# Mobile Phone Query



## Sky Marchant (Mar 14, 2013)

We are making plans to move to the Alicante area this time next year, I have a million questions and I am gradually ticking them off one by one in my Spanish folder  I have an Iphone with EE in the UK, small monthly contract covering texts,calls and internet useage, usual thing. When we move, how do I get the same sort of thing in Spain? Do I keep the sim card in this phone or will I have to change? Any help would be appreciated


----------



## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Sky Marchant said:


> We are making plans to move to the Alicante area this time next year, I have a million questions and I am gradually ticking them off one by one in my Spanish folder  I have an Iphone with EE in the UK, small monthly contract covering texts,calls and internet useage, usual thing. When we move, how do I get the same sort of thing in Spain? Do I keep the sim card in this phone or will I have to change? Any help would be appreciated



You'll have to change, otherwise you will be using a UK SIM in Spain.

Go to the Masmovil site. You can choose the minutes you want, the level of internet access .... everything in fact.
Costs very little, I think mine is €14 a month
You can build your tariff on the site, with or without phone, and the sim is delivered to you. It uses the Orange.es system

Mobile internet offers and cheap rates MÁSMÓV!L


----------



## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

Sky Marchant said:


> We are making plans to move to the Alicante area this time next year, I have a million questions and I am gradually ticking them off one by one in my Spanish folder  I have an Iphone with EE in the UK, small monthly contract covering texts,calls and internet useage, usual thing. When we move, how do I get the same sort of thing in Spain? Do I keep the sim card in this phone or will I have to change? Any help would be appreciated


I have a phone with EE too and am moving over next month. If you call 150, go through the menu to technical help. Then ask them to unlock the phone from the network and for a fee of £20 they will, although it takes up to 28 days. You also have to have had it for 6 months at least but I'm sure you will have. You will receive an email telling you how to do it as you have to do it through itunes but you'll have the instructions so that's not a great problem. Once it's unlocked just get a cheap PAYG sim to put into the phone to complete the unblocking. Then when you get to Spain, you can get a sim only arrangement, without a phone, which I'm sure will be cheaper. Means you can keep your phone with all your contacts and other useful apps on it without starting again.


----------



## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Dunpleecin said:


> I have a phone with EE too and am moving over next month. If you call 150, go through the menu to technical help. Then ask them to unlock the phone from the network and for a fee of £20 they will, although it takes up to 28 days. You also have to have had it for 6 months at least but I'm sure you will have. You will receive an email telling you how to do it as you have to do it through itunes but you'll have the instructions so that's not a great problem. Once it's unlocked just get a cheap PAYG sim to put into the phone to complete the unblocking. Then when you get to Spain, you can get a sim only arrangement, without a phone, which I'm sure will be cheaper. Means you can keep your phone with all your contacts and other useful apps on it without starting again.


That very much depends what phone you have also, as an iphone for instance needs a profile often. I have been through a nightmare with Orange (EE) with unlocking. Apple say they are the very worst at unlocking phones and who they have most complaints with


----------



## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

I can only speak as I find. It seemed straighforward speaking to them so when the email comes and I give it a go I can possibly comment more, but I've not gone as far as you yet and if you're reporting difficulties then I suppose that's the other side of the coin.


----------



## el pescador (Mar 14, 2013)

just pop into a shop which can unlock phones.
most wont charge 20 quid...be more like half that and you wont have to entre the code etc yourself.


----------



## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Sky Marchant said:


> We are making plans to move to the Alicante area this time next year, I have a million questions and I am gradually ticking them off one by one in my Spanish folder  I have an Iphone with EE in the UK, small monthly contract covering texts,calls and internet useage, usual thing. When we move, how do I get the same sort of thing in Spain? Do I keep the sim card in this phone or will I have to change? Any help would be appreciated


As others have said get the phone unlocked in the UK by the service provider, as *it will then work* without any issues than can often happen if you get iamanexpertandwillunlockyourphonefortwobob ............harry/paco.


----------



## Sky Marchant (Mar 14, 2013)

*Thanks to everyone*

A big thank you to everyone that replied


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

As a aside, you will be pleased to know that in Spain they are not allowed to lock them in the first place.


----------



## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

baldilocks said:


> As a aside, you will be pleased to know that in Spain they are not allowed to lock them in the first place.


I didn't know that


----------



## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

My iphone was on contract with 03 i payed £15 and within 2 days logged onto iTunes and it said the phone is factory unlock no problem 
Alternatve if you iphone savvy is jailbreak and unlock yourself using redsn0w to jailbreak and unlock your phone type into your browser 
I clarified and read the tutorials its free to download and its not illegal to do it
Hope this helps 
I have done this with my iphone 3 3g 4 4s 5


----------



## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

el pescador said:


> just pop into a shop which can unlock phones.
> most wont charge 20 quid...be more like half that and you wont have to entre the code etc yourself.


In spain its illegal to unlock mobiles


----------



## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

baldilocks said:


> As a aside, you will be pleased to know that in Spain they are not allowed to lock them in the first place.


Not so baldi contract phones are always locked to the network only prepago are unlocked but cost more and its illegal to unlock them here


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

tonyinspain said:


> Not so baldi contract phones are always locked to the network only prepago are unlocked but cost more and its illegal to unlock them here


 Only going by what movistar told us when we signed up.


----------



## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

Most mobile companies on contract block you so you cannot change suppliers in the uk once a contract is complete you can ask to have the phone unlocked for a small fee usually between £15 to £ 20 but for some reason here it illegal for outside unlocking only the original service provider can unlock their mobiles 
But prepago are already unlocked and you can use any sim card from any company
Now my oh has a english mobile with o2 on contract and she explained she wanted to use it in spain without the added expence of roaming charges and they gave her a unlocked phone plus a spanish lebara sim card so she just changes sim card 
Now iphones are different these have to be unlocked by itunes if originally on contract 
But if bought prepago are already unlocked but can cost €100 to € 150 more than a phone on contract so anyone buying one second hand must make sure the phone is factory unlocked or it will be useless if your on a different network as it wont work


----------



## el pescador (Mar 14, 2013)

does seem odd you cant unlock in spain yet you can have lebara who dont make you sign up with details so you can have a sim which is untraceable.

must have something to do with friends in high places trying to keep people tied in to the same network


----------



## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

el pescador said:


> does seem odd you cant unlock in spain yet you can have lebara who dont make you sign up with details so you can have a sim which is untraceable.
> 
> must have something to do with friends in high places trying to keep people tied in to the same network


When i first came here you didn't need to register the sim card but due to terrorist/criminal activities
Every sim has to be registered even labara you cannot legal use a unregistered sim here


----------

