Unlocked Gsm Cell Phones International Version

A is a technical restriction built into GSM and mobile phones by manufacturers for use by service providers to restrict the use of these phones to specific countries and/or networks. This is in contrast to a phone (retrospectively called SIM-free or unlocked) that does not impose any SIM restrictions.

Generally, phones can be locked to accept only cards with certain (IMSIs); IMSIs may be restricted by: • Mobile country code (MCC; e.g., will only work with SIM issued in one country) • Mobile network code (MNC; e.g.,,,, etc.) • Mobile subscriber identification number (MSIN; i.e., only one SIM can be used with the phone) Additionally, some phones, especially, can lock group IDs which are used in. Most mobile phones can be unlocked to work with any network provider, but the phone may still display the original branding and may not support features of the new carrier. Besides the locking, phones may also have installed on them which is specific to the network provider. For example, a Vodafone or Telstra branded phone in Australia will display the relevant logo and may only support features provided by that network (e.g. Vodafone Live!). This firmware is installed by the service provider and is separate from the locking mechanism. Most phones can be unbranded by a different firmware version, a procedure recommended for advanced users only.

The reason many network providers SIM lock their phones is that they offer phones at a discount to customers in exchange for a to pay for the use of the network for a specified time period, usually between one and three years. Disk Drill Mac Keygen there. This allows the company to recoup the cost of the phone over the life of the contract. Such discounts are worth up to several hundred. If the phones were not locked, users might sign a contract with one company, get the discounted phone, then stop paying the monthly bill (thus breaking the contract) and start using the phone on another network or even sell the phone for a profit. SIM locking curbs this by prohibiting change of network (using a new SIM).