In the last decade, mobile phones have stopped being juts a device for voice calls but have become a gadget for data communications. First, there was SMS or Short Message Service, a service that allowed people to send alphanumeric messages to mobile phones using the GSM network. Now the mobile phones have been packed with so many features including full keyboards, multi-media support capacity, internet connectivity and other mobile applications.

Palm Inc. was among the first to introduce Smart phones with emailing and internet connectivity and full keyboards that made it easy to use the mobile phone as an extension of one’s office. Today, the Treo Smart Phones from Palm Inc. are among the top choices of business executives and other professionals because of the mobile applications that allow people to use their phones for a variety of purposes. All high technology features of the Treo Smart phones would be for naught if it weren’t for its ease of use. The latest Treo Smart Phones with Windows OS are even more easy to use than the first Smart phones introduced years ago. The Windows OS also allow the Treo Smart phones to handle Windows documents better allowing you to work seamlessly between your PC and your mobile phone. Both the Windows OS and the Palm OS also make the Treo phones among the fastest mobiles in the market, allowing for a great computing experience and a seamless internet connection. One of the most popular PDA phones from Treo is the Treo 650.

If you bought a Treo 650 Smartphone locked to a specific GSM provider and you prefer to use with another service provider, then there is a way to unlock your mobile phone. You can even do it remotely without the need to ship your mobile phone to the unlocking company. There are remote unlock codes that you can get from websites and you can just use the code to unlock the phone at home.

The first step you should do is to sync all your data with your PC. The phone comes with a hot sync cable for this purpose. This is important because you might delete some information from your phone without meaning to. This will save you the hassles of losing any important data.

After you have complete backed-up your data, you can already start unlocking your phone. Insert a SIM from a different service provider in your mobile phone. When you turn the Treo 650 on, a message saying ‘SIM NOT ALLOWED’ will be displayed on the phone’s screen. Just click OK and use the stylus to enter the code that was provided to you by the ‘unlocking company’. To enter the code press * # * # (CODE provided by the unlocking company) #. After you have entered the code, the message ‘SIM LOCK REMOVED’ should appear on your screen. You are now free to use any SIM from other service providers and even use foreign pre-paid cards on your phone when you travel to other countries.

There are also unlocking processes that include the use of software. Usually, you will be provided by a step-by-step guide on how to unlock your phone when you acquire an unlocking code. The whole process should take less than 5 minutes.

Ahmed Foaud is the author of this article on Palm Treo Smart Phone. Find more information about How To Unlock The Palm Treo [http://www.treoexpress.com/2007/09/18/how-to-unlock-the-palm-treo] here.

Unlocking the Palm Treo FAQ:

Question: How can I unlock my Palm Treo 650 Alltel Cell Phone to work on other carriers?

Answer: A unit designed to run on Alltel will not work on all other carriers. It will work only on those carriers using the same frequency as Alltel. If your new carrier meets this criteria, they can do the conversion for you.

Question: How do I unlock my Treo Palm?
I have my mothers old phone, and I was going to put my Orange SIM card into it, but its saying “Network Locked, Please put in Unlock Code” and I don’t have one and I was wondering if there was something I could do to find it

Answer: All SIM unlock codes are tied to the particular device IMEI and are carrier specific. The request for that code would need to be made from the carrier that the phone was originally manufactured for. Each carrier has their own guidelines as far as what requirements have to be met before that code will be given out. This is a free process in the US.

Question: Can I unlock my Sprint palm treo so that it works on other networks?

Answer: No CDMA phones are locked to a specific network and cannot be unlocked.

Question: How to unlock a palm treo 700p?
Does anyone knows how to unlock a palm treo 700p? Is not SIM is CDMA technology. I want to use it for Verizon. Used it for Sprint before. No unlocking code available from Sprint.

