Phone Locking
Phone Locking is a way in which mobile phone network providers can control the use of handsets; such as making sure they can only be used on a single network or in a particular country. Phone locking is also known as SIM locking or network locking. Manufacturers of mobile phones will build in the locking capability in the factory.
There are three main ways in which network providers lock mobile phones. Firstly, Phone locking can be achieved by making sure that the handset will only recognise one SIM card. Secondly, the phone can be manufactured only to accept SIM cards issued in a particular country and thirdly the phone will be made to only accept a SIM from a particular network provider.
Often mobile phones are shipped out with elements of all three of the above included. If a mobile phone owner tries to use a different SIM in a locked phone a message is likely to appear asking for an unlocking code.
Although most mobiles can be unlocked using a special code they might not be able to run many of the features of the new provider. Phone Locking has its pros and cons for mobile phone manufacturers. Phone Locking for service providers may guarantee sales and exclusive deals but may also lead to customers being put off by a handset offered by a provider who limits the handset’s versatility.
One of the main reasons people want their phones unlocked is so that they can travel abroad with them. It is much cheaper to be able to put a foreign SIM into an unlocked phone than it is to invest in a new piece of hardware which will only be useful for a couple of weeks.