A blog all about cell phones!

Another Unlocked Cell Phone

All carriers offer “free” cell phones. “Free” only means that you don’t pay for the phone directly, but of course cell phone carriers would not offer a “free” option if they weren’t making money off you!

To get a free cell phone, you often have to sign a contract to stay with the carrier for two or three years. Over those years, you may experience hidden fees, outrageous rates, and maybe a desire to change your cell phone!

Of course, there’s always the option of buying unlocked cell phones. No contracts required, unlocked cell phones give you the power to negotiate with a carrier…because you can leave at any minute!

And beware…even “unlocked cell phones” sold by the manufacturer are not truly unlocked. Unlocked cell phones, in the third party market, is often synonomous with jailbroken cell phones! The increasing amount of restrictive apps and software manufacturers are adding on behalf of carriers and companies can really hobble a good smart phone. True unlocked cell phones are a great work around!

Unlocked cell phones can save you money, and set you free! But they can sometimes be expensive, when you are looking for the latest phone. A great way to maximize savings? Used cell phones: they’re often also unlocked cell phones, but much cheaper!

Truly unlocked? Unlocked cell phones will always be available from third party vendors.

While many are excited about the unlocked iPhone 4 now available, other news broke this week about Apple possibly putting infrared into future generations of their phones, tablets, and gadgets.

Will infrared change the future of unlocked cell phones? If Apple is releasing unlocked cell phones like the iPhone 4, will that change the meaning of unlocked cell phones?

Currently, their are two dimensions to having unlocked cell phones: being able to move between carriers, and being able to control the software on your phone (and sometimes, how the hardware works via the software).

Of course, carriers and many developers want to focus on the first element of unlocked cell phones: carrier freedom. With technology like infrared, they will still be able to control your phone.

Of course, that’s only if you buy unlocked cell phones from developers. It’s hard to guard tech, and there’s every reason to believe that you will be able to create unlocked cell phones (or jailbroken) that allow you to keep control over you unlocked cell phones.

If infrared takes control of your cell phone in malls, concert venues, and movies theatres, unlocked cell phones may be able to give you back control. Whith unlocked cell phones (or jailbroken) software restrictions can be overidden, preferences set, or an app added that blocks unwanted use of you cell phone.

To keep an eye on the direction of unlocked cell phones, be sure to visit trusted retailers of unlocked cell phones.

Could the next generation have infrared? Maintain control with unlocked cell phones!

Recent news suggests that future iPhones (and, likely following, all smartphones) will have infrared. What is infrared? It’s a way for gadgets to talk to each other over a short range, and unlocked cell phones may be the only way to maintain control over this technology.

Infrared could be used, for example, to allow a museum exhibit to send you more information, specifically in a multimedia format (audio or video, for example). You may have seen infrared if you’ve played multiplayer on a DS, but in that instance you generally initiate the function; this new version would be on all the time, except, of course, for those who maintain control with unlocked cell phones.

The dark side to infrared: at malls (for instance), you may receive targeted advertising (remember pop-up ads?). It could also be used to override some or all of your cell phone’s operations in certain places. For example, you may not be able to use it in movie theatres.

How to avoid this likely future? Unlocked cell phones. With unlocked cell phones, you can override carrier restrictions/apps, and depending on the amount of benefit infrared offers, turn off the entire function. Unlocked cell phones allow you to maintain control over the software and hardware of your phone. Apps can sometimes behave similarly, but carriers control the gateway to apps, unless of course you cut them out of control with an unlocked cell phone!