There was some legitimate concern, early on, that unlocking a cell phone might be illegal. As the phones became ubiquitous, and case law became established in the field, the general consensus moved toward it being legal. That doesn’t mean that all unlocking is fair or fair game, of course. Knowing what issues you might face if you unlock your phone allows you to make the right decision for you.
A person can want an unlocked phone for any number of legitimate reasons. Some people subscribe to more than one service provider to get better coverage and they may not want to have to use two different phones. If your initial contract ends, you might want to get service through another provider, but use the same phone. Unlocking can also allow you to install programs that weren’t intended for use on your phone. Unlocking your cell phone for any of these reasons is perfectly legitimate and should not be illegal.
Unlocking can be grounds for the manufacturer to consider your warranty void, though. This is true even if you don’t have to take the phone apart. Check the terms of the warranty to make sure that unlocking the phone will not make it impossible for you to use the warranty if you need it in the future.
Unlocking a phone can also violate the terms of the contract you signed when you got the phone. If you agreed to a contract, you should have received a copy of it when you signed it at the phone store or online. Often, a cell phone is included at a discount or even free because you’ve agreed to the terms of the contract that you signed. Read through the contract to see if you agreed not to unlock your phone when you signed up for the service.
Unlocking a phone to install software can lead to other concerns. Apps are often designed to be compatible with each other, but this isn’t true of apps that weren’t designed for your device so you may run into conflicts. The phone itself may also cease to work correctly if the app conflicts with the OS installed on the phone. Unlocking your phone and installing these apps can end your ability to use the other apps’ technical support features. Remember this when deciding whether to unlock your phone to install unauthorized apps or not. If you keep these important caveats in mind, though, you should not run into problems unlocking your phone.
A person can want an unlocked phone for any number of legitimate reasons. Some people subscribe to more than one service provider to get better coverage and they may not want to have to use two different phones. If your initial contract ends, you might want to get service through another provider, but use the same phone. Unlocking can also allow you to install programs that weren’t intended for use on your phone. Unlocking your cell phone for any of these reasons is perfectly legitimate and should not be illegal.
Unlocking can be grounds for the manufacturer to consider your warranty void, though. This is true even if you don’t have to take the phone apart. Check the terms of the warranty to make sure that unlocking the phone will not make it impossible for you to use the warranty if you need it in the future.
Unlocking a phone can also violate the terms of the contract you signed when you got the phone. If you agreed to a contract, you should have received a copy of it when you signed it at the phone store or online. Often, a cell phone is included at a discount or even free because you’ve agreed to the terms of the contract that you signed. Read through the contract to see if you agreed not to unlock your phone when you signed up for the service.
Unlocking a phone to install software can lead to other concerns. Apps are often designed to be compatible with each other, but this isn’t true of apps that weren’t designed for your device so you may run into conflicts. The phone itself may also cease to work correctly if the app conflicts with the OS installed on the phone. Unlocking your phone and installing these apps can end your ability to use the other apps’ technical support features. Remember this when deciding whether to unlock your phone to install unauthorized apps or not. If you keep these important caveats in mind, though, you should not run into problems unlocking your phone.
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