A couple of years ago, the Federal Communications Commission issued a directive to telecom carriers to ensure that smartphones could be unlocked. This is to encourage competition which is something that has been absent in the industry. There are only a few major players that dictate everything in the industry. If you buy a phone from a particular carrier, you’ll be stuck with them for the foreseeable future. What happens when you want to travel abroad? It could mean that you either pay for the roaming charges or buy another phone. There are a couple of reasons why you need to unlock your smartphone and we’re going to highlight some of them.
Traveling Intentionally
You’ll have to pay an arm and a leg if you intend to use a US wireless plan abroad. The cheaper alternative would be to get a local sim card, especially if you’ll be staying abroad for extended periods of time. You’ll want to unlock sim card so that it is easy to communicate without having to pay for the roaming charges.
Selling the Device
No one will want to buy a device that is locked to a particular carrier. They might be using a different wireless plan. In order to increase the chances of selling the device, you’ll have to make sure that it is unlocked. If you decide to sell your phone when it is locked, you might not get the price that you’re looking for. Make sure it is unlocked before first before putting it on the market. There are different tutorials on how to unlock the iPhone but it will be better if you look for an expert to help with the process.
Switching Providers
You could be thinking of switching providers because you get a better deal. This will be impossible if you have a locked device. Companies are moving away from contract plans to unlimited data. This means that consumers have choices because of the competitive advantages that come about because of the price wars. There could be a new unlimited plan that is too good to pass and you don’t want to be tied to a contract in order to get it. It will be a no brainer to unlock your phone in order to get the benefits. You just have to make sure you’re getting the right technician to help with the unlocking of the phone.
Easy to Replace Your Phone
If you own a smartphone for a long time, there is a chance that it will need to be repaired. It could be a broken screen or mechanical damage. It doesn’t matter if you go to Apple or someone else, you might have to wait for a while for the phone to be repaired. It will be easier to remove your sim card and put it in another phone as you wait for the repair to be done. This will also apply if you’re looking to replace the phone. You want the convenience to switch to a different phone without having to worry about being tied to one carrier.
The US wireless market is now more competitive than ever. This means that consumers are presented with an array of choices which might seem overwhelming. You don’t have to be tied to a particular plan just because of the attractive rates that the carrier provides. It is no secret that unlocked phones can be hard to come by. This is because carriers will include the phone in their plan and wouldn’t want users switching to another network provider with the same device.
The main reason why a carrier will lock the phone is so that you’re not moving to another provider. While it makes business sense, you’ll be stuck with the provider for the duration of the contract. What happens when the contract is over and you want to switch to another provider? The only solution would be to unlock the phone so that you can do whatever you please with it.
Having an unlocked phone will come with a couple of advantages. You can pop in another sim card without having to worry about if it is locked by a carrier.
Conclusion
Unlocking your phone will come with a lot of advantages. You’re not restricted to one wireless plan. You can also use your phone when abroad. You just have to be careful when choosing the phone technician so that you don’t end up damaging your phone. You might decide to do it on your own but the information out there will not be sufficient if you’re not savvy enough.
