If you're in the market for a
new phone, it's often the case that you can save yourself a lot of cash by
buying your own hand set rather than going through a mobile phone service
provider. Phone companies make a lot of money by selling you phones on
contract, therefore buying your own phone and signing a SIM Only contract will
end up saving you a bundle. For example, buying yourself an iPhone can be a
cheap one off payment of a few hundred pounds, rather than adding double that
amount to your monthly bill over a two year contract. Particularly now, since
iPhone 4 prices have dropped dramatically after the release of the iPhone 5.
But you should be aware that not all phones work with all providers. iPhone 4
prices are pretty low with T-Mobile, for example, but a phone bought at
T-Mobile won't work with any other operator, even though Vodaphone may have a
better and cheaper plan for you. This is why your phone needs to be unlocked.
What is Unlocking?
Unlocking is the
use of a special code or special equipment to free your phone so that it can be
used on any network, including networks abroad. It is NOT illegal, although it
may void the warranty on your phone. There are certain advantages to having your
phone unlocked. Here we examine the details -
How Can I Do It?
It's
recommended that you don't do this yourself, although it is possible. Your
first step should be calling your current phone company and asking them how
much they charge to unlock handsets. With most companies this figure can be
anywhere from twenty to two hundred pounds, depending on the make and model of
your phone. The exception is Vodafone, who give customers unlocking PAC number
codes for free as long as they've been customers for at least a year. If your
company charges too much, you can always look around for someone else to do it
for you. Many phone repair shops, for example, also offer unlocking services.
What Benefits Do I Get?
The
benefit of unlocking your phone is that once unlocked your phone can be used
with any SIM card that you put in it. This includes foreign cards. If you go on
holiday for a couple of weeks, you can get a cheap SIM card from the country in
question and use your phone as you would at home without incurring heavy
roaming charges. It also means that you can pick and choose your own phone
plan, going with whichever company offers you the best rates for PAYG without
being tied down to one company's rates.
What Are the Down Sides?
As we
mentioned before, unlocking your phone may void your warranty, so it's best to
check that out first. Other than that, there really are no other negative
effects. In fact, unlocking even improves the resale value of your phone, since
unlocked phones retail on the second hand market for much higher prices than
locked phones. The benefits of unlocking more than outweigh the down sides, and
if your phone is locked it's very much worth looking into.
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