terry & Melanie Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Hi guys! Can anyone tell me if our mobile phones will work in Oz. I am with Tmobile and Terry is with O2 (pay as you go). I would have thought that we will be able to use them (at a cost) but is there anything we can do or a sim we can use to transfer them over to an Aussie network, Or will we have to buy new when we get there???? OR will it work if we buy a mobile thats been 'unlocked'. I am a true blonde when it comes to mobile phones!!!!!!:laugh: ......and Terry is not much better!!!!:biglaugh: Melanie x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sunnyday Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 I'm about the same Mel!! Nige bought me one and said it was unlocked and TRI band so it will be fine in oz??!! Sure someone whos a bit more clued up than us will tell you shortly!!! ed. to say I'll get a sim card over there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dawnpepper Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 I bought over my O2 pay as you go and it still works over here but costs an absolute fortune. It used to cost me 50p just to receive a text from the Uk. We just went on a contract over here and got new phones. Just thought it easier to have an oz phone with an oz number when trying to set up here. Only use my old phone now as an alarm clock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolla Bolla Bing Bong Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Hi Melanie, I have found some imformation regarding mobile phones on this website, Will your gadget work in Australia ? - appliances compatible to Australia Hope this helps Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgperry Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 hi Melanie, if your UK phones are locked, you can get most unlocked before you go and then use an Oz sim card when you get there. I've just ordered a sim card with a company in Australia called Just Mobile. The calls cost around 15c per minute I think. Apparently they are excellent for cheap pay as you go calls. I used a friend's address in Sydney to get the card sent to, so it is there when I get there. cheers sg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Get your phones unlocked before you leave. I have had many handmedowns from DS1 that I have brought to Aus and I get them unlocked by "a little man in the market" (there seems to be one in pretty much every market I have visited LOL) for a fiver. Getting them unlocked here is a nightmare. When you arrive you can buy a payg sim without any hassles - you will need to see where you are going to be living and check out the coverage maps as some companies have better coverage than others and coverage can be patchy even in big cities, especially the outer suburbs. Telstra has undoubtedly the best coverage but is very expensive. Optus/Virgin are also pretty good. 3 is basically for metropolitan areas and you do have to be careful with their coverage, Vodafone is the other major telco. Places like Dick Smith usually have a smorgasbord of providers so you can take your pick. You can use your payg sims here - I have a UK phone which I keep current because I go home frequently. It's an O2 and as long as I keep sending a message once every 3 months the number stays current and I can charge it via credit card. Saves me time and energy when I go home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spottydog Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 I'm about the same Mel!! Nige bought me one and said it was unlocked and TRI band so it will be fine in oz??!! Sure someone whos a bit more clued up than us will tell you shortly!!! ed. to say I'll get a sim card over there as long as it's unlocked you'll be fine, no need for triband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgperry Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 I've just arranged with T-Mobile for my phone to switch over to pay as you go when my contract ends in November (after I am in oz). It was cheaper than cancelling the contract now. It will be handy to keep the number for when I come back to the UK to visit and in case UK people need to contact me and don't have my oz number. In order to keep the pay as you go open, I apparently only need to top it up once every 6 months, which I can do online from Oz. No idea what the costs will be for using it in Oz but I don't intend to, anyway, unless as an emergency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest benchapple Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Melanie/Terry, I have been living in Australia now for 4 months but used to work for O2 back in the UK. If you have had the O2 phone for more than 1 year they will be able to unlock it for you for free. There is an online form on their website to fill in but I can't remember exactly where! Maybe calling customer service would be best for you. I'm not sure if T-Mobile offer the same service but as mentioned above it may be worth using a 'man on the market' to get it unlocked! With regards to the company to use in Australia, there is a company called Lebara who I started using when I first got here and since then have actually started working for (excuse the plug!). They offer really cheap rates back to the UK and within Australia. The best bit is if you set up the rest of your family with the same company you can call each other for 25c for the first 10 minutes, so you'll be able to keep in touch pretty cheaply. They use the Vodafone network service so check Vodafone's coverage for the area you're moving to if you did decide to use them. Hope you have a great time when you get over here, I know I have been! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Hi Melanie, I have found some imformation regarding mobile phones on this website, Will your gadget work in Australia ? - appliances compatible to Australia Hope this helps Matt Much of that site seems to be written from an American point of view. There are fewer compatibility problems (but still some) coming from the UK. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Benchola Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 Hi guys!Can anyone tell me if our mobile phones will work in Oz. I am with Tmobile and Terry is with O2 (pay as you go). I would have thought that we will be able to use them (at a cost) but is there anything we can do or a sim we can use to transfer them over to an Aussie network, Or will we have to buy new when we get there???? OR will it work if we buy a mobile thats been 'unlocked'. I am a true blonde when it comes to mobile phones!!!!!!:laugh: ......and Terry is not much better!!!!:biglaugh: Melanie x We're in the same boat. You need to get your existing mobile unlocked so that you can use it with any network provider. Then you will be able to get a Pay As You Go Sim in Australia. That's our plan anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 ...and it's a good plan. We had our Pay as You Go sim cards within an hour of arriving at our hotel on the first night...you can get them in supermarkets and convenience shops everywhere (at least the big networks anyway) and, usually, the card itself is free--if you spend $15 on a sim you get $15 credit. It all depends on the phone being unlocked though. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluster13 Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 Hi, to unlock your o2 iphone follow the official link. http://shop.o2.co.uk/update/unlockmyiphone.html :biggrin: Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 If you're going to follow cluster13's link, make sure you do it before leaving for Aus. Not that i still have an O2 phone (I've been down here for 3 years now) but I clicked on it out of interest and it's blocked outside the UK. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluster13 Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 proxy is always an option. 5 sec search on google came up with http://www.daveproxy.co.uk/ unusual as it's a web based instead of putting the url in the internet settings. however many more exist. i believe this isn't just for iphone but ALL phones can be unlocked (though you would need to find the correct page from the menu ) i still feel a little gutted myself that i have to buy out 6 months of my contract Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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