what can you do with a unlocked phone?
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Unlocking a smartphone allows it to accept a SIM card from a different carrier so that the user can make phone calls, send text messages, and use the new carrier's mobile network.
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['Unlimited nationwide talk.', 'Unlimited domestic and international messaging (SMS/MMS).', 'Unlimited 4G LTE smartphone data.', 'Unlimited 3G Smartphone Mobile HotSpot (SMHS).', 'Mobile Without Borders – use your phone in Mexico and Canada like you do in the US.', '200 MB domestic data roaming.']
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An unlocked iPhone can be used on any network, while a locked handset is tied to just one. The iPhones you pay full price for (typically from the Apple Store) are unlocked by default. But an iPhone bought from a network, usually as part of an ongoing network plan, will be locked.
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Note: Only your current service provider can unlock the phone. Virgin Mobile can't unlock another provider's phones. You will still be able to use your phone after it is unlocked – but it will be ready to move to Virgin Mobile when the time is right. Check to see if you are eligible to bring our own device.
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Locked means the device is locked to a particular carrier, and the device will only work on their network. Unlocked, means the device is not locked to a particular carrier and can work on other networks. Unlocked devices will work on other GSM networks that support the frequencies the iPhone operates on.
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What's the difference between a locked and unlocked phone? The difference is that a locked phone has a software code on it that prevents you from using it on another network. ... Once a device is unlocked, you can pop out the SIM card and put in a different SIM and get service.
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If you bought your Android phone from Optus on a postpaid plan, unless it was a MotoBlur, then it's already unlocked. ... Telcos subsidise the price of prepaid phones, and as such, lock them to their network. You can get your prepaid Android unlocked from the Optus network.
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Unlocking my Phone A non-Lucky Mobile phone needs to be unlocked and compatible with our network before we can activate your Lucky Mobile SIM Card. If you bought your phone from another provider, there's a good chance that it's locked. You will need to contact your previous provider to have them unlock your phone.
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And carriers such as T-Mobile offer apps that unlock phones. Before you unlock your phone, though, make sure it's compatible with the new carrier's network. Verizon and Sprint use a standard called CDMA, and AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM.
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Unlocking process: “If customers have a locked TELUS or Koodo device, they can call us to have it unlocked at no charge; if they are visiting one of our stores, a TELUS team member will provide them with instructions on how to have their devices unlocked.”
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If you bought or lease a phone from Straight Talk, it will be locked so you can only use it with the Straight Talk network. However, you should be able to request an unlock after 12-months of service.
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Handsets offered for sale by TracFone (with the exception of iPhones) are locked to TracFone service, and not technically capable of being unlocked. ... Customers must request this interim unlocking solution while their service is active or within 60 days after their active service days expire.
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Most cell phones sold in North America—especially on contract—are “locked” to a particular cellular carrier. You can only use them on that carrier's network, so you can't switch to another carrier without “unlocking” the phone first.
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Most of the phones bought in the US are locked to particular carrier. There is also an unlocked version for the USA that was released in July. Unlocked versions should be able to activated on any carrier. The international version doesn't quite support all of the bands that US carriers use, but almost all of them.
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A SIM free phone can come locked or unlocked. If it is unlocked, then any SIM card that physically fits will work. If it is locked, then you must insert a matching SIM or unlock the phone. All phones sold on Mobile Fun are both SIM free and unlocked, meaning they come without a SIM card, and will work on all networks.
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If you're unsure whether your Verizon phone is unlocked or not, the easiest way to check is to insert a SIM card from another carrier. If your Verizon phone is locked, you won't be able to use a SIM card from another carrier.
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Are Straight Talk Phones Unlocked? If you bought or lease a phone from Straight Talk, it will be locked so you can only use it with the Straight Talk network. However, you should be able to request an unlock after 12-months of service.