By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2010-12-27 11:41:15 | Word Count: 664
There are many advantages to purchasing an unlocked cell phone:
1. You will have freedom from the usual tether your cell phone carrier imposed on you by locking your phone to their network in the first place.
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2. You can switch out the SIM card of a free, but unattractive phone provided by your new carrier, so that you can still use your beloved old phone with the new plan.
3. You can switch carriers without having to eat the cost of the phone if you are dissatisfied with the service provider.
4. You can enroll in one of the no-contract, prepaid plans available just about anywhere nowadays, without fear that you will have to buy a new phone.
5. You have reliability when you travel overseas that your phone is compatible with global networks.
With all these benefits, you might be asking where you can buy an unlocked cell phone and if there are any drawbacks. Well, there is one; being new phones, the prices at many retailers are close to full retail.
Of course, that’s only if you buy in a brick and mortar store, or if you are buying your unlocked phone directly from the manufacturer. Fortunately, the internet abounds with cell phone merchants who can bring you brand new unlocked phones at discounted prices.
You have to do your homework though. If you are looking on the internet and an eBay result comes back, read reviews about the seller to make sure you aren’t going to be ripped off. Many people try to sell phones that have been unlocked, not brand new phones still in their unlocked state.
The problem is that if they’re not selling you a new phone, the used ‘unlocked’ one will not have all its functions available to you. Some of the features and / or software offered on cell phones from specific carriers only function if the phone is used on that carrier’s network. Basically, the phones were tampered with by the manufacturer, to make them conform to what the specific carrier wanted to offer customers.
If you want an unlocked phone that has all its original features available to you, you have to make sure you are buying a NEW unlocked phone. Stay away from internet sites that look shady or that don’t offer an explicit guarantee that the unlocked phone they’re selling you is a new one.
That being said, if you are ready to purchase, there are many reputable companies selling new unlocked phones at a drastically discounted prices—much lower than you’d find at your local mall or even in cell phone carrier store.
Take advantage of the many benefits an unlocked cell phone can offer you. Visit ConfigureMyphone.com for more information about getting the best brands for a lot less money.
