What is an Unlocked Cell Phone?
If the phone is unlocked, you are not restricted to using it with a particular wireless carrier. You can use it with any service provider of your choice and anywhere in the world. Service providers do not sell unlocked phones. It is sold by retailers without a service contract. In order for you to use an unlocked phone, SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card is required. Some retailers include SIM card as a package but usually it is inexpensive. SIM card can be removed and installed in other GSM phones enabling you to easily change phones while still retaining your contacts and network carrier.
What is a Locked Cell Phone?
Service providers always make sure that the phones they sell or give away free of cost can only be used on their carrier network. This method of restriction is known as locking and the phone is called locked phone.
Why should I use an Unlocked Phone?
Besides being able to opt for service provider of your choice, it is very convenient and cheap to have unlocked cell phone while travelling abroad. If you want to call your home country using locked cell phone, you will have to pay hefty roaming charges to your service provider. But with unlocked cell phone, you can simply buy and install a SIM card at your travel destination and there you go! For just a fraction of roaming charges!
What is Quad-Band and Tri-Band Cell Phones?
Quad-Band GSM Cell Phones comes with 4 bands of 850, 900, 1800 and 1900 while Tri-Band Phones comes with 3 bands of 850, 1800 and 1900 or 900, 1800 and 1900.
It is important to know which frequencies or what is most commonly known as “bands” the phone supports before you decide to purchase one. GSM carriers in the United States and Canada use 1900 and 850 bands for voice calls and data transmission. So if you are in North America, a phone that supports 1900 band is a must at minimum.
Frequency bands of 900 and 1800 are used in Europe and in many other countries around the world. If you are a frequent international traveler and wish to have an unlocked phone, consider purchasing a Quad-Band Phone which will definitely cover all over the world. Otherwise, a less expensive Tri-Band Phone should be enough when you do travel abroad.
How do I use an Unlocked Phone?
After you have an Unlocked GSM Cell Phone, using it is pretty straight and simple. All you need to do is get a SIM card and insert it in your new mobile phone’s SIM card slot!
How to Unlock a Phone?
If you currently have a locked cell phone and want to have it unlocked, The Travel Insider provides unlocking services. Once you get it unlocked, all you have to do is get a SIM card of the service provider of your choice and insert it in your newly unlocked phone!
What is GSM Phone?
GSM stands for Global System for Mobile communication. GSM is a type of mobile phone system. The more common type of mobile phone system used in US is CDMA, but GSM is the most popular standard for mobile phones around the world.
The main advantage of GSM systems to consumers is because of higher digital voice quality and low cost alternatives to making call such as SMS (Short Message Service) which is also known as ‘text messaging’.
For you as the user of your phone, you will not experience any difference between using a phone on a CDMA system or a GSM system. If you have a T-Mobile, Cingular or M-Mode type service with AT&T, then you have GSM system. All GSM mobile phones come originally unlocked from its manufacturers.
