What are Unlocked Smartphones?
Unlocked smartphones are smartphones which have the potential capability to be used on any wireless network, rather than being tied to a specific carrier. The advantage of purchasing unlocked smartphones is that the consumer can exercise more choice about the type of plan used, and it is also very easy to switch between carriers if different services are needed, or if the user wants to travel. The disadvantage is that the consumer usually needs to pay full retail price, in contrast with getting a steeply discounted phone in combination with a service contract from a specific network. The practice of locking phones is designed to enforce customer loyalty by making it hard to leave a particular network. Consumers started rebelling against the practice in the early 2000s, often specifically because of the desire to change networks with a smartphone. Locked phones are phones which have been programmed so that they can only be used with a particular provider. In some cases, the programming
Unlocked smartphones are smartphones which have the potential capability to be used on any wireless network, rather than being tied to a specific carrier. The advantage of purchasing unlocked smartphones is that the consumer can exercise more choice about the type of plan used, and it is also very easy to switch between carriers if different services are needed, or if the user wants to travel. The disadvantage is that the consumer usually needs to pay full retail price, in contrast with getting a steeply discounted phone in combination with a service contract from a specific network. The practice of locking phones is designed to enforce customer loyalty by making it hard to leave a particular network. Consumers started rebelling against the practice in the early 2000s, often specifically because of the desire to change networks with a smartphone.
