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Brooke Coin asked:


Any mobile phone is using a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card. This is used to store data from the mobile phone such as text messages, images and even videos. The mobile phone will be useless without a SIM card because it is like the heart of the phone where major functions and operations happen. But with every mobile phone there is a designated carrier that is why when you buy a mobile phone a SIM card from a specific carrier is provided to you. When you use a SIM card from another carrier it will not work this is what they call a “locked phone”. But if you have an unlocked cell phone you can use any SIM card from any carrier.

Usually when you acquire for a cell plan, then the phone that comes bundled with it is a locked phone. This is usually the strategy because according to carriers it is a way for them to finance the cost of expensive cell phones. Since we have the access now to different software and advanced technology locked phone can be unlocked cell phone already. But unlocking the cell phone must be performed by an experienced technician because the cell phone may not operate properly if the proprietary settings are changed.

Unlocked cell phone can use SIM cards in different countries while locked cell phone can only be used in one country which depends on the carrier. Unlocking a phone can be done by entering an unlock code which can either be specified by the carrier of the SIM or mobile phone provider. There are also software applications that can be used to unlock cell phones. The unlock code used is referred to as the network coded key or master code. Once the unlock code is entered it will then be stored in the mobile phone so the unlocked cell phone can still fully function. Another way of unlocking the cell phone is by sending it to a company that offers unlocking services. When the phone is unlocked it will then be sent back to the owner.

Unlocked cell phone is very beneficial to people who are always traveling. It is expensive to be always changing SIM cards when you are in a different country. Though, even without changing the SIM card the mobile phone can still be an unlocked cell phone and this can be done through a special software application or device. Though, unlocking cell phones are popular today there are legalities involved. Such as in countries like Poland, unlocked cell phone is legal providing that the cell phone’s IMEI number is not modified during the process of unlocking. In Netherlands, unlocking cell phone is also legal but the flash memory of the mobile phone must not be overwritten with copyrighted firmware. In the United States, before it was a crime to unlock cell phones, but after some time particularly in November 27, 2006 unlocking cell phones was legalized. Unlocked cell phone is only allowed for three years but it can still be renewed.

Ron Wicker asked:


When someone signs up for a new cell carrier plan, they often get a phone at a free or reduced rate with their contract. The cell phones that come with a carrier contract are almost always locked cell phones. This means that they only work with that specific carrier’s Subscriber Identification Module, or SIM, card, a microchip inserted into the phone to activate service. To put it simply, that person can only use that phone while still subscribed to that carrier’s network and, if they want to change carriers, they have to get a new phone.

An unlocked cell phone will work with any carrier’s SIM card. If an individual changes carriers, they simply have to insert a new SIM card into their unlocked cell phone, and the phone will be able to access that carrier’s network.

Cell phone carriers use locked cell phones to their advantage. By locking the cell phones and offering them as part of their contract, they retain more customers. The customer cannot change carriers without getting a new phone and possibly spending more money. Because certain carriers may have contracts with specific cell phone manufacturers, a customer may not be able to get the phone they want with the plan they have. The carriers argue that locking the phones helps them offer the phones at a discounted rate. Still, these phones leave the customer with few options.

An unlocked phone, on the other hand, can be used for years, even if the customer decides to change carriers. The customer has more options as to the type and style of cell phone they choose because they are not pinned down to the phones offered by their carrier. While the customer will have to buy the unlocked phone outright, perhaps spending more money initially, over time, they actually save more money. Plus, unlocked cell phones are much more convenient.

Unlocked cell phones are offered by third parties and are not connected with the carrier companies. On occasion, a cell carrier will unlock a locked phone after a period of time, but these previously locked phones don’t always work with all SIM cards, even once they’re unlocked. As unlocked cell phones become more popular, the overall price of phones should come down.

The U.S. is far behind the rest of the worl in unlocked cell phone sales. In other countries, the majority of cell phones sold are unlocked. In the United States, the majority are sold with contracts and are locked into a certain carrier. This is slowly changing and within a decade unlocked phones shouls surpass locked phone sales.

Brooke Coin asked:


Since unlocking cell phones have been already approved many GSM phones are now being unlocked. If you know what to do you can unlock you cell phone in just a matter of minutes. Some people will send their cell phone to a company that offers unlocking service and will have to wait for the time that their cell phone will be sent back to them as an unlocked cell phone.

For T-Mobile phones, if you have been using your cell phone for ninety days already or you just do not have enough time to have your T-Mobile cell phone unlocked then you can request for an unlock code from your carrier. You simply make a call to their technical support line then ask the agent to provide you with an unlock code. When they ask you why you need an unlock code, you tell them that you are going to travel and you want to use the phone with a foreign SIM card. If they refuse to give you an unlock code you should demand for it because in the first place you bough their cell phone and in return they should provide you with what you need.

For older models of Nokia phones such as 1100, 6820, 6830 or even 765, you can use an online calculator to come up with your unlocked code. For you to be able to have an unlocked cell phone follow the instructions provided to you on how to use the online calculator and how to produce your unlock code. To search for the website that will provide you with the instruction in the search box of a search engine type-in the phrase “online calculator for unlock code” or you can try “online calculator to unlock phone”. This search will most likely provide you with numerous numbers of websites that lists the instruction.

