If you are in the US and you buy smartphones online, there is a high chance you might get a phone locked to a network from other country. One of the most known networks from the UK is O2. O2 UK has 25 million subscribers in the United Kingdom as of December 2017. If you got a smartphone locked to O2 UK, you have to perform an O2 UK Full IMEI Check.
About O2 UK
Telefónica UK Limited (trading as O2 – stylised as O2) is a telecommunications services provider in the United Kingdom,
owned by the Spanish multinational Telefónica, and is headquartered in Slough. With 25 million subscribers (as of December 2017), O2 is the second-largest mobile network operator in the United Kingdom after EE, with Vodafone in third place. (Source)
What is an O2 UK Full IMEI Check and What does it Include?
To know your O2 UK device more, an O2 UK Full IMEI Check is a must. Like a normal Full IMEI Check, an O2 UK Full IMEI Check includes the carrier check, iCloud lock check and blacklist check. It also includes warranty check and in-contract check.
Carrier Check
This is applicable to all consumers who considers buying a secondhand phone. You may never know if a device is locked to a specific network, unless you insert different SIM cards or you perform a Carrier check. This check will also reveal the country where the network is.
Model: iPhone 6 Plus Silver 16GB IMEI: 3553*********** Serial Number: F9CTQ0G8G5QR Find My iPhone: ON Locked Carrier: UK O2 Tesco SIMLock Status: Locked
iCloud Lock Check
This applies to iPhones. It is a security feature of iPhones wherein the iCloud Activation Lock can prevent anyone from using it if ever it gets lost. If the iPhone is iCloud locked, it means that only the Original Owner can activate it. Only his Apple ID and Password will activate the iPhone. iCloud Lock check will reveal if the iCloud is On, Off or Lost.
3553*********** FMI STATUS: LOST
Blacklist Check
In addition to network and iCloud lock check, another feature of O2 UK Full IMEI Check is the blacklisted check. A phone is blacklisted when it is found in the global blacklist database of network carriers. When a phone is blacklisted, it prevents anyone from activating it with any network carrier until it has been removed from the list. Blacklist check reveals the blacklist status of the device as well as the country where it is blacklisted.
IMEI: 3553************ Model: APPLE IPHONE 6 PLUS (A1524) Manufacturer: APPLE INC Blacklist Status: BLACKLISTED Blacklisted By: O2 (UK) LIMITED Blacklisted Country: UNITED KINGDOM Blacklisted On: 2018-03-26 14:00:33
Warranty Check
If the device is bought as secondhand, most likely, it it not covered by warranty anymore. Whatever happens to the phone, you won’t be able to claim it to warranty. The only way to check is by performing an O2 UK Full IMEI Check.
In-Contract Check
Another important part of O2 UK Full IMEI Check is the in-contract check wherein you can discover if the device is still in-contract. This will prevent you from buying secondhand phones which have outstanding balances to their networks.
Why Do You Need an O2 UK Full IMEI Check?
If someone offers you a secondhand O2 device, you have to perform an O2 UK Full IMEI Check. This is like your protection from buying fraud devices or stolen phones. If you get to know these details before buying a second hand O2 device, you’ll have a better buying decision.
Unlocking an O2 mobile to use on a different network
(Source)
Pay Monthly customers
If you’re on a Pay Monthly tariff, you can ask us to unlock your phone at any time, for free. This policy might vary depending on which phone you’ve got.
Moreover, the only way to unlock your phone is by using My O2 online or via the main menu of the My O2 app.
Pay As You Go customers
If you’re on Pay As You Go, your O2 phone can be unlocked 12 months after you bought it. It’ll cost you £15, which we’ll deduct from your airtime balance. This policy might vary depending on which phone you’ve bought. The quickest and easiest way to unlock your phone is by using My O2 online or via the main menu of the My O2 app.
