I don have a GSM phone, but will be traveling internationally so need one. Can I just buy an unlocked phone without signing up for service?
Yes, there are several ways to buy an unlocked phone without needing to sign up for a year or two of service that you mightn’t need. You can simply buy a used GSM phone on eBay or somewhere like that, but this is not without potential problems inherent in buying any used electronic equipment. If you do buy a used phone this way, check to confirm it truly is unlocked (to be kind to sellers, many sellers don’t understand exactly what locking is and so incorrectly describe their phones as unlocked) and check it will support the frequency bands used in the countries you’re likely to visit. Also consider buying a new battery, because batteries do wear out. You can also buy new unlocked phones. Telestial have a broad range of new unlocked phones. And, ahem, we now sell the very nice tri-band Motorola V66 ourselves, too. How do I unlock my phone There are two ways that a phone can be unlocked. If you are lucky, you have a phone that can be unlocked simply by keying a secret code into it. The
Yes, there are several ways to buy an unlocked phone without needing to sign up for a year or two of service that you mightn’t need. You can simply buy a used GSM phone on eBay or somewhere like that, but this is not without potential problems inherent in buying any used electronic equipment. If you do buy a used phone this way, check to confirm it truly is unlocked (to be kind to sellers, many sellers don’t understand exactly what locking is and so incorrectly describe their phones as unlocked) and check it will support the frequency bands used in the countries you’re likely to visit. Also consider buying a new battery, because batteries do wear out. You can also buy new unlocked phones. Telestial have a broad range of new unlocked phones.
Related Questions
- I don have a GSM phone, but will be traveling internationally so need one. Can I just buy an unlocked phone without signing up for service?
- Can I buy a used or unlocked phone for my plan with Verizon, or is this a right given only to those blessed with GSM carriers?
- Can you use an unlocked GSM cell phone with any GSM service provider?
