Unlocked Cellular Phones

[Hannibal]

Anyone here ever purchased an unlocked cell phone?

 

I'm thinking about doing it and putting the SIM card from my pre-paid phone into the new phone. I know the unlocked phones are more expensive because they aren't subsidized by the phone companies but at least I'll get to choose the phone that I want with the service that I want.

[PoiuyWired]

Actually, there are techniques to unlock all phones. Obviously doing so would void any warranty you have on it. But I suggest people doing it, especially if you travel. Buying a "local" phone card while traveling is a good habit.

[Rabish Bini]

My phone was locked with Vodafone, but luckily, I was gonna put a Vodafone SIM in anyway. But you can unlock phones through the net or something like that.

[Allronix]

I work cell phone tech support (and will only be doing so for 69 more days, as the center's closing).

 

All I can say is that you're taking a risk. Each carrier puts a proprietary software build onto their phones. At BEST, things like picture messaging and downloading ringtones won't work. At worst, the phone gets stuck in permanent roam, leading to one hell of a headache when your bill hits (or, in the case of prepaid, it sucks $$$ like a Hoover vacuum).

 

If all you want is to send and make calls, you can certainly take it to the carrier of your choice and see if they'll give it a go.

[PoiuyWired]

Downloading ringtones is so unnecessary, when you can make your own.

 

And seriously there are many experts out there that do phone flushing, custom firmware and what not

 

Not sure about picturemessaging though, then again I don't use that service..

[Astrotoy7]

It all depends on what phone you get.... If the carrier supports the phone, then its usually pretty easy to setup most phones to do what you want... I have an O2 atom pda phone I got off ebay. I have a sim with a local carrier and do all the messaging biz fine, the sim already set it up..

 

if the phone is not supported by the carrier, then its difficult, sometimes not possible to set certain features up.

 

ringtones...meh. Most phones support mp3 ringtones nowdays....Ive been using the Final Fantasy harp prelude melody as my ringtone for the last 4 years... I ripped it off a track I extracted from a ps1 game..

 

mtfbwya