Imagine this scenario; you arranged a dinner blind date at 6PM. You are very excited what hearing nice refutation about this sweet lady you are going to meet for the first time. And then clock starts to strike six but she is still not there. So you pull out your phone and starts calling her over. Poof! Her phone network is not like yours. And then a message says, phone locked! What a bummer!



Indeed things like this happens and sometimes it is even on your precious thing called cell phone. Does locked cell phone ring a bell? Yes, it does. In technical term, it is called carrier lock, also known as a SIM lock or subsidy lock. So how does this happen and what to do? Let us discuss a bit about cell phone network systems.

There are two major communication systems used for cell phones, CDMA and GSM. CDMA system is a coded response that ties a phone and its user together to a particular system and to a particular number. CDMA is more popular in the United States.

GSM, which stands for the Global System for Mobile Communication, is the common standard in over 200 other countries in the World and is becoming more popular in the United States. GSM cell phone uses a SIM card to communicate with a particular network. The network provider has the option (and it uses this option often) to lock the phone so that it will not respond to a SIM card from an alternate provider. Network providers do this obviously for competitive purposes, but many have cried foul over this seemingly unfair practice. When the cell phone is purchased by an individual, he should have the ability to change the SIM card and use the unit on any network that he prefers to use. This gives the phone owner the power to use the same phone when traveling, especially in foreign countries without paying expensive roaming charges.

And so we are done with understanding how a locked cell phone occurs. So what to do when it happens? There are basically three ways and each of them demand excruciating amount of time to know your phone more and its system, search for help over the Net and then make calls you get the drift. So here is a better solution.

If you are still thinking of buying a cell phone, there is no need to worry about the unfair practice by network providers to lock your phone down. While it is possible to unlock a cell phone, many people opt to buy unlocked cell phones. Yes, you have that choice! The truth of it all is that there is tremendous competition between the various mobile phone service providers. Ergo, phone companies are most likely to lock you into using their service and this is the purpose for locking them. When you own an unlocked phone, you have the freedom to choose your own service - the stuff you need and the stuff that you just want.

GSM phones are invariably easier to unlock as compared to CDMA phones. But then again, in either case, buying an unlocked mobile phone makes more sense than purchasing a phone and then going through the problem of unlocking it later. So let us make the equation simple from hereon, buying unlocked phones is the only way to do. But before you take out cash from your pocket, ask the seller and make sure that they truly understand what it is you are asking of them. Once you have your unlocked phone, it is an easy matter to determine if it is truly unlocked. All you need to do is try it out and the phone will tell you its status. If it is unlocked you will be capable to use it to connect with whatever service you wish to use.