Answer: Sorry, but CDMA phones can’t be unlocked. You MIGHT be able to find someone who can flash it to work with Verizon, but it’s very unlikely. Even then, its ESN number will not be in Verizon’s database, so they will most likely not activate it.

Question: Can I still do regular text messaging on a palm treo 650 with cingular? Or do I have to do SMS?
I’m looking into buying an unlocked Palm Treo 650. I noticed it has many great features, but if it can’t do regular texting maybe I should reconsider!

Answer: Regular text messaging on a cell phone is SMS. It might not be called that on all phones, but that’s the industry standard format for sending text messages over the cellular networks.

Question: How do you unlock a Palm Treo (Sprint) phone?
I have At&t, but I got a Palm Treo given to me. Is there any way to unlock it so I can use my sim card or something on it…not sure how it works but is it possible?

Answer: No, it’s not possible. Sprint and Verizon use entirely different mobile phone technologies that are not compatible with each other.

Question: Can anyone help me unlock a palm 650 treo?
I can’t seem to figure it out online.

Answer: If you are AT&T/Cingular customer, you can login to your at&t online account and go to your current device and it should ask you if you want to unlock your phone. (It asks for most of the phones) Follow the instruction and you should be able to do so. I had SonyErricson and I did that last year for FREE. If you can’t find that call customer service and tell them you need the unlock code and they will ask few details to make sure that you are doing it for right account and will email you the code and instruction on how to unlock.

Question: I exceeded the 5 times you can use to unlock the palm treo 650? What should I do!?
I bought the phone off ebay and tried to unlock it from some sites that claimed it was the last digits of the imei number and stuff but it didn’t work and they say that you can only try 5x. So what should I do now because I really need to unlock the phone.

Answer: I would suggest a ‘hard reboot or reset’. This is done by holding down the red key while punching in the small hole to the left of the battery (take the back off but hold the battery in.)

If this does not work, then I would suggest you take it to a local phone store and see if they can get it to work.

Too often these are sold on the Internet because they are stolen. If your is one of these, then you will most likely never get it to work.

You may have heard people talk about unlocking their cell phone. Why would someone do this and why is a cell phone locked in the first place? The answer to this question is simple. The company that you purchased the phone from wants to make sure you only use their network, and so the phone is locked into that network. Most people would rather use it on whatever network they prefer and so the need arises for the phone to be unlocked. The mobile phone industry is highly competitive, and most of the profits in the industry come from the use of the network rather than the sale of the phone itself. That is why so many network deals include either a free phone or one at greatly reduced cost when a contract is signed to use the service for an extended period of time.

It is completely legal to unlock a cell phone, and unlocking the cell phone increases its value should you decide to sell it. Once they are unlocked, they may be used on any network.
How do you know your phone is locked? The way to determine this is to borrow a SIM card from a phone that uses another network. Simply plug it in and turn it on. If you can place a call, you know your phone is unlocked. If you get a message that says the card can not be read, then the phone is locked.

How do you unlock a Motorola cell phone? Motorola makes a device called the Motorola Smart Clip. It is used to reset the security and user codes on Motorola model cell phones. The smart clip is a simple, one button device that does not require any technical know-how to operate. Unlocking the phone is absolutely safe for the unit, and it also does not in any way void its warranty. It simply unlocks what are called SIM locks from the phone, and then the unit will accept SIM cards for other networks.
The Smart Clip can also be used through an LPT port to connect to your computer. Once you have unlocked your Motorola mobile phone, it is possible to buy prepaid SIM cards that allow you to make calls all over the United States while you are traveling.

Many models can be unlocked without the use of a Motorola Smart Clip, or any type of smart clip device. The codes to do this can be found on the internet. There are many sites that offer this information. You need only to know the model information. You can then search these sites for the right codes, and enter them into your phone. However, you might not be able to totally unlock the phone as some have multiple locks, and the available codes are not able to unlock them all.
In conclusion, it is an easy matter to unlock the Motorola mobile phone models, and there is every reason to do so. Since most phones require long term agreements with the service provider anyway, there is no reason not to unlock your phone and enjoy the increased calling options that then become available to you.

