing happens when I connect my iphone to itunes. How do I know that it’s unlocked? I really don’t want to pay international roaming on Telstra and I need to get in touch with overseas friends while I’m overseas.
I am located in philippines, my friend in australia sent me an iphone 4 purchased in telstra. I already have the device and It is still locked. is there a way to unlock the device even it is in philippines without the Telstra sim card?
Thanks!
Hey just wondering im getting an iphone 4s this week and previously had a 3gs therefore have a normal sized sim. The sim is with telstra and im wondering can they transfer my plan onto a micro sim?
Hi Brendan.
Just picked up a new 4s 16gb today upgraded from a nokia with a full size sim card to the micro in the 4s. The staff at the telstra shop transferred and backed up my details to my old sim then all details to my new micro sim. All straight forward new contract new screen cover and new case all under 40min with delays as only one printer.
Cheers
ChrisR
Same problem in thailand. Very frustrating. Also they did not activate my Memo service. Email to them got a generic response but no action yet.
I had 2 Iphone 4s and took both to Thailand one for a Thai lady friend and BOTH worked fine with a Thai Happy sim in them, It took a 5 minute call to Telstra before going to have them both unlocked, Honestly it is not that hard to do or get done if on a plan.
Great, so if i am traveling in other country what is phone number service i can call by locate sim to request unlock my phone?
Well why they waste their employees time and ours as well keep an automated process like Vodafone everything online. Phone is bought from Telstra IMEI reg and unlock. Simple
Its a good idea to get the terminology right. That way there is no misunderstanding when making the request of the Telstra rep.
Roaming and International Roaming is using your phone overseas with the Telstra sim in it via agreements that Telstra has with one or more of the wireless carriers in the country you are visiting. The calls you make will be billed to you by Telstra.
Unlocking the phone allows you to replace the Telstra sim with a sim card you have purchased from a wireless carrier in the country you are visiting.
Hi guys,
I’ve probably missed it somewhere but I’ve just brought an iPhone4s outright and it is locked to the Telstra network.
I have called telstra to unlock so I can connect to Vodafone Australia and this was more then 12hrs ago, however they did advise that this could take up to 3 days.
Ive backed up my iPhone and also restored it and on iTunes it says copy our iPhone has now been unlocked, BUT IT STILL HAS NO SIGNAL. Can someone please tell me what the hell I have missed!
Thanks heaps
I just called them everything seemed fine
Has anyone sucsefully done this?
If so, how did you have to wait?
I gave my son my old 3GS without realising it was still locked to Telstra. Unfortunately he has an Optus sim, but I rang Telstra yesterday (Sunday!) and the lady I spoke to was extremely helpful. She explained the process I would need to follow but that I would have to wait about 5 hours before I did it. I wasn’t in a hurry, so I didn’t bother until this afternoon and it was really simple. No stress, no hassles. Very pleased with their service.
how much does it cost????
I’ve just returned from two weeks in the US and this is exactly how to unlock your iPhone and get it working with a pre-paid card in the US. Thanks for all the comments previously to help me figure out what to do.
In Australia, I called 12511 and requested to have my phone unlocked. I had to give her my IMEI # (General > About). I was told to wait 72 hours, then run and update on iTunes and you will get a popup saying there is a carrier update. I waited the 72 hours (it may have been unlocked sooner). IMPORTANT: do not run the Update as I was told (doesn’t hurt to run this, but doesn’t do what I was told), you need to Restore. Once the Restore is done, you will get the carrier update notification in iTunes. I also went to my Telstra account and requested International Roaming, so I was able to send a text to my husband when I arrived (and had backup just in case this didn’t work). I then went to a T-Mobile store (check their websites for locations – I went to Pleasant Hill, CA). Since they didn’t have any mini-sim cards on hand, the guy just cut down a regular sim card for me with a sim cutter (might be worth purchasing one of these if you plan on travelling to a few countries – $5 on amazon.com). I signed up for a $2/day plan and for my two week stay, I had all inclusive phone, sms, internet, maps (including pinpointing my location if I was lost), skype etc. for $30. I used the phone 100% as I do at home and was able to call Australia via Skype if I needed to. I just had a US phone number. Good luck. It was very easy to sort out once I knew what to do.
Called Telstra to unlock iphone 4s. Gave the lady the imei number and 2 minutes later she said to wait 72 hours before restoring the phone on itunes.
Tried making a call with a Vodafone sim card immediately after without plugging it into itunes..
waaalaa the call was successful.
works fine and was simple.
thanks telstra!!