Until recently, all mobile phones in the Australian market were locked to a specific carrier and would only function on that carrier’s network. There weren’t any other options available. Now some cell phone manufacturers are offering their Unlocked mobile phones online as well as in stores in major urban areas. But what’s the benefit to the average consumer of having an unlocked cell phone? What are the drawbacks?
An unlocked cell phone gives a consumer choices in which carrier to use, so long as it’s one that uses GSM technology, which stores the carrier’s information on the phone itself. All a buyer has to do is change SIM cards to get their phone to function on another network, a boon to international travelers trying to avoid racking up roaming charges.
Another benefit of buying an unlocked phone phone is the ability to gain some of the functions and features that carriers disable, like tethering. This is a common practice among U.S. cell phone carriers.
Unlocked mobile phones also don’t have the carrier’s branded software apps preinstalled, taking up valuable internal memory space. This is a mixed blessing. While a boon for tech savvy users, some buyers might be confused by having to download, install, and configure applications for themselves.
On the downside, unlocked cell phones cost a lot more. Phone carriers offer huge rebates on most handsets because they know that they’ll recoup the cost of the phone during the contract. Without those rebates, the same phones cost hundreds of dollars.
Automatic network upgrades aren’t possible with an unlocked phone. The owner must find a way to handle those on their own and the phone may not function properly until the update is complete. Additionally, if problems arise, the carrier’s customer service may not be able to help since they are not trained to deal with unlocked phones.
So, locked or unlocked? Needs differ, and so do preferences, but it pays to know the benefits and drawbacks ahead of time before investing in a mobile phone.