Natalie Aranda writes on technology and communications. How do you unlock a Motorola cell phone? Motorola makes a device called the Motorola Smart Clip. It is used to reset the security and user codes on Motorola model cell phones. The smart clip is a simple, one button device that does not require any technical know-how to operate. Mobile phone unlocking is absolutely safe for the unit, and it also does not in any way void its warranty. It simply unlocks what are called SIM locks from the phone, and then the unit will accept SIM cards for other networks.

Unlocked Phone FAQ:

Question: How much extra would you pay for an unlocked phone/PDA on ebay?
I have PDA phone I want to sell on ebay. My cell phone provider will send me the unlock codes for a phone once every 90 days. I’m trying to decide whether to use this to unlock the phone before I put it on ebay or to use it to unlock the phone I am keeping for my personal use instead. I’m trying to assess how much more I would get on eBay if I got the phone unlocked first before I sell it versus the hassle of trying to get my current phone unlocked if necessary through some third party service.

Answer: If your going to sell it on ebay, the best idea is to unlock it, because then its able to cover more plans. I’d probably pay most at fifty bucks over the normal price. But don’t stretch it. Start the bid low, and someone will probably pay more than its worth. Once two bidders get in a fight it can be a brutal thing, but good for you profit wise. If you start it low it gives the bidder even more of a reason to bid. If your really concerned about getting your moneys worth, then set a reserve on it for the lowest you would want to be paid for the phone.

Question: Does anyone know if US cell phones will work in Guatemala? Or will we need an unlocked phone and a chip?
We are traveling from LA to Guatemala–we have regular US cell phones and have an unlocked phone we purchased in Thailand–over there we just had cards inserted as we traveled. Just curious which works in central America!

Answer: It is much simpler to buy a cheap phone once you arrive in Guatemala. They are inexpensive.

Question: If I want to buy an unlocked phone from ebay, can I use it on my cell phone provider? Will they be able to service it if it gets broken?

Answer: Unlocked phones only work on GSM networks. In the USA, that’s AT&T and T-Mobile.

Will they be able to service it if it gets broken? Nope. You didn’t buy it from them, so it’s not their problem. When buying aftermarket, that’s the risk you take.

Question: If I were to buy an unlocked phone online, would my service provider insure it?
I’ve decided to purchase an unlocked Nokia e63 online, since my service provider (Cincinnati Bell) doesn’t carry it. Would Cinci Bell be able to insure my phone or not, since I didn’t buy it through them?

Answer: They will only insure a phone you buy from them. You do need to make sure that the phone will work with your sim card.

Question: Can you use an unlocked phone with virgin mobile?

Answer: Unlocked phone works with any carriers who use SIM card.

Question: How do you pay for an unlocked phone?
I know that having an unlocked phone means that you can take it to any carrier (i.e. Tmobile and AT&T). But when you come to them for a plan, do you have to sign a two year-contract with them or are you free to choose from their other options like prepaid or in the case of Tmobile a one year contract.

I’m interested in the Motorola Ming (A1200) and I just wanted to know if it performs better with either carrier.

Answer: You can usually pick a plan that offers a free phone, and just use your phone instead. I think the phone features and the plan features are what you need to look at when performing better with either carrier.

T-mobile has better prepaid plans and AT&T has better normal plans. Additionally, the data plans at T-mobile are much better.

Question: Will any unlocked phone I buy work with any sim card?

Answer: If you have a Sim Card and the phone is Unlocked GSM then you are fine. But remember unlocked phones do not have the same features as Locked phones.

I just bought a Nokia 8801 from Amazon. The phone is great, except I can’t send Picture messages and can’t get on the Internet. I know that simply calling customer care they can send the settings to your phone, but that is a hassle unless you have T mobile. I have found they are the only customer service that treats you right.

