Unlocked Gsm Cell Phones

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GSM cell phones are those that work using the Global System for Mobile Communications network. This is opposed to a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) network, which 2G and 3G phones run on. CDMA phones allow multiple signals on one bandwidth, and are thus capable of loading data faster than GSM networks. This is great if you can’t stand waiting for your phone’s internet features to load, but it doesn’t give you much flexibility to change your carrier. CDMA phones simply cannot be unlocked and reused on a different network, so you will have to absorb the cost of the phone if you change networks.

The advantage of a GSM phone is that it uses SIM card (Subscriber Identification module) technology against the same companies who originally employed it to force loyalty from you by ‘locking’ your SIM card to only recognize their network. Unlocked phones can recognize any SIM card, from any carrier. So if you want a special phone but it is not available from your carrier, or you do not want to get a new carrier, you can get an unlocked version ...
... of the phone and put your old SIM card in it. This will enable you to keep your carrier. It also works the other way around; if you switch carriers, you can keep your old phone by replacing its SIM card with the one from the new carrier. This lets you keep the phone you love.

You can unlock your phone yourself by looking up how to do it and employing some good old fashioned trial and error. Or you can pay someone to do it for you. Some companies will require you to send them the handset, so you’ll be out of touch for a few days until you get your phone back. Others will ‘help’ you via email for a fee. They email you for information about your phone, and then once they get it, they send you step by step instructions on how to unlock it yourself. The downside is that many carriers have proprietary software loaded into the phone they sold you; once you unlock it, those proprietary features go away.

To ensure you have full usability of all of the phones features, buy a new one that comes unlocked. These are the same models you have been drooling over, but they have not been configured for a specific network carrier. They are still unlocked (their natural state), and have all their features fully accessible.

The drawback is that, as new phones, prices for them oftentimes approach full retail prices. That might not be too much of a problem if you never take the free phone when you sign up with a carrier, (perhaps you always end up wanting the fancy phone you have to pay extra for). Even if you do take the free or discounted phone when you sign up, or otherwise have a problem paying a retail price for a new phone, there are still options available to you. If you buy online, chances are you will be able to find a discounter of brand new unlocked phones. These you get downright cheap.

Unlocked GSM phones can be used on multiple carriers as well as with no contract pre-paid plans. They offer the most flexibility for your dollar.