Can a Mobile Phone branded 'Vodafone' be used on another network?

[Old Sparky]

Forgive my  ignorance, but I always understood that the SIM card used, amongst other things, determined which Network was accessed, not the phone, per se.  Am I right or wrong?  Phone in question is a Sony Ericsson W-900i

[peter scott]

If it was bought as a Vodaphone phone then it will be locked to their network but there are loads of little shops who will unlock it for you for a most sum (~£20 perhaps).

It will probably still have a Vodaphone logo at start up but you will be able to use any operators SIM card.

Peter

[ppppenguin]

As Peter says, many phones were sold that were locked to a particular network. This was to prevent you getting a free or subsidised handset and then bunging in a SIM with a cheaper deal. Unlokcing is always possible and offten can be done for free.

A guide here: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/...bile-phone

To check if your phone is unlocked, just put your SIM in it. If it works then the phone is unlocked.

[Refugee]

I bought an un-locked phone brand new from a supermarket. It cost £10.
It works but does not do any more than texts and calls. A full size keyboard is much better for the web.

[Crackle]

I believe it is the phones internal serial number (IEMI) which is hard coded into the hardware that is sometimes locked to a network.
If the phone is reported as stolen to the current airtime provider, then they can mark the IEMI on a central database preventing it from ever being used on any network again.
Mike

[Murphyv310]

Hi.
If a phone is stolen then the service provider can send out a code to disable the phone if powered up. It then is scrap.
The IMEI although registered is free to skip to other providers but as I say once registered as stolen its on a blacklist and the phone cannot be powered up.

[Old Sparky]

I bought the phone in question from an eBay seller, so, hopefully it's legit. It's said to be unlocked.

[Nick]

I believe it is the phones internal serial number (IEMI) which is hard coded into the hardware that is sometimes locked to a network.
If the phone is reported as stolen to the current airtime provider, then they can mark the IEMI on a central database preventing it from ever being used on any network again.

It's actually called an IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) - a 15 (or 16) digit GUID (Globally Unique IDentifier).

Typically, on the phone keypad, type '*#06#' - you should then be presented with your phone's unique identifier.

You can then type this number into a checking website, like http://www.imei.info/ and http://www.imeipro.info/

Note that there is no obligation for a supplier to mark a phone as blacklisted when it's reported stolen, so these checks aren't 100%

[Terry]

Just try a SIM from another phone on a network which isn't Vodaphone and see what happens.

Alternatively, get a new non-Vodaphone SIM card and fit that - they are often available on PAYG for free or next to nothing. Just make sure that the phone is suitable - if you fit a 3G SIM in an older phone that doesn't cover 3G, it won't work!

If it is locked it is worth contacting Vodaphone with the IMEI number to hand - if it was originally on a contract that has no expired you might be able to get an unlock code from them for nothing.

[Murphyv310]

I believe it is the phones internal serial number (IEMI) which is hard coded into the hardware that is sometimes locked to a network.
If the phone is reported as stolen to the current airtime provider, then they can mark the IEMI on a central database preventing it from ever being used on any network again.

Note that there is no obligation for a supplier to mark a phone as blacklisted when it's reported stolen, so these checks aren't 100%

There was when I worked for Vodafone!!!!!! Any operator not following the rules got a disciplinary.