Question: What’s the best place to buy an unlocked cell phone?
I dropped my cell phone (RAZR) in the water and it’s ruined. Other than eBay, what’s the best place to buy an unlocked phone (preferably new or refurbished)?

Answer: If you simply need a replacement for AT&T service, buy a prepaid RAZR from AT&T (currently $130 shipped free) and swap out the SIM card. If you need it for another provider, you can get it unlocked for a few bucks more (there are a number of unlock providers on Ebay). T-Mobile used to have a prepaid RAZR for ~$100, but it isn’t on the web site now. Another source of unlocked phones is TigerDirect.

When you buy a mobile phone from Cingular, they are going to lock their phone internally so that only calls processed through the Cingular network will be received by the unit. If you wish to change to another service provider you are going to have to perform what is called a Cingular unlock. There is no worry about the legal aspects of doing this. Unless your contract specifies that Cingular retains ownership of the phone, you are free to unlock it. It is your property. Once you unlock your Cingular phone, you are going to be able to take advantage of any special deals being offered by competing companies. It is also going increase the resale value of the unit.

When you are ready to perform the unlock, you are going to have to acquire the unlock code. There are a large number of websites that specialize in Cingular unlock codes and they can provide the code for your individual model. You need to be prepared to pay for the code, but the price is not excessive. You can take a little bit of time and shop around for the best deal. Once you are provided with the code, it is a simple matter of typing it into the mobile phone via the keypad. This is a distinct advantage of the Cingular phones. Other phones often require hooking your phone to your computer via a USB cable and downloading the unlocking software.

Once you have typed in the code, you will usually receive a message from your phone that lets you know it is now unlocked, but if this is not the case; there is an alternative way to check. Each unit has what is called a SIM card that identifies the phone and the service provider. You will need to borrow a SIM card from someone with a cell phone that is connected to a different service and install it into your phone. If it recognizes the new SIM card you will know it is unlocked.

It is a good idea to record the unlock code once you receive it, and to store it in a safe place. It is possible to relock phones via remote signals, and although this is not done often, you are not going to want to pay twice for the unlock code in the event it does occur. Once you have finished the unlock process, you are free to use whatever service you prefer, and will have a more valuable unit should you wish to sell it at a later date.

Natalie Aranda writes on technology. When you buy a mobile phone from Cingular, they are going to lock their phone internally so that only calls processed through the Cingular network will be received by the unit. If you wish to change to another service provider you are going to have to perform what is called a Cingular unlock. There is no worry about the legal aspects of doing this. Unless your contract specifies that Cingular retains ownership of the phone, you are free to unlock it. It is your property. Once you unlock your Cingular phone, you are going to be able to take advantage of any special deals being offered by competing companies. It is also going increase the resale value of the unit.

Unlocked Phone FAQ:

Question: How do I send files or get on the web with an unlocked phone?
I have an unlocked Samsung phone. I am not able to send pictures or other files or emails, I guess, because it’s not recognized by my carrier, Cinguar. Is there a way to configure it to work?

Answer: You will have to manually update your phone to try to access media net. I do suggest going to the wireless att support website and look for the samsung phone closest to yours. Click on device tutorials and look for browser settings. Or you can always call customer care and ask them to walk you through it. We do it all the time, we just can’t promise that it will work!

Question: Will an unlocked phone work on the Sprint Network?
I’m thinking about buying an unlocked phone internationally online, however I want to be sure that it will work with Sprint. Does anyone know if this is possible and if not, which networks unlocked phones work with?

Answer: Sprint just came out with the Samsung Ace, and it has a SIM Card inside for Sprint, meaning you can use Sprint as GSM

Question: Can I use my cingular sim card in an unlocked verizon phone?
My cingular phone has stopped working and I am looking into buying a used unlocked phone off ebay. If I want to buy a unlocked verizon or sprint phone, will that work with my cingular sim card?

