Unlocked phones

10 years ago

Not sure if I am using the correct lingo but someone was telling me that smartphones come as carrier unlocked phones.... so you can use them with any wireless carrier (I am not talking about locking passwords and that kind of thing).

How does that actually work? I recall being on carrier websites before and have not seen any place where it says anything about the phone being locked or what.

If I understood, it sounds like every smartphone should be unlocked so one can easily change carriers if the phone plans get too expensive. Are all smartphones sold like that?

Featured Answer

jrb451

10 years ago

If you finance a phone with a "carrier" it will not be unlocked. After paying it off you can request to be sent a code that will unlock your phone. You can continue with that carrier or switch to another provided they use the same cellular technology (CDMA or GSM) as your phone. You can also purchase an unlocked phone but you must pay the entire cost upfront as they aren't financed.

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Comments (17)

zep516
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Might have a read here, the topic is somewhat dated though..

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/unlocking-your-new-smartphone-is-now-illegal-what-you-need-to-know/
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Elmer J Fudd
10 years ago
Your experience will vary depending on the carrier and contract (or not) that you use.

You can buy unlocked phones with no strings attached though few people do - they cost upwards of $500.

If you have something specific in mind, go visit each of the following: ATT, Sprint, and Verizon stores (company stores, not authorized distributors) - tell them what you want to do, they'll tell you your options.

When buying a phone with a payment plan of one kind or another, sometimes you can save a few bucks at Costco.
luis_pr thanked Elmer J Fudd
luis_pr
Original Author
10 years ago
jrb451, I figure I could go to an Apple Store to get an unlocked phone then but, for example, if I were to decide for an Android Phone, were would I go. I do not think I have ever seen the equivalent of Apple Stores for Samsung, LG, etc. Would those be available elsewhere??

Elmer, thanks for the Costco suggestion. I need to go to both Sams and Costco so I may ck them out.
Elmer J Fudd
10 years ago
If you're interested in the unlocked phone option, get your information from each carrier before you go to Costco. In my experience, the people there are just sales people (from a distributor, not from the company) who can speak only about whatever phones and plans they have in their booth to sell. They are not good information sources about options, plans, system matters or policies generally available from different carriers.
haldd
10 years ago
I have a factory unlocked LG G4 and also a carrier unlocked LG G3. A carrier unlocked phone just means that a new simm card will allow it to work on any carrier network. In my experience, starting with an unlocked carrier phone, some features of the phone may still not work, and carrier apps may interfere with features of the phone. A factory unlocked phone generally means there is no carrier specific software on the phone, and any features the phone has will generally work. For instance, my phones feature a built-in fm radio; you plug in ear phones and the wire serves as the antenna. This feature does not work and is not installed on T-Moble and ATT flavors of my phones. My experience is that I prefer a factory unlocked phone. Carrier software can be very annoying and impossible to remove, and make features of a phone impossible to use. The downside to a factory unlocked phone is that all of your technical support comes from the phone maker, not the carrier, which is to say, if you have a software problem, chances are it is with the carrier or Google. My experience with a factory unlocked phone on ATT has been excellent and dealing with Google has been excellent. I had terrible issues when I was with Verizon and T-Moble. ATT actually costs me less...

I also have a LG G3 that is ATT branded. I'm happy with it. I have 2 cell phones, several tablets, and a Chromebook, all linked to my single Google account. It works great for me.
haldd
10 years ago
I forgot to mention, factory unlocked phones can be purchased online and at stores like Fry's in California. I noticed yesterday that BestBuy had an unlocked phone display...
Elmer J Fudd
10 years ago
I'm not sure what you're saying about Google, haldd. Gmail apps and services work on any kind of device, any mobile carrier, any SIM card connection or wifi only and no SIM card connection, it doesn't matter at all.

I have an unlocked Verizon iPhone which works great when abroad with a foreign SIM card of any kind but i was told just a few weeks ago that they block connection to other carriers in the US, for example, no ATT no using an ATT SIM card, even if the phone has no remaining contract obligation with Verizon. Is that their policy, is that what to expect? I don't know, but this recent experience is why I advised luis to check directly with each company to find out directly from each horse's mouth what to expect.
luis_pr
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
I think he may be referring to the Google Nexus 5x and 6P phones. Made by Huawei I think.
haldd
10 years ago
Elmer, I'm not sure why you're confused. I said that my experience with Google tech support was good. Google apps do work on most devices, but occasionally there may be issues. If you have a Google app that conflicts with a Carrier App you'll be calling Google or the carrier. Some carriers like ATT don't seem to have a problem helping you if you have a factory unlocked phone, while my experience with T-Moble and Verizon was that their tech support wouldn't help.

