Genuine Sim Free Desire?

[Thethinker]

Hi Folks,

I always buy my handsets sim free, and with my move from Symbian to Android imminent I'm looking to make sure I get a proper, "nothing to do with any network or their trashy tweaks" Desire.

Question is, where's the best place to get such a Desire that's definitely not got operator firmware tucked away on it? I appreciate "sim free" should mean this, but can people recommend the likes of Amazon or Play.com (UK stores) for such handsets?

This may again be my old skool Nokia handset scepticism creeping in, but some advice would be welcome!

Cheers,
The Thinker

 

[Phenomenological]

mobiles.co.uk or the Carephone warehouse only sell unlocked, unbranded phones.

 

[PsychoMania]

The following places all do definitely sell sim free unbranded desires:

Buy Sat Nav TomTom Garmin HTC PDA Tom Tom GPS Cheap - Reviews
Mobile Fun - Mobile Accessories, Bluetooth Headsets, SIM Free Mobiles, Ringtones, Games & more!
Play.com (UK): DVDs, Music CDs, MP3s, Video Games, Books, Electronics & Gadgets - Free Delivery
Smartphone, Netbook, Laptop and Accessory Store - eXpansys UK
Amazon.co.uk: Low Prices in Electronics, Books, Sports Equipment & more (the ones from amazon themselves are sim free, market place may vary).

Also the ones that carphone warehouse sell are sim free, not a special CPW version like they do with some nokia's.

Enjoy your switch from symbian, I did the same thing and won't be returning any time soon.

 

[Thethinker]

Thanks for the speedy replies. The CPW point is interesting, as I've a deep-seated (but possibly unfair?) suspicion of that lot, stemming mainly from the volume of general horror stories I've heard about them over the years. Will check them out though as there's a few near me.

 

[Phenomenological]

Thanks for the speedy replies. The CPW point is interesting, as I've a deep-seated (but possibly unfair?) suspicion of that lot, stemming mainly from the volume of general horror stories I've heard about them over the years. Will check them out though as there's a few near me.

mobiles.co.uk are owned by the Carephone Warehouse but sometimes have cheaper deals as they are purely an online business. You can find lots of horror stories, but loads of people use them and are much better off for it. Myself included.

 

[Thethinker]

Just picked up the handset from CPW. They swore blind it was all good and I'd be able to update straight away to 2.2, but it's saying 2.1 is up to date, so who knows?

 

[.ParanoidAndroid.]

I got mine from Play.com, was the cheapest I could find and I'm exceptionally happy with it

 

[StoneDeCroze]

I bought my current Desire from Expansys, and my previous HTC Touch HD as well. Both were proper SIM free unbranded models. I know a couple of other people that have bought phones from them and they're always unbranded.

I did buy the wife a Motorola from CPW a couple of years ago. I asked for SIM free, as we live in the Channel Islands, but the guy told me that their T-Mobile PAYG phones were all SIM free handsets that they put a T-Mobile SIM in. Saved me quite a few quid. I don't know if that's still true.

 

[UKseagull]

I bought my Desire as an O2 phone from Carphone Warehoues, the guy told me that all their phones are unbranded. My Desire is indeed totally unbranded, it was also quite a bit cheaper than buying the same phone advertised from them as unbranded.

 

[origin_of_symmetry]

I got mine unbranded and unlocked from Amazon.

 

[czechplastik]

Just picked up the handset from CPW. They swore blind it was all good and I'd be able to update straight away to 2.2, but it's saying 2.1 is up to date, so who knows?

Rumour is HTC pulled the update due to bugs. My friend got his phone from CPW, it's free from everything but he wasn't able to update the other day.

 

[JasonC]

I got mine from Play.com, was the cheapest I could find and I'm exceptionally happy with it

Did yours update to 2.2 Ok?

 

[.ParanoidAndroid.]

Yeah, no problems whatsoever the day of release

 

[speedycolzalez]

I've bought several Nokia's and my Desire from CPW. All have been unlocked and totally unbranded. Desire upgraded OK to 2.2 on the day of release.

 

[JasonC]

Just ordered one from Play

 

[Hadron]

Just to add to the list of sources, I bought mine from devicewire.co.uk - completely unlocked and unbranded.

Did the OTA update to Froyo last week, and have had no problems. There were reports of the Facebook app being a battery drain after the update, but I don't use it myself so cannot say.

 

[master_yoda]

Play.com completely unlocked and unbranded! Got the HTC Froyo update the day it was released (1st August) OTA too

 

[chris 290]

3 shop Milton keynes unlocked and unbranded for 349 and updated to froyo no problems

 

[Steve_S_T]

I de-branded my Desire and updated it to 2.2 on the 4th or 5th August. Interesting that nobody's coming forward with any later date than that. I did have problems installing it first time (to do with not installing 1.21 first) but resolved that, installed 2.2 and have had no problems since. I'd be interested to know if it has been pulled and why, but surely official HTC sources would confirm this (or rival company sources would gloat about it).