My Iphone 4s just locked itself.

[FreshLeticia]

I bought an unused new Iphone 4s last year, unlocked and it worked fab on my orange account, even though I had to cut the sim down to mini size to fit in the tray.
I am moving perfectly legally from orange to 3 mobile (better signal here) and have just had my new 3 mobile sim. I put it in and it said 'sim not valid'. Apparently this means the phone is locked. I replaced my orange sim and that now says 'not valid' and the top left says 'no sim'.
Can't understand why. Have tried all the usual on/off etc stuff.
Anyone know what the problem is please?

[NetworkGuy]

You may need to contact both Orange and Apple to get it unlocked.

iPhones have some extra locking (I don't have one, thank $Deity, so have not had this problem), from what acquaintances have said.

[cookielove]

I am in you cut the sim down. What network was it when you used it, you may have to contact them.

[NetworkGuy]

It's been cut from mini to micro, there are tools from about a quid and some YouTube videos of how to do it, cookielove, so don't be too shocked, it's not uncommon for users to convert a SIM themself.

Some now come as a mini-SIM which if checked closely, can be further split apart to become a micro-SIM.

[noisytoys]

iPhones lock on the network of the first sim you use in them. One of the negatives of them

[Mabelface]

Back up everything you have on your phone and save it somewhere very safely. Then, if you restore it to factory settings with the new sim in, that should sort it. However, I am pulling out the usual numpty disclaimer, it's just how I did mine, although mine was locked to orange and I had to phone them and pay just over £20 to get this information from them. Give them a bell.

[redlac]

Don't know where you heard that NoisyToys - 1 bought a sim free phone from apple and have had O2, giffgaff and orange sims in it and it has never locked to one provider

[NetworkGuy]

They can be "double locked" to specific networks, don't know if it is done by the network provider or Apple when they supply them to a specific network (perhaps so that a big multinational like Vodafone cannot move them across borders as they would not work if supplied for UK Vodafone etc).

A friend of a friend went off to work in Australia for some months and managed to forget his iPhone, so bought a new one on arrival. When he came back he sold the old one that had been at home to my friend.

Friend had to use Orange for a couple of months before he could get it unlocked from Orange and then had to contact Apple to get them to unlock it again from Orange, before he could switch networks.

[niceguy2]

Just seen this thread and it sounds to me like the phone has been barred from all networks.

This usually happens when the seller sells a phone which is possibly an unwanted upgrade. The phone is still tied to a contract and will be barred across all networks if they stop paying for the contract.

I hope I'm wrong but I've seen it too many times unfortunately. That's why I am always very very cautious about buying a new/nearly used phone. Unless it is from a shop such as CEX or suchlike then I would always recommend getting a checkmend report.

If you are going to pay hundreds for a new phone then don't save the £2 on a report to ensure it's not tied to a contract or reported stolen.

[Flibbertyjibbet]

I am a bit confused as to why you had to unlock it when you bought it new? Did it come connected to another network? Did you buy it 2nd hand although new and unused, ie an unwanted upgrade?

I was offered a 2nd hand iphone 3 or 4 (can't remember which) about a year ago when my friend was upgrading. I wanted to stay on my own network which I've been with for years, but the iphone was another network. Friend said 'oh you can get them unlocked' but hubby investigated and discovered that with iphones its not that simple.

He said if you unlock an iphone then when there is a software upgrade for it, your phone can re-lock to the original provider.

So maybe something along this lines happened when you went to change network?

[FreshLeticia]

The phone was new from Apple. It was a present and I have the invoice.
I have since found out that when you first connect to itunes the phone locks to the carrier of the sim which is in it.
That was my orange sim from my old handset, which yes, it is easy to cut down from standard to microsim using online instructions.
Orange have to put in a request to Apple to unlock it, which costs £20. Considering I did not authorise them to lock it and the phone is not theirs this is a bloody ripoff.
I have eventually had an unlocking email from Apple and it now works with my new 3 mobile sim.
I have a good mind to block the fee to orange though.

[YoniOko]

I would be tempted too
Like you I bought my phone as a standalone. If they try and tell me its locked to anything and I had to pay more I would be furious

[Jellykitten1]

I'm new to this stuff. but Fresh, why didn't you use the new sim it comes with and do the transfer of info process?

every new phone I've ever had, you get a new sim and you have to do the process where your info upgrades to the new sim.

In fact have you still got the new sim, that came with the phone? Couldn't you try that?

[FreshLeticia]

it was bought simless because it was not tied to a carrier. You then shop for which carrier you prefer.
I happened to be still on orange on my old sony phone, which I didn't get on with. I knew that you can use any sim in an unlocked phone so I though I would just transfer it over. I couldn't ask orange to change it for a microsim without buying a new phone and new contract.
We live in rural Wales and the 3mobile network is now much better here, so my son advised me to move to 3. I have done that and because I own the Iphone outright, I can have a rolling -i.e. not tied-in - contract with 3 for only £12.99 pcm.
I have not defaulted from Orange and in fact cancelled my contract, which involved a buyout fee, so that is all above board, but the sony handset was linked officially to that contract so they had no right to lock my Iphone in as well.
Anyway. It's now sorted, but what a hassle!
My new carrier even gives me a signal in most of the house , which is amazing as we have 3 foot thick walls.