Answer: Verizon and Sprint utilize the CDMA network. As a result, they do not use SIM cards. SIM cards are unique to only GSM carriers, such as AT&T and T-Mobile. As a result, there truly is no such thing as an unlocked Verizon phone as the phone is programmed specifically to use on the Verizon network. Likewise for Sprint.

To ensure you get a proper phone, purchase an unlocked GSM phone.

Question: How do I set up an unlocked phone?
I really want to buy this unlocked phone. When I get it what do I do. Do I just put my SIM chip in it and that’s it or is there something else.

Answer: Make sure the phone is unlocked and works on the GSM band supported by your carrier, after that all you need to do is swap the sim cards nothing else.

Question: Will All the features on an unlocked phone work?
I have a contract with t-mobile, but I am planning on buying an unlocked at&t i-phone from ebay. If I do buy the iphone, will I be able to use the features like internet, text msg, and all of the other iphone features? And also, will I just have to insert my t-mobile sim card in the iphone to get it to work?

Answer: Nobody can give you an absolute answer to that. The only thing that can be said with any certainty at all is that an unlocked device will make and receive calls. We can usually get text messaging working without too much trouble. Anything and everything data related is a crap shoot though. We may not be able to get any of it working or we may be able to get some things to work and not others. Definitely the visual voicemail will not work as this is an AT&T feature for the iPhone.

Question: Is it illegal to have an unlocked phone?
I want to buy an unlocked phone but i don’t want to get in trouble with my carrier…or the law.

Answer: No, it’s perfectly legal. But if something happens to the phone your carrier won’t help as you didn’t get it from them, so it’s not their problem.

Question: Can I receive picture messages on an unlocked phone?
I have AT&T. If I buy an unlocked phone that is originally on the T-Mobile network, will I be able to receive pic messages? I know I can send/receive txts without a problem but I am not sure about pics.

Answer: There is no promises you will receive picture messages. I know AT&T customers that used a tmobile phone on AT&T and picture messaging did not work. Most likely texting and calling features will only work.

Question: Can an unlocked phone still be used with myfaves?
I want to buy a refurbished Nokia 5300 Xpress Music Lilac that’s been unlocked. I have a t-mobile account with myfaves and wanted to know if the phone will still be compatible with myfaves even though it’s unlocked to be used on any GSM network?

Answer: Yes, it can. T-Mobile likes to claim you need to have a myfav’s phone, but the only reason for that is so you don’t mess up setting up your fav’s. Your fav’s can also be setup on the website.

Once they are setup, its strictly a billing issue (oh yeah, there’s the cute quick dialer, but its not a needed piece).

The big goal is so that you don’t think you have someone on your fav’s list, then your mad at t-mobile at the end of the month for running so many minutes because they really aren’t on your list.

Mobile phones use a card called a SIM card. This stands for Subscriber Information Module, and each one contains a unique serial number. The SIM card identifies the person who is using the phone. The mobile phone companies lock the phones so that a SIM card from another company can not be used. When your phone is leased from the company, this locking is fine, as you are supposed to use the phone’s network anyway, but when you are the owner of the phone, it might be a problem. It is not easy to sell a locked phone, and if you do sell it, you can expect a much lower price. The buyer will have to unlock it.

While most phones can be easily unlocked from your own home simply by downloading the proper software and the right code, Samsung unlocking is a bit more complicated and must be done in person by qualified techs. There are quite a number of websites that sell the codes to unlock the phones. Some of these companies will allow you to mail your phone to them, and they will do the Samsung unlock for you, and then they will be returned. During this operation, the SIM card is not needed and you may borrow another phone, and use card in it.

The unlocking company will normally be able to unlock the Samsung phone, and return it by several choices of transport. The return package can be by regular mail or by express mail. The total cost for this service usually runs in the neighborhood of twenty five dollars. The work done is guaranteed 100% by the service provider.

