A blog all about cell phones!

Palm is one company moving toward unlocked cell phones.

You may have heard that many carriers and cell phone manufacturers are dead against unlocked cell phones. Apple even tried to making jailbreaking the iPhone against its copyright on the phone. However, last summer, the federal government ruled that jailbreaking phones (turning them into unlocked cell phones) is not illegal, or at least not protected by copyright.

For many phones, however, it does void the warranty. Unlocked cell phones destroy exclusivity contracts cell phone manufacturers make with carriers, such as the iPhone with AT&T, and now Verizon.

But exclusivity creates a huge problem with demand—popular phones like the iPhone are wanted the world over (and certainly the US over), but carriers are not always available, don’t always provide adequate bandwidth for powerful phones like the iPhone, and don’t always provide quality service. The only answer, then, is unlocked cell phones.

But should you jailbreak it yourself? Probably not. If you do it wrong, your risk turning your expensive smartphone into a brick. Rather, buy unlocked cell phones from reputable retailers, or send them in to become unlocked cell phones by the same.

What’s the advantage of unlocked cell phones? Have the phone of your choice in the region of your choosing, on the best (or most reliable) carrier, and control what you do with the phone when you upgrade.