What's your take on unlocked phones?
0. phoneArena posted on 10 Feb 2012, 07:56
Sure, most of us won't consider picking up a phone off-contract, because of the hefty price tags attached to the full-price high-end offerings that most of us enjoy, but it's definitely not like no one's doing it. The market for unlocked phones is doing just fine, as there are people out there who happen to need a new device, but without having put their signature on yet another two-year service agreement...
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1. AndresJ posted on 10 Feb 2012, 08:05 1 3
Most carriers sale the phone you want anyway, so question rather what contract not which carrier. By the way you can unlock phone anyway even carriers unlock it
21. WWThinker posted on 10 Feb 2012, 20:29 1 0
Even if the carrier agrees to unlock the phone, it still carries a lot of the crabs installed by the original carrier. Further, the OS upgrade is under the mercy of the original carrier.
23. paynekiller posted on 11 Feb 2012, 01:12 1 0
Well with Android and rooting you are no longer under their mercy. Unlocking is cheap and sometimes free and can be done yourself, and when you root you can remove all their bloat, only way to know is their branding on the phone's shell.
2. kshell1 posted on 10 Feb 2012, 08:05 0 5
does any body have a tmobile sgs2 or htc amaze 4g they would trade for a mytouch 4g slide or lg g2x?
18. LoneShaolin posted on 10 Feb 2012, 12:53 5 0
still not a fair trade.
4. bigdawg23 posted on 10 Feb 2012, 08:21 4 0
I have a few times almost bought an Unlocked Phone. Personally all phones should be unlocked both SIM and OS.
5. protozeloz posted on 10 Feb 2012, 08:22 2 0
Most my phones are unlocked. Is the price to pay for freedom
7. ghost__uwi posted on 10 Feb 2012, 08:44 2 0
when you from outside america. Its unlocked phones. Or get locked into a contract for the worst phone imaginable.
8. squallz506 posted on 10 Feb 2012, 09:28 1 0
I own an unlocked g2x, it cost me $300 upfront but I only pay $30/mo on magentas monthly4g. In the long run unlocked phones are much much cheaper than a contract, plus zero hidden fees, franchise fees, paper bill fees, early termination fees, and I am eligible for an upgrade from now until the end of time.
9. remixfa posted on 10 Feb 2012, 09:36 1 0
if you get on the right carrier and the right plan, unlocked phones can save you a ton over traditional contracts. we are talking multiple thousands of dollars in savings that you are just handing over to the carriers
10. ddxmms posted on 10 Feb 2012, 10:27 2 0
the answer for me is ALWAYS because in our country we don't have Carriers and mobile makers Partnership like you do (and we would be happy for such relationship) so you can only buy a new phone (high end one or just a cheap one) or you can always buy a used phone..YES PEOPLE ITS AS BAD AS ITS SOUND :D .
11. chadrick0814 posted on 10 Feb 2012, 10:53 0 0
As long as the carrier doesn't sell the phone you have unlocked, you will end up saving money.
12. -box- posted on 10 Feb 2012, 11:04 1 0
Phone prices in the U.S. could stand to drop a bit, which would make buying a phone at full price a better deal, especially with their depreciation. We get boned because the carriers want us in a contact and thus prices without contracts are inflated. Phones should not be more expensive than a decent new computer
13. jlscott777 posted on 10 Feb 2012, 11:09 1 0
Not being a big user of mobile calls and virtually never mobile data I have an unlocked Nokia N8 that I use on T-Mobile with a pay as you go plan, my monthly cell phone bill is about $3.50 a month, same for my wife. For people that do not use their phones all that much it is the only way to go.
14. k1ng617 posted on 10 Feb 2012, 11:12 0 0
My last 4 phones were bought off contract, but used on prepaid plans, because even though I bring my own phone to Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint they still want me to pay the same monthly payment as if I bought a subsidized phone....No thanks!
15. Sniggly posted on 10 Feb 2012, 12:10 1 0
If the Razr never comes to AT&T on its own I would definitely consider saving the necessary money to buy an unlocked one.
16. JonBjSig posted on 10 Feb 2012, 12:32 4 0
We don't have a choice here in Iceland, no carrier has any contracts like these so we always have to pay full price.
Electronics also cost a lot more here in Iceland than in most other countries, I paid 81.000Kr(around $700) for my Nexus S last September, and that wasn't even the full price, I got a 13.000Kr($113) discount from a friend of my father who works for one of the major carriers.
17. yingcong6 posted on 10 Feb 2012, 12:41 0 0
I would like a unlocked phone because I love freedom, and get my phone ready for other carriers just in case of the unexpected change in future.
19. chapizzo posted on 10 Feb 2012, 13:30 0 0
the article should have specifically asked for US readers, coz in most countries around the world, carriers don't offer those contracts. This site has members all around the world, right?
20. LoneShaolin posted on 10 Feb 2012, 16:52 0 0
I usually buy unlocked phones because I don't like to wait two years for an upgrade when the phone I want will be obsolete in a few years. I usually change phones every 6-12 months
22. XiphiasGladius posted on 10 Feb 2012, 22:37 1 0
I grew-up using unlocked and prepaid phones so for now I don't see any reason to let myself get tied down into a contract. Plus in our country plans are s**tty and the price isn't justifiable by the network speed that carriers provide esp. the place where I am at.
There is only 2G & 3G network available and the speed sucks, so for now on contract phones isn't ideal for me. . .
24. Laucius posted on 11 Feb 2012, 10:02 0 0
I was lucky enough to leave in a country that all phones were sim unclock and the bloatware is minimum and very rare. so all my phone were unlocked and that was very helpful for me.
In my personal view it all gets down to one thing... the price, by my opinion i the subsidies of the price to go to the contract and not to the device.
25. MaxFubar posted on 14 May 2013, 15:35 0 0
What's up with everybody saying unlocked phones will work with any network, when that is not true? It's false! I have Boost, and I have to buy Boost, no unlocked phones! Can anyone clarify this "Unlocked phones work with any network" ....famous saying?
