Every phone or iPhone sold is either Locked or Unlocked by default. A locked device can only use one network. The one that it was sold under.
If you bought the most recent iPhone. Such as the iPhone 11 Max Pro from AT&T, then that device is will be locked to only AT&T’s network. Meaning that no matter how hard you try to use a different network, it won’t be possible.
You will have to wait until the contract is up (usually 2 years) or try your hand at unlocking it with a service like ours. We will discuss this in greater depth later.
Now on to what it means to have an unlocked device. Most large Network Carriers do not sell a phone or iPhone already unlocked.That would defeat the purpose for them.
But venture into a Electonics store and you will find many unlocked devices. They buy straight from the manufacturer and sell at full price.
That is why those devices are not locked to any network.
Completely free to use with what ever carrier you desire, which is pretty nice.
So a little recap. A locked device is stuck on a single network and an unlocked device is free to use any network, anywhere. It’s actually quite simple.
Unlocking a locked device
Now this is much more complicated than one would think. We offer a speedy unlocking service that covers a large range of devices. The difficulty is that every device is different and requires a different method. Throw in all the different networks and it starts to become even more complicated.
Different services are needed, different pricing structure and varying time frames.
It is a pretty complicated service that we provide. If there was one method that worked for every device that would be amazing, but alas there is not.
Though it is tough for us to do a phone unlock, we strive to make our customers unlocking experience super easy.
We do not ask for unnecessary information. We have streamlined our process so much so that we only need two things from our customers.
- An Email address
- An IMEI nunber
Thats it. Pretty simple.
We use the customers email address to send the code/s with full instructions on what to do next.
We never use these email addresses to spam customers.
Every device has a unique IMEI number, it serves as an identifier that the phone is the real deal. You can find it by dialing *#06# into your device. Some phones have it on the back or under the battery.
The older models of iPhone like the iPhone 5 has it on the back. The iPhone 6 would often have it on its sim tray. Either way its not tough to find.
More about IMEI numbers here for those interested.
How to Unlock my Phone/iPhone?
Step 1 – Choose the make of your device
Step 2 – Choose your network
Step 3 – Checkout
At checkout we ask only for your Email and IMEI.
That’s it. 3 easy steps.
No fuss, no hassle. As simple as we could make it.
Once your phone unlock order is received we get to work processing it. All information given is used to submit your device for the required unlock.
Unlocks can take anywhere from 0-3 Business Days to finish. (I mentioned business days because as good as we are even we need to sleep sometimes).
But please bear in mind that all times presented are only estimates based on the average unlock time. Waiting sucks but is unavoidable. Phone unlocks are no different.
Why you should unlock your phone/iPhone
Now this is the real meat and veg of the article. To us its a no brainer but to others it might seem like a waste of money. If you may, I’d like to convince you other wise.
As an unlocking service, we have seen many people who are unhappy with their network carrier. There can be many reasons for this.
- Hidden Fees
- Service outages
- Change in policy
- Increased service charges
- Unhelpful customer service
These are a few that customers have expressed to us. There is many more. What ever the reason is we do our utmost to help our customers free their devices, allowing them to use any network.
Why would you want to unlock your device.
Cheaper Plans
By this we mean, on a standard contract you are paying a fixed amount each month for the phone. The service provided by the network might be good or it might be incredibly poor. Usually the latter.
Either way you are stuck until that contract is up. We have all been there.
The network service cuts out all the time or doesn’t offer what they said it would.
You call customer service only to be given the run around. Never getting a straight answer. Very annoying.
But with an unlocked device you have the power to shop around. To find the best deals that offer the most at the lowest price. Don’t like your new network? No problem. Try out a different one.
That is the freedom of a phone unlock. It give the power back to you.
Change Plan Anytime
We touched on this a little above. It goes a little deeper.
Even though you can change your network anytime you want to with an unlocked device. You may find that one network you like. (I myself am partial to GiffGaff in the UK).
But the plan you are on isnt the most suitable for you. You don’t use up all the data or minutes for that month.
Instead of changing network you can choose instead a different plan. Cheaper plans will give you less of course but may be more suitable to your needs. Why pay for data/minutes that you know you will never use. Some networks may even tailor to your needs.
A locked device does not afford you the same level of freedom.
No more roaming charges
This is a major one. Such an incredible reason to unlock your device. When travelling abroad and you want to use your phone to make calls or connect to wifi using data.
You will start to rack up hefty roaming fees. No network carrier has a good price on roaming charges. You will always accumulate a heavy cost if you decide to use your network outside its country of origin.
With a locked device this is very painful for many people. They only have one phone, they may not be able to afford another one for travelling.
Unless wifi is available wherever you go, then your phone is almost useless.
No such problem exists with an unlocked phone. Be it a Samsung Unlock or an iPhone Unlock all you need to do is pop in a local sim card.
Top it up and use your phone as much as you want on a local network. Coverage is better and fees might aswell be non existent.
Once home you can switch out your sim for your preferred network. No need to break the bank when travelling abroad anymore.
Higher chance of selling
Have you ever tried to sell your device? I have. And let me tell you that from personal experience, it is far easier to sell a device that is unlocked.
Even after a phone contract is up, networks like Vodafone or AT&T have no obligation let you use another network. For them it is better you stay within their eco system. That is how they make money of course.
Any potential buyer would prefer to have a Samsung Galaxy S9 that is already unlocked. This is due to the fact that not everyone wants to be forced to use a network they don’t like.
For example. Say you live in the United Kingdom and found an amazing deal on an iPhone XS Max. It is cheap, in great condition and has free shipping.
But you notice it is network locked to Bell Mobility which is a Canadian carrier. No way are you going to buy that, Bell Mobility does not operate in the UK. Making that deal useless to you.
So that is exactly what your own potential buyers will see.
With your device already unlocked then hey presto the chances of selling it go up.
Sure it might cost you a little to get it unlocked, but that also allows you to increase the price to cover that cost too.
Increase Sell Price
Customers are more likely to buy your iPhone or Samsung or whatever brand you may have. If the device is already unlocked. No one wants to pay a large lump sum and then be stuck using a crappy carrier. You want to get the most for your money, and an unlocked device meets that criteria.
Selling your device already unlocked allows you to increase the price by at least 15 to 20%. In some cases even up to 40%. It all depends on the device itself.
In conclusion
It looks like a no brainer. Unlocking your iPhone or Phone has many benefits and no downsides. It is cheap and can save you tons of money in the long run. I know this read has been long and if you got this far then kudos to you friend.
If you need your device unlocked today then we have you covered. We unlock a huge range of devices. Below is a list of our most popular unlocks.
Why not unlock your device with Speedy Unlocks today!
