Having a phone provides plenty of convenience for everyone. People can easily connect with anyone who also has their phone, play some music while on a bus going to work, check their emails, play games, and more. The primary purpose of having a phone is to text and call people to let them know about any information at hand. However, if you have a new phone locked to a different carrier, you need to have it unlocked so you can utilize it fully.
What Is Phone Unlocking?
When you purchase a carrier plan, you’re provided with a locked phone that keeps you from switching from one network to another. Most subscriptions usually come with a 24-month contract. This way, you can’t change your phone’s carrier to another.
If you’d like to use a different carrier for your locked Samsung phone, you should have your phone unlocked so that it’ll be open for other network users. You can call the phone’s current carrier or use a third-party app. When using Mobile Unlocked as your third-party service, for instance, you’re in good hands as they’re legal to operate, making things more comfortable and convenient for you.
Unlocking Your Phone Legality
Before you head out and have your Samsung phone unlocked, you should first be knowledgeable about the legality of the process.
When it comes to unlocking your phone, you should be aware that there are requirements you need to meet. You can’t just bring your phone to someone and say you want it unlocked, especially when you’re just a month into your plan.
It’s illegal to unlock your phone without consent from the carrier. The locked phone still belongs to the network carrier, and not the customer.
Some people find that unlocking a phone through its carrier can be expensive and lengthy. With that, you can have an option to have your phone unlocked through a third-party service as long as the carrier gives you a way to unlock it. You can unlock your phone with the code provided, and you should be able to use any carrier you want afterwards.
You must unlock your phone legally to avoid paying fines.
Why Do You Need To Unlock Your Phone?
In most cases, people unlock their phones because they’re no longer happy and satisfied with their current carriers’ service. Some people need to travel to foreign countries for work or vacation, which requires them to switch networks frequently. It’ll be inconvenient and impractical if they purchase new phones every time they need to travel to a new place.
How To Unlock Your Phone
If you already want to use a different carrier as you’re traveling to another place and you don’t want the added expense of purchasing a new phone just for the trip, you can easily have your phone unlocked as long as you contact your network carrier and they’ve given you their permission.
The best way to unlock your mobile phone is by bringing the locked phone to the network carrier’s office. You need to request the network carrier that you want your phone unlocked, and they should be completing your request after you’ve met all of their requirements within two business days.
While unlocking your phone through your carrier is the best way to get things done, you can do it yourself using a third-party application. This method is widespread, and people consider it the best and most convenient way of unlocking phones.
According to most customers, bringing your locked phone to your network carrier and having them unlock the device can be inconvenient and take a while. They conclude that the carrier would want you to stay subscribed to their network as long as possible, thus, delaying the process of unlocking your phone.
There have been reports that even after meeting the criteria, a network would postpone your request and only allow you to recreate your claim after 30 days, making you pay for a month longer with your plan. Most people find it highly inconvenient and annoying. Luckily, you can have it unlocked using a third-party service.
When unlocking your phone through a third-party app, ensure that the company is legitimate and is legal to operate as you could be in more significant trouble otherwise. Other than that, you can finally enjoy an unlocked phone and use any carrier that you’d like.
You should note that different carriers have different methods of unlocking phones. Some can be quick and easy, while some can be lengthy and annoying. You should check your carrier’s unlocking instructions through their website or by calling them. For a straight talk phone, you can visit sites such as allconnect.com and follow the directions they’ve provided for a convenient way of unlocking your phone.
Phone Considerations
Before you head out and have your phone unlocked immediately, you should first consider that different carriers use two separate radio networks for phones to receive a signal.
The radio network can either be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or Global System for Mobiles (GSM). You should identify what your current courier uses and confirm if your new alternative sim is compatible with each other. You can’t use a CDMA sim with GSM, and vice versa. You must confirm first before proceeding with unlocking your phone.
Moreover, you need not only consider the carrier’s radio network, but you should also examine your Samsung phone’s capabilities. There are specific phones that could only handle CDMA or GSM, but there are those that could handle both. Ideally, it would be perfect to have both to feely use any sim that you want.
To confirm what your Samsung phone can offer, go through your phone’s settings, go to ‘System,’ tap ‘About the phone,’ and then click on the status and look for the MEID, ESN, or IMEI number.
If your phone only shows MEID or ESN, it’s CDMA. On the other hand, if your phone only displays IMEI, it’s a GSM phone. In cases where you can see both, your phone can use all kinds of network carriers.
Conclusion
Having your Samsung phone unlocked can provide utmost convenience as you get to use any carrier that you want. Just ensure that your phone can handle the carrier’s radio network for ease of use. Above all these, ensure that you do things legally and avoid third-party services that seem to be sketchy and aren’t legal to operate.