If a new cell phone purchase is in your future, you might consider purchasing an unlocked cell phone that you have been hearing about.

Three primary reasons exist for wanting to have an unlocked phone instead of a locked one. Many cell phones contain a small card called a SIM card. The phone is activated by the card, which lets it work as a certain number. Your address book contacts are also able to be kept on a SIM card. Wherever the SIM card goes, the phone service goes as well. Your service will not be affected if you take your existing SIM card and install it in the new unlocked phone you just purchased.

Why should you have an unlocked cell phone? If you go overseas you will need an unlocked cell phone. There are prepaid SIM cards available that will work in whatever country you are visiting. It is more reliable and less expensive than making calls from out of the country with your own cell phone carrier.

In certain instances, a free phone is offered when you enroll in a service plan and accept a contract. Once your contract expires, you will not be able to use your current phone since it is locked. With an unlocked cell phone, it is possible to change cell phone providers while keeping your phone. All you need to do is get a new SIM card from the provider and then you should have no problems with your phone. An unlocked cell phone is helpful when you have multiple phones. One example is that if you have a phone with a camera, and one that does not - you can always switch SIM cards to be able to use the phone that you need for the time. You can still get your calls on your spouse’s phone. This will also apply to cases where your personal phone and business phone use a different cell phone provider. The SIM card can easily be swapped out to be used in a phone different from the one you usually use.

Another nice thing about purchasing a cell phone that is unlocked is that it can be given away or sold if you no longer need it. If your existing phone is still in good condition but you want to upgrade it, you won’t need to just toss it in the trash. You can give your unlocked phone to your spouse or children. Try selling it and using the money for a new unlocked phone. An unlocked phone carries many benefits for the present and the future.

Unlocked Cell Phones FAQ

Question: Unlocked Phones?
Where can you go to find some cheap unlocked cell phones in the $0-70 dollar range please?

Answer: Try ebay many are listed as unlocked

Question: What does unlocked mean in reference to phones on ebay?
Im looking into buying a Sidekick off ebay and I am uncertain what unlocked means, I have cingular and there are a few phones that are compatible with cingular but there are also alot of unlocked phones. Does unlocked mean that they are compatible with different networks? If you know I would like to know as soon as possible…

Answer: What are Unlocked GSM Phones? Not network specific.
Unlocked GSM phones are either a) phones which are directly from the manufacturer which were never locked, or b) phones from a carrier which have been modified to openly work on any network.

Question: How do unlocked phones work? and a metro question?
Ok what does having an unlocked phone mean?
and what verizon/ or cingular phones are avilable to use for metro? how would i do that?
Help please?

Answer: You can only those phones that use simcards (GSM) such as phones from AT&T / Cingular or T-Mobile. Verizon is a CDMA carrier and their phones don’t use simcards so you can’t unlock those phones. AND even if the phone is GSM and is unlocked you still can’t use it with Metro because metro is a CDMA carrier. Unlocked phones only work with either T-Mobile or AT&T. You can however “Flash” a CDMA phone over to Metro and use it with them but before flashing a CDMA phone contact Metro about this and ask them if they will agree to active the phone. You can Flash phones from carriers such as Sprint, Verizon, Alltel or Cricket. Hope this helps, i know it’s a bit confusing but i made it as clear as possible.

Question: Why do my unlocked phones work with only certain providers?
i have 2 unlocked phones. 1 is a t-mobile mda and the other is a nokia 6820 and they are both unlocked. but the problem is they only work on certain companys like cingular and tmobile. and they dont work on sprint why is this

Answer: Yes. Some are that way.

Question: What carriers have unlocked phones that are compatible with Cingular?
I was wondering which networks I could buy phones from without having a contract. I would buy the phones unlocked.

Answer: T-Mobile is the only other carrier that currently uses the GSM standard.

Question: Does anyone know what unlocked phones you can buy in India?
Hey,
Im going to India this summer and I usualy pick up an unlocked phone. Does anyone know what good phones they have now?

Answer: Hey. I got my sony ericsson W580i from Pakistan and it is awesome… hope it helped

Question: Can phones be unlocked to use on the 3 network?
Seems like there is something different about 3 in the UK so that unlocked phones don’t work with them. Is this true?

Answer: nope….once unlocked it can work on any network maybe ur phone is not unlocked properly

Question: Do unlocked phones work flawlessly with any GSM provider?
Technically they should as long as they have the appropriate frequencies, but I have heard from some people that they could be a little sluggish. Is that true?

I really do not like the phones of any of the carriers in the market and was thinking of just buying an unlocked phone.

Answer: An unlocked phone will work as good as a locked phone. Most GSM phones are unlocked in Europe and Asia and they work flawlessly.