Is a phone locked to Orange in the UK compatible with an Orange CH sim card? cheers

can't speak with specific regarding Orange UK to Orange CH, but my locked Orange FR would NOT work with Orange CH.

I assume that the case would be similiar...

take it with a grain of salt.

r

different provider IDs suggest lock will remain.

if you name the device, you'll find out if people know how to unlock

No, but perhaps if you explain the situation to Orange UK they might unlock the phone?

I think it depends. I had a Sony Eriksson k850 (or something like that....don't have it anymore) which I bought here (CH) and it worked with both Orange UK and Orange CH without being unlocked. My boyfriend had the same phone, bought in the UK and had to have it unlocked before he could use it here.

Slightly random.

Situation is I spend some time in the UK on a monthly basis and I was thinking about getting a contract and the Blackberry 9700 with Orange. I have an Orange contract here and thought I might be able to just switch between them.

If you use any BlackBerry-based services (such as BIS or BES) then you won't be able to just swap SIMs. The services are network dependent.

Nah it's just pop3 sweeps.

option 1 - ask provider to unlock
option 2 - look at sites like www.crackberry.com to find out how to unlock the device.

e.g. http://forums.crackberry.com/f157/ho...2-code-362094/ for 10 bucks.

Is it POP3 via the BlackBerry email client? If so, that is tied per provider. Swapping sims will stop that from working.

indeed if you use BB native then you're tied to a BB service of some description.

http://m.google.com/mail

Both Orange UK and Orange CH web sites are equally slow, and equally have sections "down for maintenance".

If your phone is locked to Orange UK then it will not work on Orange CH. There are various types of locking, but the usual way is to lock it to the provider and each provider is assigned a unique code--a combination of what's known as the "Mobile Country Code" and "Mobile Network Code". Here's a list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Network_Code.

I would call Orange in the UK and tell them the situation. They could provide the unlock code if they want. Otherwise get your phone unlocked somewhere on the high street in the UK or wherever. More details regarding unlocking here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_lock.

Yeah, they don't do Orange CH phones - I tried that before. After an insanely long time (like 6 weeks or so) after I paid the 10 bucks, I got a refund and message telling me that Orange Switzerland won't allow unlocks.

right - it's been like that for YEARS. "down for maintenance" is the usual message I'm greeted with when I try to enter the account section on orange.ch

Nope. Tried it, didnt work.

My Orange UK phone didn't work with an Orange CH sim. I spend far less than my missus on my Orange pay as you go in the UK on the Camel tarrif than she does with Swisscom.

The Orange website is terrible!

If you get a phone with an Orange CH contract, doesn't it come unlocked? I've bought several subsidised phones from Swisscom and Sunrise with 1 or 2 year contracts, and they have always been unlocked. The only locked phones I ever got in CH were cheap pre-paid ones.

Re: Swisscom--all the contract phones I have had from them have been unlocked. Until I got my iPhone from Swisscom (which is locked) I always used them in the UK with a Vodafone SIM.

I have a separate phone now with my Vodafone SIM, however that phone originally came from an O2 contract in the UK; so presumably also providing unlocked contract phones.

normally, yes - but that doesn't go for the Blackberrys. Orange BBs have always been locked.

Peter