What are the benefits of unlocking my phone?
Skip contentThere are several very good reasons why you should unlock your phone:
- You can keep your current phone
- You are not tied to one Service Provider
- You can use any network
- You are free to use SIM cards from networks that are cheaper
- Use SIM cards from cheaper local Service Providers when roaming abroad
- If you buy a new locked phone, you can unlock your old one and use the same SIM card in both (i.e. use your old phone as a spare)
- The second-hand value of unlocked phones is greater
When you have a multi-band phone that will work in many countries, then it makes sense to take it with you when travelling, and there comes the problem. If your provider locked the phone, then you cannot use local SIM cards in the countries you visit. It is usually a lot cheaper to use these foreign cards than to pay the charges required by the service provider back home. International travellers will gain a lot from having an unlocked phone, and it could be that your current provider has no roaming agreement in certain countries, meaning that you will not be able to use your phone at all while you are in those countries. International roaming charges can be a lot more expensive than simply buying a local SIM card when you arrive in a foreign country.
Resale values of unlocked phones will be higher, simply because they can be used with any provider rather than being limited to one particular provider.
