Cellular Phone Buying Guide:  Locked /unlocked phones

When it comes to buying cellular phones, there are some issues that you might not particularly be aware of ... although they are extremely important.  Once such issue involves that of locked versus unlocked cellular phone units.  Through this buyer's guide on purchasing cellular phones, we pay particular attention to the whole issue of locked versus unlocked cellular phone units.

What's It All About

Locked cellular phones are a service provider’s way of securing loyal customers, so they say. The way they do this is to set up a cellular phone to recognize only the SIM (subscriber identification module) card that the carrier provides. An unlocked phone would accept a SIM from any carrier.

Carriers' Claims

Carriers claim that this technology enables them to offer cellular phones for free or at very low prices with service contracts of a certain length. They then lock these phones so that subscribers can’t use them with another carrier, although after the contract period is up the customer can request that the phone be unlocked.

Unlocking the Phone with a Secret Code

Other than the service provider, some claim that you can unlock the phone yourself by entering a code. This code is a secret number created specifically for a particular phone. Some companies, however, need to be unlocked by rewriting some of the firmware. Unfortunately, the cellular phones often don’t work properly after the software or hardware has been tampered with, so occasionally this is of little help.

Unlocking Services

There are also unlocking services that, for a fee, will sell you the code or provide firmware reprogramming services. Again, others claim that this unlocking process can interfere with the efficient operation of the phone later on despite what the unlocking companies say. Some cellular phone manufacturers and other interested parties have posted instructions for hacking your code, but if you do it wrong you can ruin your phone completely.

The Most Reliable Way of Getting a Phone Unlocked

The only reliable way to own an unlocked phone is to buy it unlocked from someone other than your carrier. The problem with this is that you will pay full price for the phone, and they can often be expensive. And, although you are supposedly able to use it with any carrier, there are rumors that some carriers will lock a third party phone without the owner knowing (and sometimes refuse to unlock it)! Make sure if you buy a third-party phone that you check to make sure your carrier will not lock your phone—get it in writing in the service contract.

CDMA Technology

Another way to get an unlocked phone it to buy one with CDMA network technology—these phones don’t use cards, but there is one that might well be used soon. The R-UIM card, currently being used in some places overseas, may be the CDMA equivalent of a SIM very soon.