Best Unlock – Top Phone Unlocking Services

Today, most mobile sets come locked to a particular network. Having a locked cellphone means you are bound to use the services of that network from which it was initially purchased. Consider that you brought a mobile set from Cingular and later you decided to change the service to Roger, but sadly you cannot, since your new SIM card would not work with the mobile you purchased from Cingular so you are in a lockup. The technique used to set you free from this imprisonment is known as “Mobile Unlocking”.

This website is a good guide for anyone looking to break free their mobile handsets from digital shackles. To make this read more informative, all possible methods that can be used to unlock a phone have also been discussed.

Why unlock your phone?

An unlocked mobile phone brings you much greater benefits:

Switch to a better network service: What will you do if you find out that the phone you brought the other day is locked? Although, you love the handset but do not like the network service because it is costly, will you buy a new phone just to switch to a better network? Well, there is certainly a better solution and that is unlocking your phone. Doing so will let you switch to as many networks as you want while keeping the same handset.

Opportunity to avail promotional deals: Nowadays, many network providers offer free SIMs for promotional purposes. These SIMs bring quite exciting packages. You would not be able to grab these deals if you have a locked phone.

Adds value to your handset: Unlocked phones bring more value to users and this is why they can be sold at better rates on websites like ebay.

More independence: Love travelling yet worried about phone costs? Unlock your phone today to cut down the roaming charges. An unlock phone gives you the freedom to use foreign SIMs while you are abroad, thus cuts down many extra charges.

Why do mobile phone companies lock phones?

Have you ever heard statements like “if you buy an iPhone from that particular mobile phone company then it would cost you only $99?” If yes, then have you ever pondered what the secret behind this mega offer is? Of course, it’s not a one way trait!! If you are being offered such big value at such low cost, then definitely these mobile firms do expect something in return that is why they lock the cellphone you purchase.

By binding you to a network these companies ensure that they will have you as a customer for at least a few years’ time. During this contract period, these companies would be able to cover up the cost of discounted price, by preventing you from using the phone with another carrier. You cannot switch to another service without paying the contract cancellation fee, hence this way the companies minimize their risk.

It’s perfectly legal to unlock your phone

Many believe that unlocking phone is illegal, however it’s not. This misconception arises because unlocking and unblocking are often mixed up, whereas they are two different concepts.

• Unlocking phone: Unlocking phone means making it work with any SIM card and is absolutely legal.
• Unblocking phone: It is an act of making the phone work again once it has been blocked by network providers. Unblocking may be illegal, so should be avoided.

What about my warranty?

Although it is legal to unlock the phone, but it invalidates your warranty in most cases, therefore decision must be taken wisely if you have an expensive phone and warranty period still exists.

Is there any way around it?

It is possible to unlock phone while keeping its warranty intact. It can be done by using a small device known as “Sim unlocking attachment”. This device has approximately the same size as that of your SIM and fits easily in the phone’s card slot along with the SIM. The device rather than unlocking the phone unlocks the SIM to make it work with your mobile thus your phone warranty remains intact.

How to unlock my phone?

If putting a different SIM in your phone does not work out then it means that your phone is locked and there are distinct ways available through which you can unlock your phones:

Remote Unlocking

This is the most common method and requires you to enter special codes in your phone. If the code works out, it will set you free from all restrictions. You can either use the free codes available on the websites or can purchase one.

1. Check if you can unlock your phone for free

There are many sites that provide codes for free so unlocking phone is as simple as entering a special code. This method is more suitable for older phones, but you can always try these codes on your newer phones before moving on to the paid options.
Now, we will discuss in detail how this method can be used to unlock phones.

Step 1: Get your facts right

To refine your search, it is important that you have the following set of information with you before you start looking for a code.
Brand and Model number: It is mainly known to the user as is pretty simple to find. You can find it either on the handset or the box or on any documentation that comes along with your mobile phone.

• The Network: It is the network you want to get rid of. It is the network your phone is currently locked to.
• The IMEI: IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity and is used to uniquely identify a mobile set. This unique number gets marked as invalid when phones are reported to be stolen or lost. To find the IEMI of your phone, simply type #06# and you will get the unique identifier.

Step 2: Find an unlocking code

There are numerous websites available that could help you find codes, but which site is more suitable depends on your phone’s brand. If you are looking to unlock a Nokia phone, then you can try sites like Unlock NokiaFree.

Step 3: Use it

The dedicated phone unlocking websites would generate codes based on the information you provide. Once you have the code, you can pull out the old SIM and put a new one. Now it is time to put in the code:

How to enter the code

Entering a code may get a bit tricky for some phones because regular keys are not used to produce letters, rather you have to use the * key. Here are a few guidelines on how you can generate letters with the help of * key:

• p: press the * key three times within two seconds
• w: press the * key four times within two seconds
• +: press the * key twice within two seconds

If you entered the right code, then you will get a confirmation message stating something like “phone restriction off”. Since you usually have only five attempts so please be very careful when entering code else you would have to contact the retailer or network provider to get it unlocked for you.

2. Buy a code

Failed to find a free code? Worry not, you can always buy one, but make sure it’s a cheap one. You should opt for this method only if you are sure that an unlocked phone will bring you more value. These codes would also work with modern cellphones so this method is worth a try.
It’s a two-step process:

Get a quote from your network: Contact your current network provider and ask them how much would they cost for an unlock code. Beware, if the network provider fails to quote a price, then there is a high chance that your phone isn’t unlockable by a code, so without wasting any time you should jump to the next method that is “Unlocking via cable”. Price range varies depending on the network and mobile set you use.

Try the dedicated unlockers: Now, with an estimated cost in your mind, you can check different phone shops or contact any online retailer and request them to send you a code. Once you have the code, simply put it in your phone following the instructions already discussed in previous method.

Unlock via cable

This method is a bit technical and time consuming so people prefer to get the job done by any technical person rather than wasting their own time. This method demands the use of special data cable and software.

If you fail to unlock your phone with the help of a code, then you can give this method a try. You can either pay to get the job done or can do it yourself if you are a technology expert. Be very careful if you are trying it yourself because this method is quite complex and demands full attention.

Before getting started, buy yourself a data cable and download a free software. Note that the unlocking clip varies depending on the brand and mobile set so purchase the one that is most suitable for your handset.

Still Helpless?

If you have tried everything and still own a locked phone that is worthless, then it’s wise that you sell it out and earn some cash.