When Buying A Cell Phone What Does Unlocked Mean BEST
A smartphone that has been unlocked can be used with any cell phone carrier. Some phones aren't unlocked, meaning they can only be used with one carrier. That is not the case with an unlocked phone. However, a phone's network compatibility is only relevant for mobile phone carriers, not wireless networks like WiFi. Any phone, whether unlocked or locked, can connect to a WiFi network as long as that WiFi is operational.
when buying a cell phone what does unlocked mean
Installing a SIM card is much easier if your phone is unlocked. Unlike locked phones, which are limited to using the network carrier's SIM card, unlocked phones give you the freedom to choose your carrier. It's very simple to put a fresh SIM card in a new unlocked phone device. You can choose a SIM card from any carrier and set it up once you've chosen the proper phone model based on the cellular network frequency specs. If you're transferring an old SIM card from another phone and want to transfer SIM data, you'll need to back up the data from the previous phone first before removing the SIM. You may do this by going to your SIM settings folder and selecting "export files to SIM card."
When you have an unlocked phone, you can use any SIM card. Prior to the invention of 4G LTE, networks were split between GSM and CDMA operators. Now, since the introduction of 4G LTE phones, new iPhones and Android devices are compatible with both GSM and CDMA networks. This means we no longer have to worry about whether our phone is GSM or CDMA or whether it will accept a SIM card. Basically, every unlocked iPhone after the iPhone 5 and any unlocked Android phone released after 2013 should be SIM card compatible.
Further, a locked phone contains a software code that prevents it from being used on another network. An unlocked phone either does not have the software lock or has been able to obtain a code to unlock the program. Once a smartphone is unlocked, you can remove the SIM card and replace it with a different SIM card to continue using it.
For the international traveler, another pro of owning an unlocked phone is that you may use your unlocked phone easily in other countries. By simply buying a SIM card and plan for an international provider during a trip, one may obtain service often at lower prices than the major US providers offer for international roaming. it is in high demand, especially among international visitors who simply need to purchase a foreign GSM SIM card, so you may get a good price for it if you decide to sell it.
By now, you should have a better idea of what "unlocked" means in the context of phones. Remember, even if you have paid off your phone and fulfilled your contact duties, the phone is yours to keep, and you should be able to swap at any time. Ultimately, the choice of a locked versus an unlocked phone is yours, and hopefully, our guide will help you navigate finding your next phone.
What is an unlocked phone, anyhow? In simple terms, an unlocked phone is a device that has no ties to carriers. Typically, when your phone is on a contract, the associated telephone will remain locked to that network.
The big advantage here is that buying an unlocked model from a phone maker gives you access to a larger variety of phone models compared with the smaller selection of handsets that carriers typically offer.
The good news is you don't have to. Just know that there are no financial advantages to buying a phone from a manufacturer or from a carrier -- locked or unlocked. The real advantage to buying a phone from a carrier is the convenience of doing it all at once. While the advantages of an unlocked phone are that you have more say over which carrier you want to use as well as a wider selection of phone models.
In this edition of Ask Maggie, I re-examine this issue and offer some basic information about what a cell phone lock is. I explain on which wireless networks cell phones can be unlocked. And I caution consumers to investigate before they buy a device they think is unlocked.
Carrier locks come with just about any cell phone you buy from a wireless operator. Even if you aren't buying the device directly from a particular operator but are buying it from a retailer, such as Amazon or Best Buy, and it's for a specific carrier, then most likely it has a carrier lock on it. This is regardless of whether you buy the phone with a subsidy and a two-year contract or if you buy the device at full price.
Generally, the only devices that do not have carrier locks are ones that specifically say they are "unlocked," such as the Google Android Nexus brand of devices, the unlocked version of the iPhone, which is sold at the Apple store, and some developer edition devices. If you want an unlocked phone, you should research in advance whether the phone you are purchasing is available as unlocked and where you can buy it as an unlocked device. Remember: Paying full price alone doesn't guarantee that a smartphone is unlocked out of the box.
