The Pros and Cons of Buying an Unlocked Phone
An unlocked mobile phone has a great many advantages to it. It lets you use non-network specific services and implant any SIM card into the phone. Buying a factory unlock iPhone 4S would let you place a SIM card from any other major Smartphone manufacturer into the phone, where it would go on to work as normal.
It’s perfectly legal to perform an unlocking procedure in the UK. Many retailers purposely sell unlocked phones, and even some manufacturers do the same. Before going out to buy a factory unlock iPhone 5, take into account these major pros and cons.
Pro: Universal Compatibility
The main advantage of an unlocked phone is you can use it with any carrier. Simply slip the SIM card into the unlocked phone and there you are. This provides you with a great amount of freedom. The freedom allows you to break the shackles of network confinement, enabling you to take advantage of the best deals from other networks.
It’s also handy if you can’t find a charging point. Take out the SIM card and put it in another unlocked phone to continue using it.
Pro: Changing Networks
Contract phones lock you in to a network’s services. Networks do this to protect their investment. An unlocked phone lets you buy a cheap SIM card and use it to get a better rate. With 4G growing in stature, this is becoming more widely practiced.
Pro: Roaming Abroad
Ever tried roaming abroad?
Don’t. The network charges make it one of the most expensive parts of your holiday. A factory unlock iPhone 5 can take a foreign SIM card, however. This negates the expensive charges and lets you roam on a cheaper tariff.
Whilst modern smartphones, like the factory unlock iPhone 4S,have few issues with this, older mobiles might not work abroad due to different network frequencies.
Con: Expensive
Mobile phones which have been unlocked before sale cost slightly more than a locked phone. This is due to the advantages. You can negate this issue in the second-hand phone market by purchasing one from a major carrier, though.
Con: Contracts and Warranties
Jailbreaking a phone when it’s under contract instantly voids the contract. You’ve broken the terms and conditions, which can lead to you having to pay the phone off outright. It will also void any warranty attached to the phone. Buying second-hand phones avoids this issue.
Con: Unlocking Procedure
Third-party unlocked phones use special software to do so. This may contain malware or damage the phone’s software in other ways. It makes buying from sites like eBay and Gumtree dangerous as there’s no way of telling the seller hasn’t damaged the software and its security.
Always buy a factory unlocked phone to ensure you don’t encounter this problem.