subject: Unlocking Your Phone Opens Up New Possibilities [print this page] Entering secret codes yourself is just one way to unlock a GSM phone. The other method is to rewrite or reflash of the phone's firmware. In such cases, the phone will need to be sent to a company with the special hardware required.
Not all companies can reflash all makes and models of cell phones, so be sure to first check that your particular phone is serviceable by a particular company. While some phones are generally unlocked through codes that can be very cheaply purchased, many other models require a firmware rewrite before they can be unlocked.
But what if your wireless carrier objects? In all likelihood, they probably won't. Unless there is a specific stipulation in your service contract that obliges you to never alter your phone in any way whatsoever, it's your phone, you own it. And even with such a clause, it's still possible to unlock your phone anyway. After all, they just want you to use their service, and you're paying them anyway, unlocked phone or not.
Finally, you probably wouldn't want to unlock your phone unless you're going to switch to another carrier, in which case you might not care yourself what the carrier thinks! Just be sure to keep any unlocking codes for future reference, because there has been a report of a carrier relocking a phone - even though it wasn't issued by that carrier in the first place! You can determine whether your phone is unlocked simply by trying to use another SIM card with it, as all GSM phones are unlockable.
When thinking of cellular accessories images of carrying cases and belt clips probably come first to mind. Then there are those from the Didn't Know You Need It Department. But the most amazing accessory of all has been totally overlooked, straight from the Didn't Even Know It Was An Accessory Department! That's because it's not usually thought of as an accessory as it isn't an object to go with a cell phone but a service that's performed on one.
But think about what it means to accessorize your cell phone. Doesn't it mean to help you use your cell phone better somehow, and/or enhance your experience of the device? Well, unlocking your phone, while not an accessory per se, certainly enhances your experience of your phone! More than carrying cases or belt clips, unlocking your GSM cell phone is the ultimate in cellular accessories in this sense, the one true must-have for the GSM phone owner.
