Unlock Cell Phone

Unlock Cell Phone

People unlock cell phones so they can choose the cellular service provider that offers them the best service at the best price.

Does your cellular service provider offer the services you want at the price you want? Most likely not.

Unfortunately, most cell phones are sold with programming that prevents you from freely choosing a cellular service provider. It's like buying a refrigerator with a plug that only can use electricity from Florida Power and Light. It's almost beyond belief that cell phones can be sold that way, but they are.

Most Cell Phones are Locked

Cell phones are actually small, specialized computers with a display screen and a keypad or keyboard. These small computers can use a variety of programs (cell phone apps) and perform a variety of functions like making and receiving calls, texting, taking pictures and so on.

You normally buy a cell phone that is programmed to work on only one cellular service provider's network. The identification of the network and your personal cell phone number are stored on a removable SIM card. The subscriber identity module (or SIM card) is a removable card that contains a small memory module that identifies you and a network. This allows the network to track your usage statistics so you receive accurate bills each month.

But, the important point is that the cell phone's programming often looks for a "key" or code on the SIM card that identifies the network being used. Locked cell phones will connect only with a cellular service provider identified by a specific key. Cell phones usually come programmed to indicate that they not recognize SIM cards that identify other cellular service providers.

So, how can you get a cell phone to connect to the cellular service provider of your choice?

There are two options. First, purchase a cell phone that is not locked. Second, you can unlock your cell phone and obtain a SIM card from your chosen cellular network provider.

Here are some great choices for buying an unlocked cell phone:

And, here is exactly how to unlock a cell phone:

Global Unlock

Unlocking Your Cell Phone is Easy

Most people are more interested in getting their current cell phone to work with another network. So, they want to know how to unlock their cell phone. Most cell phones can be unlocked fairly easily.

To unlock a cell phone you will need to alter the program stored in the cell phone so it does not check for a particular cellular network. This is not as hard as it sounds.

By pressing a certain sequence of keys on the keypad you gain access to the programming and can change the program so it does not check for a specific carrier. Unfortunately, the program for each manufacturer is different. And, even within similar models from a manufacturer, programs differ slightly.

The only way you can unlock your particular cell phone is to use the exact sequence of key presses that work for that brand and model cell phone. Using an incorrect sequence of key presses could change another part of the program and make your cell phone totally useless.

Various groups have perfected they key press sequences and sell the exact sequence online. This is the safest way to unlock your cell phone so you can use the cellular service provide of your choice.

Now that your cell phone is unlocked, you can use it with any cellular service provider.

Global Unlock

Several sites claim permanent iPhone unlock solution without jailbreak (Jonathan S. Geller/BGR)

Jonathan S. Geller / BGR:
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EFF Wins New Legal Protections for Video Artists, Cell Phone Jailbreakers, and Unlockers (Richard/Electronic Frontier Foundation)

Richard / Electronic Frontier Foundation:
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Michael Rose / TUAW:
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Google phone with T-Mobile contract in Jan: source (Reuters)

Reuters:
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Unlocking the unlocked cell phone market (Marguerite Reardon/CNET News)

Marguerite Reardon / CNET News:
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T-Mobile to “Open Up” T-Zones? (Sascha Segan/Gearlog)

Sascha Segan / Gearlog:
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