Maybe you're confused about simm cards? You need a carrier specific simm card for your phone to work with a carrier; the simm card has little to do with whether your phone is locked or unlocked; the simm card is the link to the service you're buying from your carrier. Your unlocked Verizon phone will probably work on ATT or T-Mobile if you buy a simm card for those carriers. I say probably, because it also depends on if your phone meets other carrier requirements. For instance, a few months ago I had a carrier unlocked phone on T-Mobile, but it couldn't be transferred to Verizon because the network requirements were different.

Rereading everything, I think we are in agreement about the advice to Luis. Do check with the carriers before you make a decision. I was just giving information about my experience with factory unlocked and carrier unlocked phones. My comments apply to Android phones, specifically to the LG G3 and G4. I'd need more information about about your carrier unlocked Apple Iphone before I could comment.
Elmer J Fudd
10 years ago
Okay, I'll be more direct. I believe some of what you've said is incorrect and conflicts with what I was told by Verizon about 10 days ago. I'm not confused at all.
haldd
10 years ago
Ok. What's incorrect? What conflicts? Luis should check with the carriers, we agree. I reread everything again and don't see any incorrect or conflicting advice. What unlocked Verizon phone do you have? What phone is Luis wanting to use?

I mentioned above, the local Bestbuy is now selling unlocked phones. When I was there it seemed prices were starting very low on many models. That would be a good place for Luis to ask questions.
Elmer J Fudd
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
haldd, it's my opinion that Best Buy is a horrible source for reliable and current mobile carrier-specific information. Or most any other information, for that matter. You're welcome to think otherwise.
mike_kaiser_gw
10 years ago
There's basically two kinds of unlocked phones - manufacturer and carrier. A manufacturer unlocked phone comes from the factory not tied to a particular carrier. A carrier unlocked phone was at one point tied to a carrier but now can be used with other carriers. That typically happens after you've paid the carrier for the phone, either outright or through a series of payments although in most cases you will have to ask the carrier to unlock the phone (they'd much prefer to keep you as a customer).

Most people who want an unlocked phone do so because they want a particular phone that isn't offered by a major carrier. Good examples of those would include Google's Nexus line. Sometimes people just want the freedom to move from carrier to carrier, although I'm not sure how much that actually happens.

The most important part of choosing an unlocked phone is that it works with the carriers(s) you want it to. Because of different technologies and radio frequencies being used, a phone that, for example, works with AT&T may not work with Verizon. The Google Nexus 5 is an example of that (but the current 5X works with all carriers). Also be careful when shopping online because there are "international" phones that may work fine in Europe but not here. One has to pay careful attention to the model numbers.

Frankly anyone looking to buy an expensive "flagship" phone like the iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy 7 might want to do the math and check with their preferred carrier for any promotions that may be available. Good choices in unlocked phones are more the "mid tier" phones like the Nexus 5X and 6P, Moto X and G, and OnePlus 3. All of those phones are factory unlocked and sold directly to consumers either through the manufacturer on online from places like Amazon. Because Google will be introducing new phones in the next couple of months, there are some great deals available on the 5X and 6P. There are also deals on the Moto X because Motorola (Lenovo) has just introduced new phones.

Personally I use a Google Nexus 5 and a AT&T GoPhone plan. The phone cost about $400 after taxes and delivery. 3 gigs of data plus unlimited text and calls costs me about $44 per month including taxes/fees. It's plenty of data for my needs and I've been quite pleased with the phone. While I could switch to Sprint or T-Mobile, I haven't seen the need to.

I'm kind of waiting for the new line of Nexus phones. Maybe I'll upgrade...
Elmer J Fudd
10 years ago
This sounds like info from someone who knows what he's talking about.

My inquiry referred to above with Verizon was about an "unlocked" iphone, not on contract, purchased from Verizon.
mike_kaiser_gw
10 years ago
The one drawback to a manufacturer unlocked phone is that if you have a problem the carrier generally can't, or perhaps more accurately, won't help. I had a problem maybe 18 months back when the phone suddenly dropped calls when on LTE. On 3G the phone worked just fine but data speeds were limited, of course. Nobody could explain it at the store, although they did try a few things and switched the SIM card. Support is pretty much limited to online forums and from what I could gather it was a regional problem, perhaps caused by AT&T doing some upgrades to their network. Of course, AT&T is blaming it on Google, and Google is blaming it on AT&T... Fortunately, the problem went away after about a week.
dchall_san_antonio
10 years ago
I want to get back to the off topic part of this discussion: buying at Sam's Club. I have bought my last 5 phones there and will be getting 3 upgrades there this coming fall. Why? Because the insurance is a better deal. You pay $99 up front for Square Deal insurance that lasts for 2 years. The alternative is to pay $8 per month (or whatever your carrier charges times 2 years would be $192). The Square Deal insurance covers water damage, which has come in handy on more than one occasion.

Dealing with Square Deal online has been a breeze. They ask a few
simple questions (how did it break) and then give you several choices of
how to get it fixed. The $65 deductible is paid online, and you can get it fixed at a local repair shop with no additional charges.

Unlocked phones

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