Locked and Unlocked. How to tell?

Cotton123 · Apr 30, 2012

My fiance is selling her phone and as I was looking to see what it goes for on average, I noticed some were locked and others not. How can one tell if its one or the other? Are unlocked rooted phones? Also, whats the best way to wipe a phone clean of any info she may have but no access to? Thanks and sorry if this was the wrong place to post. Wasnt sure where it should be.

thanks in advance for any help

chanchan05 · Apr 30, 2012

Unlocked phones are ones that you can use on any carrier, provided they have the same GSM/3G bands.

Cotton123 · Apr 30, 2012

chanchan05 said:
Unlocked phones are ones that you can use on any carrier, provided they have the same GSM/3G bands.

Ok thanks. I figured it had to mean something along those lines but wasnt for sure. Hers was on t mobile but she left them and kept the phone. A guys told me they are compatible with at&t only I think. Either way, just wanted to know so I can put it in the ad for her. Thanks for the help and quick response.

sohguanh · Apr 30, 2012

Hmmm... it seems this practice varies among countries. In my country, there are 3 service providers and we can swap their SIM card among the same smart-phone and it will do fine. Possibly my country is very small and there is no need for such lock/unlock mechanism in place.

chanchan05 · May 1, 2012

sohguanh said:
Hmmm... it seems this practice varies among countries. In my country, there are 3 service providers and we can swap their SIM card among the same smart-phone and it will do fine. Possibly my country is very small and there is no need for such lock/unlock mechanism in place.

It doesn't vary I think. If the phone is bought from a service provider and it came with a contract, it will be locked to that provider. If you bought it straight up from a phone store for full price however, it won't be locked. The difference is that in the US, people tend to get their phones from providers instead of paying it outright.

Providers lock their phones as part of a contract agreement since some phones will be discounted or free from them inclusive of your contract. For example, my provider gave me a Galaxy Tab 7 Plus for free due to my contract. It's locked to that provider only for two years, because their earnings from my contract over two years would be the payment for the device. If they did not lock it, the people can just run off with the free phone without the company earning anything.

Cotton123 · May 1, 2012

chanchan05 said:
It doesn't vary I think. If the phone is bought from a service provider and it came with a contract, it will be locked to that provider. If you bought it straight up from a phone store for full price however, it won't be locked. The difference is that in the US, people tend to get their phones from providers instead of paying it outright.

Providers lock their phones as part of a contract agreement since some phones will be discounted or free from them inclusive of your contract. For example, my provider gave me a Galaxy Tab 7 Plus for free due to my contract. It's locked to that provider only for two years, because their earnings from my contract over two years would be the payment for the device. If they did not lock it, the people can just run off with the free phone without the company earning anything.

She bought the phone as an upgrade. She wasnt happy with the service but does own the phone because she paid for it. They did confirm it. Does she need them to unlock it or get a code for it?

chanchan05 · May 1, 2012

You can go to the network and ask for the unlock code.

Cotton123 · May 1, 2012

I remember I did that a couple years back but wasn't sure if they still did it or not. Thanks for filling me in. I'll let her know so she can deal with them.

Cotton123 · May 1, 2012

Thanks all. Your help is appreciated.

Locked and Unlocked. How to tell?

Member

The Doctor

Member

Android Enthusiast

The Doctor

Member

The Doctor

Member

Member

BEST TECH IN 2023

Smartphones

Best Android Phones

Upcoming

Best iPhones

Upcoming

Tablets

Best Tablets

Upcoming

Laptops

Best Laptops

Upcoming

Televisions

Best TVs

Upcoming

Game Consoles

Best Game Consoles

Upcoming

Wearables

Best Wearables

Upcoming

Smart Home

Smart Home Tech

Upcoming

Similar threads