iPhone 4

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Hi,
Like so many millions of others I'd love to own an iPhone and like so many others can't afford a new one.So I am exploring the possibility of buying a second hand iPhone 4 but am wondering what some of the terms mean such as " unlocked" and "Sim Free" I think was another I saw.Apart from the usual buyer beware which applies to all purchases,are there other pitfalls I should look out for? Thanks in advance.
 

vansmith

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The biggest pitfall - you're looking to buy an iPhone that's much too old. The current version of iOS is the last version that will support the iPhone 4 so once iOS 8 starts rolling out this fall, you'll be left behind. That, and the fact that iOS 7 isn't exactly the best experience on the iPhone 4 as-is (see here, here).
 
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"SIM-free" means the phone was never locked to a particular network.
"Unlocked" means the phone is no longer locked to a particular network, and may or may not have been locked to one in the past.

Whether this two terms are being used correctly by a potential vendor, is another matter entirely, more so if it's a private seller. It would be prudent to enquire, regardless of which of the two terms being used to describe the phone, how exactly it became unlocked, with four possible answers:

  • Was never locked in the first place - i.e. sold SIM-free by Apple, Carphone Warehouse, eXpansys, etc, etc
  • Was unlocked by Apple
  • Was unlocked [officially] by the network (this is basically the same as the previous one)
  • Was unlocked privately

First three are fine, the fourth is a big NO-NO.

If you are in the UK, any iPhone locked to 3 originally can now be unlocked for free, officially, just by completing a form on their site - a very refreshing approach, that other networks could do well to replicate.
 
Last edited:
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chas_m

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Would strongly recommend getting a iPhone 4S if you're looking for a budget iPhone.
 

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