There is a great deal of competition between the networks providing cell phone service. In many cases this competition is good, and it benefits the customer. It has led to the amazing number of features that have taken cell phones past being merely phones to being cameras, internet terminals, and music centers. The concept of locked phones is not one of these good benefits, but a way to restrict the customer, and force him to use one service. Although Samsung makes good phones, they have gone the furthest to lock those phones. They can be unlocked, however, and if you own the phone, you certainly will want to do it. The Samsung may be harder than most to unlock, but it is not impossible.

Natalie Aranda writes about technology. While most phones can be easily unlocked from your own home simply by downloading the proper software and the right code, Samsung unlocking is a bit more complicated and must be done in personal by qualified techs. There are quite a number of websites that sell the codes to unlock the phones. Some of these companies will allow you to mail your phone to them, and they will do the Samsung unlock for you, and then they will be returned. During this operation, the SIM card is not needed and you may borrow another phone, and use card in it.

Unlocked Phone FAQ:

Question: Can you buy an unlocked phone online and put your sim card in it and have it work?
I’m currently with Unicel (a small washington town service provider that shares towers with cingular) and I recently broke my phone, a Sony Ericsson W300i. I found the most amazing phone online, a Sony Ericsson Z610i, except I’m not certain this phone will even work in the US.

Answer: I purchased my phone unlocked and use it with T-Mobile service – works out great for me. Call your service provider and ask what frequencies they use. Usually phones are tri-band or quad-band. Your phone is a tri-band. So as long as your service uses one or all of the three that the phone uses, you’ll be good to go.

Question: What are the benefits of buying an unlocked phone?
I heard that you can buy the Blackberry Storm (a phone I’m really interested in) unlocked, for a higher price than the locked one. What’s the benefit of doing this, cheaper monthly plans or what? I don’t plan on using it for calls that much (but still a little), but mainly just texting and using the multimedia features and web browser.

Answer: An unlocked phone can take SIM cards from any service provider that uses SIM cards. The main benefit would be for people who want to use the phone but their service provider doesn’t offer the phone, travel internationally (they can purchase foreign SIM cards and not pay international roaming fees), and those who will want to sell their phone in the future (an unlocked phone is worth much more money).

The unlocked phone will not have any different features on it or reduce the price of a rate plan.

Question: Where is the best place to get an unlocked cell phone?
My cell phone, a basic V220 from Motorola, is pretty much on it’s last legs. The screen is damaged, the antenna is gone, and the camera works about half the time. I am not looking for anything fancy, I just want a reliable, durable unlocked phone that I don’t have to take a bank loan to buy.

Answer: You can try ebay, craigslist or amazon.

Question: If I have a wi-fi enabled cell phone that is unlocked do I have to buy minutes from anyone to use wi-fi only?

Answer: Wifi is free, you do not need to buy minutes from anyone to use it. You could even use the phone for Wifi without putting a SIM card in but the phone might have the annoying message ‘Insert SIM’ but usually/hopefully it won’t.

Question: How do you use a phone that is supposed to be Unlocked?
I bought a unlocked phone from e-bay and I tried putting in the numbers provided on the back of the phone. The problem is Alltel uses hex numbers and stuff like that. This phone doesn’t provide this. So what do I do send the phones back or try calling Alltel and see if they would do something which I probably doubt.

Answer: Alltel uses CDMA signal technology, like Sprint and Verizon. The entire phone is tied to the network through what is called the ESN, and you cannot just change carriers from one to other without resetting the firmware in the phone. This doesn’t actually “unlock” the phone, it changes the lock from one carrier to the other, still using the same signal type. So you can “flash” the firmware between Sprint and Cricket, but at that point the phone will *only* work on Cricket.

A phone that is “unlocked” is normally associated with a GSM network, like TMobile or AT&T. The account is tied to the SIM card, and can be removed from the phone and placed into another phone, and still work. While the phones are not tied to the account, the phones ARE tied to a network.

