Elements to Consider While Unlocking Mobile Phones

An unlocked mobile phone gives you the freedom of choice. This trend is getting popular around the globe. With an unlocked phone you have the freedom to choose your service provider. You can change the carrier anytime you want if you are not satisfied with the service. It is also easy to resell or pass on your phone to your family, friends or relatives. A locked phone will not be automatically unlocked after your contract expires with your carrier. You have to unlock it manually. Unlocking a phone is not that difficult but some things should be kept in mind while unlocking your phone.

•    You can take your phone to your local independent mobile store where you will be charged around $10 for the service. You can also do it yourself by using a special data cable and software but you must have some technical expertise if you opt for this route. The safest way to unlock your phone is to take it to your carrier and ask them to unlock it.

•    Most phones allow three attempts at unlocking and after three failed attempts, the phone locks permanently. Do not risk locking your phone by trying to unlock it yourself, especially if you are not quite sure of your abilities.

•    Some deceptive codes can exploit your software and lead to loss of mobile data. These codes can wipe out your contacts, apps, or emails or other important things.

•    Avoid using free codes from the internet. Most of them are malware and from unknown sources. They can brick your smartphone in addition to stealing your data and sensitive information.

•    It can take anywhere from 2 days to 30 days to unlock a phone through your service provider while an independent mobile store will take somewhere between 15 to 30 minutes.

•    Different service providers have different phone locking policies. Some already offer an unlocked phone if you buy a special offer or buy a phone after a particular date.

•    It is not illegal to unlock your phone by any means necessary but your warranty period will immediately expire. A new law in the United States says that carriers have to unlock the mobile phone after one year of activation.

•    Some service features may not work in unlocked phones as they are limited to locked phones.

The need to unlock your phone depends on your requirements. The whole idea behind unlocking a phone is to choose from different carriers. If you are not satisfied with the services and want to switch then it is best if you unlock your phone.

Nowadays, many independent mobile stores offer smartphone or mobile unlocking services. You can also review their prices and get a quote online by visiting their websites. You can choose the vendor you like and get your phone unlocked with their help.