For the major or known mobile phones such as Sony Ericsson, Cingular, Treo, other LG phones and smart phones from HTC it can be an unlocked cell phone just by downloading or purchasing an unlocking software online and a customized cable. The software works by connecting to a number of databases that store unlock codes. The user is then asked to specify the model and manufacturer of the locked mobile phone then in a matter of minutes the proper unlock code for the mobile phone is provided. The cost for this method of unlocking cell phones can range from $15 – $16.

But because unlocking cell phone has become so popular today mobile phone manufacturers are now making sure that their mobile phones will not be unlocked easily. New mobile phones when unlocked either require a change in modifications of the mobile phone’s hardware. When this is the case the mobile phone is sent to an expert to be configured the mobile phone is then dent back in an unlocked cell phone state already. This is beneficial for the users who are not experts on mobile phones or gadgets and the service can cost the consumers $25.

Margarita Schwartzman asked:


The concept of unlocked cell phones goes like this. Carriers that operate on the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) such as Cingular Wireless, AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile use a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card. The SIM card is a microchip that stores subscriber data. It is issued by a carrier and provides cell service by activating any phone into which it is inserted.

A locked phone, as we are used to, will only recognize a SIM card from a particular carrier. An unlocked cell phone, on the other hand, will recognize a SIM card from any carrier. If this sounds like a new thing to you, it really isn’t. In fact, in Asia, about 80% of cell phones are sold unlocked. And in Europe, roughly 70% of cell phones are sold independently of a carrier. Only in US from 90% to 95% of cell phones are locked to a mobile service provider.

Why? Because the carriers subsidize the cost of handsets. Operators usually knock off $50 to $80 from the cost of the phone. This has greatly expanded the market by making phones more affordable but it has also given mobile operators complete control on the cell phones they sell or give away for free.

U.S. cellular operators have been slow to pick up some of Nokia Corp’s high-end N-series phones, which offer high-mega pixel camera and a host of other features that are not found on many phones. This led Nokia to open stores in Chicago and New York to sell their unlocked phones. Getting unlocked cell phone gives you a freedom to choose among a variety of cell phones and their features without being locked into a new one or two-year contract.

Buying unlocked cell phones will turn to buying cheap unlocked cell phones if you travel overseas. Then you can buy prepaid SIM cards that are designed to work in the country you are visiting. This is cheaper than making out of the country calls through your cell phone carrier. You might even find the service more reliable.

Choosing to buy unlocked cell phones will give you a choice to switch cell phone providers without losing your phone. After all, if you have a perfectly good phone, why should you buy a new one? You can also give away your phone if you want to upgrade features or sell it and put the money towards your new unlocked cell phone.

Matthew Stanton asked:


Imagine this scenario; you arranged a dinner blind date at 6PM. You are very excited what hearing nice refutation about this sweet lady you are going to meet for the first time. And then clock starts to strike six but she is still not there. So you pull out your phone and starts calling her over. Poof! Her phone network is not like yours. And then a message says, phone locked! What a bummer!

Indeed things like this happens and sometimes it is even on your precious thing called cell phone. Does locked cell phone ring a bell? Yes, it does. In technical term, it is called carrier lock, also known as a SIM lock or subsidy lock. So how does this happen and what to do? Let us discuss a bit about cell phone network systems.

There are two major communication systems used for cell phones, CDMA and GSM. CDMA system is a coded response that ties a phone and its user together to a particular system and to a particular number. CDMA is more popular in the United States.

GSM, which stands for the Global System for Mobile Communication, is the common standard in over 200 other countries in the World and is becoming more popular in the United States. GSM cell phone uses a SIM card to communicate with a particular network. The network provider has the option (and it uses this option often) to lock the phone so that it will not respond to a SIM card from an alternate provider. Network providers do this obviously for competitive purposes, but many have cried foul over this seemingly unfair practice. When the cell phone is purchased by an individual, he should have the ability to change the SIM card and use the unit on any network that he prefers to use. This gives the phone owner the power to use the same phone when traveling, especially in foreign countries without paying expensive roaming charges.

And so we are done with understanding how a locked cell phone occurs. So what to do when it happens? There are basically three ways and each of them demand excruciating amount of time to know your phone more and its system, search for help over the Net and then make calls you get the drift. So here is a better solution.

If you are still thinking of buying a cell phone, there is no need to worry about the unfair practice by network providers to lock your phone down. While it is possible to unlock a cell phone, many people opt to buy unlocked cell phones. Yes, you have that choice! The truth of it all is that there is tremendous competition between the various mobile phone service providers. Ergo, phone companies are most likely to lock you into using their service and this is the purpose for locking them. When you own an unlocked phone, you have the freedom to choose your own service – the stuff you need and the stuff that you just want.

GSM phones are invariably easier to unlock as compared to CDMA phones. But then again, in either case, buying an unlocked mobile phone makes more sense than purchasing a phone and then going through the problem of unlocking it later. So let us make the equation simple from hereon, buying unlocked phones is the only way to do. But before you take out cash from your pocket, ask the seller and make sure that they truly understand what it is you are asking of them. Once you have your unlocked phone, it is an easy matter to determine if it is truly unlocked. All you need to do is try it out and the phone will tell you its status. If it is unlocked you will be capable to use it to connect with whatever service you wish to use.