Check the listing for the phone you bought, because there is something not right.

Question: Can I keep my phone number if I activate an unlocked phone?
I’m looking to get an unlocked phone. I had T-Mobile before and now I have verizon. I’m probably going to reactivate my T-Mobile SIM card but is it possible to keep my current phone number?

Answer: You will have to port your number to T-Mobile, but you will be able to keep the same number.

Question: Can I upgrade my cell phone with an unlocked phone? Will it still work the same?
I currently have a motorola v3 razr and want to upgrade to a newer version like the Razr v3i; Cingular won’t let me upgrade until next year but if I purchase an unlocked phone and switch out my sim card will it still function normally? Or do I have to stay with the current version I’ve been using?

Answer: If you saved every thing on your sim card then of corse you can upgrade. If you had t-mobile all you would have to do is pay a little cost (depending on what kind of phone you want) and upgrade.

Question: How do I activate an unlocked phone when I don’t have a sim card?
For example: what if it is a W510 Motorola and it is an unlocked phone but I don’t have a sim card for t-mobile.

Answer: Any GSM phone needs a sim card to work. The phone should already been activated, just pop in the sim card.

There are two major communication systems used for cell phones. The CDMA system is a coded response system that ties a phone and its user together to a particular system and to a particular number. The CDMA system is widely used in the United States and a few other countries in the World. The second system is known as GSM. This stands for the Global System for Mobile Communication. The GSM system is becoming more popular in the United States and is the common standard in over two hundred other countries in the World.

The GSM cell phone uses a SIM card to communicate with a particular network. The network providers have the ability to lock the cell phone so that it will not respond to a SIM card from an alternate provider. They do this for competitive purposes, but the practice is deemed unfair by many. When the cell phone is purchased and owned an individual, he should have the ability to change the SIM card and use the phone on any network that he prefers to use. This allows the phone to be used when traveling, especially in foreign countries without paying excessive roaming charges.

So, the question is: how to unlock a cell phone? The first step is to determine the type of phone. If it is a CDMA phone, it does not use a SIM card and there is no need to unlock it. The second step, once you are sure it is a GSM phone, is to determine if it is really locked. The simple way to do this is to borrow a SIM card from a friend with a different service provider and see if this SIM card works in your phone. If you insert the new SIM card, and the phone thinks it is now your friend’s phone, it is not locked. If it is locked, you will get some sort of error message.

The next step is to explore the internet and find a reputable company that provides the unlocking code. The company will charge a rather nominal fee to email you the code. The code merely needs to be keyed into the phone to unlock it. You will usually get a rather encouraging message from the phone itself, but in any case, you can test it by using another SIM card as you did in the previous determination process.

Unfortunately, some models of cell phones can not be unlocked with a simple code. The cell phone unlock service that provides the codes can determine if your model can be unlocked by code or not. If not, the phone needs to be connected to a piece of hardware via a USB cable to be unlocked. You will need to send the phone away to have this done although this can usually be done rather quickly in an emergency. You can all purchase the hardware and the unlocking software and do it yourself. This method might be the more expensive choice.

An unlocked cell phone is the basic right of its owner. The locking of a GSM phone to make it impossible to choose your own provider is an unfair practice. Fortunately, this is one injustice that can easily be corrected.

Natalie Aranda is a freelance writer. So, the question is: how to unlock a cell phone? The first step is to determine the type of phone. An unlocked mobile phone is the basic right of its owner. The locking of a GSM phone to make it impossible to choose your own provider is an unfair practice.

Unlocked Phone FAQ:

Question: What happens when a contract on an unlocked phone expires?
Are you free to maintain service with your current carrier or can you switch to a different carrier? Will there be an issue unlocking the phone again? I want to purchase an unlocked phone and be able to use it for more than two years with no hassles.

