Unlocked Cell Phones - Why do you need one?
Did you know that when you purchase your Motorola or Sony cellular phone from Cingular or any other company, most of the time they lock it?! What does this mean? In simple terms, it means that this phone can never be used by any other provider except Cingular or Nextel (as examples). They do this for a reason. They don’t want you to ever switch companies and use this phone with any other plans. There is a way to get unlocked cell phones.
Most come as unlocked cell phones from the factory to each of the companies that sell them to the consumer, the company then implants a security code to lock it, so no other SIM cards will work in that phone. Most phone services have a GSM – which is a type of digital mobile phone service implanted into the phone. The phone company does this secretly. When you sign your agreement and take your phone home, they are hoping that you never switch companies, and make sure you can’t use that phone with any other company out there. Unlocked cell phones can be obtained through certain companies. This means that that phone can be used with any service out there. There is more than one program out there that offers unlocked cell phones. This means that if you like a certain phone that a company offers, but don’t like their price plan, you can purchase that phone and use it with any other plan out there. This is something that the cellular companies don’t want you to know about!
There is a way to test if you phone is locked. Borrow a friends SIM card and implant it into your phone. If the phone recognizes your friends SIM card, then your phone is part of the unlocked cell phones network. If the phone gives you an error reading, then it is not part of the unlocked cell phones network.
There are companies online that can get you unlocked cell phones. For a nominal fee, they give you the codes that you need to put into your phone. This will give you control back! You can contact this site online in the privacy of your own home and get additional information on their page. The biggest advantage to getting unlocked cell phones is the ability to shop around for a plan that suits your needs. If you travel a lot, you will need to pick a plan that caters to roaming.
If you are going to try and get an unlocked cell phones, there is also a gadget out there for sale that you can download all your phonebook information onto so you won’t ever lose it. You backup your phone book information on this gadget to protect it.