You may have heard of services and apps that are dedicated to unlock phones for users. What do these do exactly? Well, first, you have to know the answer to this question?
What is an Unlocked Phone?
Basically, an unlocked phone is one that is not locked into a specific carrier; usually bound by a contract. With such a phone, you are not limited to availing of certain plans and cell phones offered by your carrier. Also, these phones do not have a bunch off pre-installed carrier applications that cannot be deleted. Not to mention, you have the freedom to choose which carrier you will use for the said phone.
Why is it Advantageous?
You may wonder why you would not want to avail of a locked-in phone. Usually these come in affordable plans that guarantee you that you will get your hands on a high quality phone immediately. However, this is only attractive on a surface level. When you dive into the details, you will see that the advantages of an unlocked phone far outweigh those of a locked-in phone. In fact, it offers users more freedom to use their phones in any way they’d like. Here is the list of advantages:
- You Save More Money
Despite what the carriers tell you, you actually save more money with an unlocked phone. These may cost more at the moment because it requires full payment upfront. However, if you choose to go for a less expensive plan with the said phone, you will actually spend less over two years – the usually time of the contract of locked phones.
- Use During International Trips
They are great to use for international trips because they can be used with any SIM. When a locked phone is used on such a trip, the roaming charges of the contracted carrier may be really expensive. So the user must either pay a lot or not use the phone at all. In an unlocked phone, you can switch it out with a SIM from a local carrier in the country you’re visiting. By doing this, you can enjoy full service at affordable prices.
- No Contracts
Nothing spells freedom more than “no contract”. You will be free to choose whatever payment plan you want and what network provider you want. The best part is there will be no penalties when you decide to switch providers or terminating plans.
- Bigger Resale Value
Locked phones don’t value much in the 2nd hand market. Why? Because of the lack of freedom. By selling a phone that can only work with one provider, a big portion of your market is already gone. 2nd hand unlocked phones, however, are attractive to buyers because they can easily use them straight away.
Key Takeaway
Clearly, there are more benefits to owning an unlocked phone. If you have a locked one, then don’t fret. All you need to do is get a SIM network unlock pin and you can unlock your phone.