What's the difference between a locked and an unlocked iPhone?

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By: Dan Uff

Ever since the iPhone 4S hit the streets (and friends of mine began getting one) I’ve been wanting to get one. But my contract wasn’t due for a while. While I considered paying full price for one, my financial resources weren’t good enough to justify it.

A few months later, Apple began offering unlocked iPhone 4Ss. So, I asked myself, “what’s the difference between a locked and an unlocked phone?” After speaking with some knowledgeable people, here’s what I have come up with:

An unlocked iPhone means:
If you’re willing to pay the full price for the cell phone, that one can use the phone on any carrier as long as one has a current cell plan. So, for example, you have a cell phone and a plan with AT&T, and do not want to sign up for another two year contract, one can purchase an unlocked phone, take his/her sim card out of the old phone and put it in to the new one, that the new phone should activate normally. An unlocked phone should not inter fear with your current year plan.

A locked phone means:
You have to buy the phone from the carrier, and you have to sign the carrier’s yearly or multi-year contract.

In order to buy an unlocked phone, you’ll have to purchase it from a non-cell phone company (such as Apple.com, Amazon.com, eBay.com, Sam’s Club, WalMart, etc.)