Locked And Unlocked Phones

The distinction between having a locked and unlocked phone determines whether or not you can use your current cell phone with a new company. Changing from a locked to unlocked phone may save you hundreds of dollars and help prevent the frustration of getting a new phone.

What’s the Difference Between Locked And Unlocked Phones

Almost all cell phones available today have a subscriber identity module (SIM) card in them. This is the small computer chip that communicates with your wireless provider and stores your phone settings and numbers. The SIM card is basically the hard-drive of your cell phone that lets it do all the cool things you depend on the phone for.

When you bought your cell phone from the service provider, they programmed, or locked, your phone’s identification number to the SIM card provided by their service. By doing this, they are able to send calls to your phone, compile your minutes, and keep track of your service. In theory, this is a good thing since it gives you the technology to make phone calls, retrieve voicemail, and send instant messages.

Another great thing about SIM cards is that you can switch it to another phone. If your old phone dies or you find a new phone you want to use, moving the SIM card to the new phone will allow you to access your phone book and settings while still using the same service provider. You won’t even need to notify the cell phone company of the change since they track your service through your SIM card, not the phone. This will only work, however, with an unlocked phone that isn’t already programmed to another service provider.

The downside of a locked phone is that the service provider makes it difficult to switch to a new company without buying a whole new phone. By locking your phone, the cell phone company has put up a pretty big roadblock preventing you from moving your phone and data to a new provider. When you sign up for new service, you usually have to purchase a new phone, reset it to your preferred settings, and re-enter all your contacts manually. Your old phone probably gets dumped in a drawer and is forgotten about since it’s now useless. This can be an expensive endeavor, especially if you bought a top-of-the-line phone from your last provider. It’s also inconvenient and maddening.

Another problem with locked phones from America is that they don’t work well in other countries, particularly Europe. Travelers often have to pay incredibly high fees to use their American phone in another country. In the past, the only way to get around this was to buy a cell phone contract in the country you’ll be visiting, but this usually isn’t cost-effective if the visit is short or if it’s a one-time event.

An unlocked phone can make these problems go away by working with any SIM card or service provider that you want.

GSM and CDMA: What's That?

GSM and CDMA are two competing cell phone technologies, with service providers choosing one or the other. At this time, it is mostly only GSM providers that make use of SIM cards, while CDMA handsets typically lack this feature. As a result, it is often difficult to use CDMA cell phones on networks other than what it was originally locked into. In the United States, two of the largest GSM providers are T Mobile and Cingular, whereas the two major CDMA wireless service companies are Sprint and Verizon. Although in some areas Sprint runs on TDMA, a similar technology to CDMA.

Changing from a Locked to Unlocked Phone

Many people want to turn their locked phone into an unlocked one. Although there are many motives for doing this, the main reasons are that you want to use your current phone with a new provider or that you are traveling abroad and want to use a new SIM card.

Fortunately, there are companies who can now help you unlock your phone for a small fee that will probably save you more money in the long run since you’ll be able to keep your preferred phone. By filling out an online form with information about your name, email address, cell phone make and model, and the phone’s identification number, companies such as The Travel Insider and PhoneUnlockNow.com can email you a password that you simply enter into your cell phone to unlock it. Costs vary based on the type of phone you have, but range between $5 for a Nokia and $25 for a Samsung. Depending on the type of phone you have, you may need to send it in for unlocking. Alternatively, you can purchase a brand new unlocked phone. They are available online. This is also a good alternative when you need a new phone and your current cellular contract is not up yet.

Summary

Although cell phone providers don’t like it, there’s no reason you can’t unlock your phone. It should work just as well unlocked as locked but will have increased flexibility for changing service providers or using it worldwide.