It's time to learn about unlocked cell phones, and whether or not you want one!

To understand what an unlocked cell phone is you first have to know what a Subscriber Identity Module Chip (or SIM chip) is. A SIM chip carries (among other information) caller information, numbers dialed, your address book, and the phone number of your cell phone. A locked cell phone undergoes a process where the SIM card can not be removed without disabling your phone.

Provider companies lock cell phones in order to keep consumers in contracts with their company - they don’t want their customers transferring their accounts to other companies. Companies lure consumers to buy their locked cell phones by subsidizing the cost of buying a cell phone when you also purchase a calling plan. The cost of buying an unlocked phone can be three to five times as much as buying a locked phone with a plan.

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But if you’re trendy - or a globe trotting consumer - or both, the benefits of an unlocked cell phone can far outweigh the initial cost. Every day, new phones are coming out flashier, cooler and with the features you wanted but couldn’t find when you bought your last phone. What’s someone on the razor’s edge of fashion to do? Maintain four contracts in order to have the coolest new phone on the block? Nope. After buying an unlocked cell phone, it can easily be replaced by another! Just put the old SIM chip into your awesome new unlocked phone, and it’s like your cell phone got plastic surgery. Still all the same good information inside, and way cooler outside. Worried about left over cell phones? No need. Old, unlocked cell phones can be gifted to young family members or phone-less friends; unlocked cell phones can even be sold on sites like EBay© to offset the cost of your new unlocked cell phone.

Another cost saving benefit of unlocked cell phones is when you are travelling overseas. The roaming charges on your normal call plan can easily reach hundreds of dollars in only a few days - and no one wants that. With an unlocked cell phone, you can purchase a local SIM chip (easy to find as in many other countries). Unlocked cell phones are far more prevalent in other contries than they are in the USA, where the majority of cell phones sold are locked. Your local SIM chip will also give you a local number, allowing business associates in the area to call you without using international extension codes. Your cell phone service in general can be improved by having a local SIM chip in your unlocked phone. Better reception and less dropped calls have been reported by people using their unlocked phones overseas with local SIM chips in them.

There are some minor challenges to overcome when first switching from a locked to an unlocked cell phone, but most are minor and easily manageable. First, your choices of USA-based service providers are limited to those operating on the GSM network. These include Cingular Wireless, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Each offer unique options, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find the service that has the options you need for the price you can afford. In some cases it can be troublesome to enable your unlocked cell phone for text messaging, but a web search of your phone type and a one time investment of thirty minutes can have you texting once more.

So if looking cool, travelling the world or simply having control over who provides your cell services sounds good to you, it’s time to start shopping for your new unlocked cell phone right now!