All GSM devices are designed so that service is provisioned using a SIM card. With an unlocked device, a GSM smartphone can be reprovisioned and used on another network simply by popping out the old SIM card and putting in a new one from the new carrier. The carrier doesn't necessarily need to be notified, and you don't need anyone in the store to reprovision your phone.
In summary, phone locks are not really relevant when you're talking about 2G and 3G devices that operate on CDMA or EV-DO networks. But phone locks are very important for devices that operate on a GSM or HSPA/HSPA+ network. Almost every GSM device comes "prelocked" to a particular carrier. Certain phones are sold unlocked. And if you have a device that is locked, you can get it unlocked from your wireless carrier if you meet certain criteria, which includes paying the full price of your device or ending your contract and being in good standing with your service provider.
Remember that in the U.S., Verizon and Sprint customers use either a Verizon or Sprint CDMA network. The GSM radio is included in these phones so that subscribers can roam onto networks in Europe and other parts of the world. Verizon and Sprint subscribers can choose either to sign up for international roaming plans with their U.S. carrier when they travel, or, if they can get their devices unlocked, they can swap out the SIM, put in a SIM card from a local provider, and get new service that way.
So what does this mean for the average consumer? Let's take the iPhone 5 as an example. It's a 4G LTE device. A Verizon version of this phone comes unlocked out of the box. There aren't special codes that need to be entered in order to use it on another carrier's network. But because of the spectrum differences I mentioned above, a Verizon iPhone 5 won't operate on AT&T's LTE network. It will operate on AT&T's 3G network, which is based on GSM. So this means you can use the Verizon iPhone on AT&T, but you won't get the fastest Internet speeds on it.
What are the explicit differences between a locked and unlocked phone? The difference between a locked and an unlocked phone is that a locked device has a software code on it that prevents you from taking a GSM-based device and using it on another GSM carrier's network. An unlocked phone either doesn't have the lock software on it or someone was able to get a code that unlocks the software. Once a device is unlocked, you can pop out the SIM card and put in a different SIM from another GSM operator and get service. Remember that this issue of locked and unlocked phones today is really only relevant when you're talking about devices made for GSM networks. It doesn't really apply to CDMA-only devices or for swapping out SIM cards for LTE networks. As I explained above, most carriers use different frequencies and band plans for their LTE networks, so even without a software lock on the device, it still won't operate on these networks. That will soon change, but for now don't expect unlocked LTE devices to perform at top speeds on any other carrier's LTE network.
Why is the iPhone treated differently by carriers relative to other phones? In the past, the iPhone was treated differently than other devices when it came to lock codes. For instance, AT&T was happy to unlock any other phone you owned, but according to its policy, the iPhone could never be unlocked. The reason for this was because AT&T didn't want people buying the popular phone and going to another carrier, whether that was T-Mobile or an overseas operator. So to control how and where the device was used, it refused to unlock it.
Another way to get an unlocked phone is to buy one that's specifically advertised as unlocked. For instance, Google's Nexus series of smartphones come unlocked. They're built and configured in such a way as to allow any GSM SIM to be used in them. The international unlocked version of the iPhone is also sold without a lock. And again it can be used on any GSM network. (This means that neither the Nexus series phones nor the unlocked iPhone can be used on Verizon or Sprint's CDMA voice or data networks.)
Because I get so many questions about the difference between locked versus unlocked phones and what it means to the average wireless customer, I've put together this FAQ for my Ask Maggie readers to summarize the basics.
The difference is that a locked phone has a software code on it that prevents you from using it on another network. An unlocked phone either doesn't have the software lock on it or someone was able to get a code that unlocks the software. Once a device is unlocked, you can pop out the SIM card and put in a different SIM and get service.
Buying unlocked also means you can buy used devices. Granted, you can buy used carrier-locked devices, too, but there are some dangers to this (buying devices connected to a blocked account, for example). Used devices are obviously cheaper than new devices, which could allow you to get a top-of-the-line device for hundreds less than you would pay through a carrier. 041b061a72