Answer: You will be on a month to month with your current carrier…no contract. You can switch to a different carrier at any time with no penalty. You will be able to use the same phone. You only have to unlock the phone once and it’s good.

Question: How do I get an unlocked phone to take my sim card mobile provider?
I recently bought a unlocked blackberry storm and when I turned it on, the phone can still call out and is still on a plan. When I put in my sim card I could transfer my phone book but the phone did not switch to my tmobile service. My phone number does not appear and it still says verizon. How do I get my sim card to override the verizon plan or do I have to wait til verizon turns off the service to the phone?

Answer: If you’re putting your SIM card into the phone it will be using your service and not anyone elses.

When companies lock phones they generally install company software on it. That’s why you may be seeing Verizon branding on the phone despite using the T-Mobile service. It doesn’t mean you’re using Verizon, it just means that the branding is Verizon. As a note, you may need to enter in settings for the T-mobile service if you’re planning on using internet/sms/mms on the phone since the Verizon information should block you from using those services.

Question: Do the new unlocked phones work for the wireless cell phone company Verizon? If so which company works?

Answer: CDMA networks do not use sim cards and only the carrier’s own phone will work on its network. The major CDMA networks are Sprint and Verizon.

Unlocked GSM phones will work on any GSM network. The major GSM networks are AT&T and T-Mobile.

Question: How can I unlock my 3 sim card so I can use it in an unlocked phone?

Answer: Sim cards are not locked. The phone itself is. So if you purchased an unlocked phone theres nothing you need to do except put the sim in it and start talking!

The only thing you will have to do is get the internet settings as well as the picture messaging setting for your carrier. Without it, you will not be able to go on the internet or send/receive picture messages. To do this, just call your service provider from a different phone and talk to tech support so they can help you put the settings in it.

Question: Can I have an unlocked cell phone locked to a particular service?
I’m experiencing probs with my recent ebay purchase of an unlocked phone jumping from service to service (T-Mobile, Cingular) and dropping calls. My understanding is that this can be an issue with unlocked phones. I basically want this problem fixed.

Answer: I’m afraid an unlocked phone can’t be locked again. Also, this wouldn’t be the issue with why you’re having difficulties with your service. All your phone is doing is searching for the strongest signal, T-Mobile and Cingular are both options for your phone to use, it’s just trying to keep the stronger of the two. Most likely the phone you purchased on ebay has issues, antenna issues most likely. Depending on the sort of phone it is, you might see if you can replace the antenna, it may have been dropped which jars the electronica inside, and can cause general problems, and might have frankly been the reason for unloading it on ebay to begin with. Taking it to a local sales office or calling customer service to explain your issues are your best options at this point.

Question: How do I get verizon to turn on my unlocked phone?
I am a verizon customer but I want a phone they don’t offer (The sony walkman phone). I’ve recently read that the Walkman phone is GSM and it may not work if my carrier is NOT GSM. Is verizon GSM?

Answer: Currently, Verizon does not support GSM phones. It uses CDMA technology. Do not buy a GSM phone unless you would like to use it with a different provider.

Question: What is the difference between a locked and an unlocked phone?
I live in an area where Cingular is the only option for cell phone, but I really want a Sidekick 3. If I buy an unlocked Sidekick 3 and put my Cingular sim card in it, will it work in my area?

Answer: An unlocked phone is one that the carrier (T-Mobile) imposed subsidy lock has been removed. That being said in the sidekick 3 works on the 850, 1800 & 1900 frequencies so you should encounter little challenge with reception.

Question: How can you program an unlocked cell phone to Cingular?
I bought an unlocked phone off of ebay and it won’t pick up signal anywhere. Someone told me it is because all the cell phone companies use different frequencies and I need to program it to the carrier I have. I have Cingular and would really like to get this phone to work, because if not, then I just wasted $180!

Answer: Take it in to your cingular dealer…they can program the phone to work for you and they should do it for free.