What is an Unlocked Smartphone?
When shopping for a smartphone, some consumers will only buy a smartphone that is unlocked. An unlocked smartphone allows the user the freedom of not being tied down to a particular carrier or plan. The user then has the choice to shop for any phone and any plan as much as they want to. Another advantage is that these phones will not come with carrier pre-loaded software from AT&T, Verizon, Spirint or any other carrier that pre-loads software. This saves significant resources on the phone.
Another huge reason consumers like to purchase unlocked smartphones is using it when you travel internationally. If you are tied to a US carrier, the roaming rates in other countries can add up quickly. By owning an unlocked smartphone, you can purchase a sim card in the locality you are visiting, and you will pay the same rates as the locals. So, if you are taking a vacation to England, for example, take your unlocked iphone and purchase a SIM card when you arrive to get the savings.
The consumer may not see savings up-front because they are realized with the savings you will receive as you use your phone over time. The cost of an unlocked phone is a little more expensive than a phone that you may purchase from a carrier. However, if you use an unlocked phone, you will have the ability to use older plans for voice, text, and even data that will save you money in the long run. This allows the user to be able to purchase that Apple iPhone 7 Plus or the new Samsung Galaxy S7 and everything in between. It is also important to note that when you are ready to sell your phone for whatever reason, unlocked phones tend to have a higher resale value than phones that are tied to a carrier.
As mentioned above, after you purchase your unlocked smartphone, you will need to also purchase a sim card from the carrier you decide to use. SIM cards are chips that that contain the data for the carrier as well as some data stored from the smartphone itself. SIM cards for the most part are completely interchangeable. So, if you purchase a new unlocked phone, you can simply take the SIM card out of the old phone and install it in your new phone. Sometimes, SIM cards are slightly different in size from one phone to another. If this is the case, you will need to purchase a new SIM card. You can purchase SIM cards directly from the carriers, but you can also purchase them from some box stores like Best Buy.
We have focused on the many benefits of owning an unlocked phone. Not being tied down to a particular carrier and being able to get local rates if you travel internationally will basically pay for the phone with all the money you save. So, if flexibility and long term cost savings is your goal, an unlocked smartphone is something that you should definitely consider while shopping for a new phone.
