FAQ

Frequently asked questions about unlocked cellphones

What is an locked cellphone?

A locked cellphone is one which has been modified by the cellular provider in order to prevent the insertion of a SIM card of any other network. To be more precise, you can insert any SIM card you want, but it won’t work!

Why lock a cellphone?

Have you noticed how cheap a cellphone can be when you get it complete with a contract from one of the big cell companies? Sometimes they’re practically giving them away! That’s because the cell carrier has heavily subsidised the price of the phone to get you on board, so they don’t want you going off to another phone company and using that phone.

You may also know that certain models, not least the Apple iPhone, are only available through one carrier – AT&T in the US and O2 in the UK for example. No, you can’t buy them as a standalone handset and you can’t buy them through any other provider. Apple have done exclusive deals with these carriers and so do other phone producers. They likewise don’t want you using their exclusive phone model with another provider!

So they SIM-lock the phone so you can’t.

Isn’t locking cellphones against consumer laws, or something?

In short, no – not a single country, with the current exception of Belgium and Singapore, has a law against this practice.

What’s an unlocked phone?

An unlocked cellphone is one which has been remodified, or demodified, if you like, so that it is NOT tied exclusively to one network anymore. How is it done? Well, don’t worry about that too much – it’s not difficult, most phones have unlock codes and these quickly get found out. Some phones, like the iPhone have to be hacked by software and hardware means before they can be unlocked, but that usually takes the “experts” all of 2 days after the release of a new model. These then end up as “brand new”, or “nearly new” on the market. Some of the models sold as unlocked phones are simply factory-supplied phones, sourced from the manufacturer, which never were locked to a network in the first place.

Are UNLOCKED cellphones illegal, then?

In short, again, no. The longer answer is that it is a slightly gray market, but that in most countries hardly anyone is getting into trouble for this. Under US law (the Digital Millenium Copyright Act), modification of proprietary software or firmware IS illegal, but in 2006 the Copyright Office issued some exemptions to this – one of which was the unlocking of mobile phones for the purpose of connection to a network. Now, that hardly extends to selling them on eBay, but the point is mostly moot at the moment… So do NOT take this as legal advice, but you don’t have much to worry about in buying an unlocked phone.

Where can I buy an unlocked phone?

We’re glad you asked! There is a thriving market on eBay for new, unlocked phones – you can find just about any model that’s out there. Here at NewAndUnlocked.com we have collected the best of eBay unlocked phones for you in one place. Just browse through our right-hand menu by phone make or model, or use the search bar at the top of the page to find what you are looking for quickly. You can also use the search option if there is a cellphone model we do not currently feature on our pages.

You will then be presented with a selection of phones currently available through eBay and you can click any of them to see further details. You will also be able to browse additional models on eBay itself.