{"id":3903,"date":"2017-12-11T07:30:46","date_gmt":"2017-12-11T07:30:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cow.neondragon.net\/?p=3903"},"modified":"2024-10-02T20:58:36","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T19:58:36","slug":"unlocked-smartphones","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/unlocked-smartphones","title":{"rendered":"Unlocked Smartphones: Policies By Network, How To Unlock &#038; Where To Buy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"lead\"><em>Everything you need to know about mobile unlocking. Find out which networks lock their phones, how to unlock your handset and where to buy a new unlocked smartphone.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-6320\" src=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/Locked.jpg\" alt=\"Locked\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/Locked.jpg 200w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/Locked-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/Locked-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/Locked-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/>In the UK, some mobile networks will lock your smartphone to their network so you won&#8217;t be able to use the handset on a different network. The process of removing these restrictions is known as &#8216;mobile unlocking&#8217;. Following a successful unlock, network restrictions will be removed and you&#8217;ll be able to use your mobile phone on any compatible mobile network.<\/p>\n<p>In this article, we&#8217;ll tell you everything you need to know about mobile phone unlocking. We&#8217;ll start from the benefits of unlocking your handset and how it allows you to get cheaper deals both in the UK and abroad. We&#8217;ll then look at the handset locking policy on each UK network before discussing how you can unlock an existing smartphone. Finally, we&#8217;ll discuss how to buy a new unlocked smartphone from retailers in the UK.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#Benefits_of_Unlocking\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">1<\/span> Benefits of Unlocking<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Which_Mobile_Networks_Lock_Their_Smartphones\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">2<\/span> Which Mobile Networks Lock Their Smartphones?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Find_Out_Whether_Your_Phone_Is_Locked\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">3<\/span> Find Out Whether Your Phone Is Locked<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_To_Unlock_Your_Smartphone\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">4<\/span> How To Unlock Your Smartphone<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Where_To_Buy_A_New_Unlocked_Smartphone\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">5<\/span> Where To Buy A New Unlocked Smartphone<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Apple_iPhone\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">5.1<\/span> Apple iPhone<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#All_Other_Smartphones\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">5.2<\/span> All Other Smartphones<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#More_Information\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">6<\/span> More Information<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n<h2><span id=\"Benefits_of_Unlocking\">Benefits of Unlocking<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are three main benefits to having an unlocked smartphone:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Access to more mobile networks &amp; cheaper tariff options.<\/strong> With an unlocked handset, you&#8217;ll be able to access <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/sim-only-deals\">SIM-only<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/free-pay-as-you-go-sim-cards-listed-reviewed-and-compared\">Pay As You Go<\/a> deals from many more mobile networks. You can often save hundreds of pounds per year by switching your mobile network or tariff.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Save money when travelling abroad.<\/strong> If you&#8217;re travelling abroad, particularly outside of Europe, you&#8217;ll normally need to pay <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/using-your-mobile-phone-abroad\">international roaming fees<\/a>. With an unlocked handset, you can side-step international roaming charges by buying a SIM card in the country you&#8217;re visiting.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Increased resale value &amp; second-hand usage options.<\/strong> An unlocked handset will retain its value much better, which is advantageous if you&#8217;re looking to sell it on places like eBay or Gumtree. You can also give your unlocked handset to friends or family members, who&#8217;ll be able to use it on their mobile network of choice.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>It&#8217;s perfectly legal to unlock your smartphone and all UK mobile networks provide an official way for you to do it. Unlocking doesn&#8217;t affect the warranty on your device (assuming the unlock is processed officially through a request to your mobile network).<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Which_Mobile_Networks_Lock_Their_Smartphones\">Which Mobile Networks Lock Their Smartphones?<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-caption p-0 alignright\" style=\"width:425px;\"><ul class=\"list-unstyled m-0 text-center\"><li class=\"d-inline-block m-1 p-0 text-center align-middle\" style=\"width:75px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/images\/operators\/icon-200\/bt.png\" alt=\"BT Mobile\" width=\"54\" style=\"width:54px;\" \/><\/li><li class=\"d-inline-block m-1 p-0 text-center align-middle\" style=\"width:75px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/images\/operators\/icon-200\/ee.png\" alt=\"EE\" width=\"35\" style=\"width:35px;\" \/><\/li><li class=\"d-inline-block m-1 p-0 text-center align-middle\" style=\"width:75px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/images\/operators\/icon-200\/giffgaff.png\" alt=\"giffgaff\" width=\"75\" style=\"width:75px;\" \/><\/li><li class=\"d-inline-block m-1 p-0 text-center align-middle\" style=\"width:75px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/images\/operators\/icon-200\/idmobile.png\" alt=\"iD Mobile\" width=\"47\" style=\"width:47px;\" \/><\/li><li class=\"d-inline-block m-1 p-0 text-center align-middle\" style=\"width:75px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/images\/operators\/icon-200\/o2.png\" alt=\"O2\" width=\"53\" style=\"width:53px;\" \/><\/li><li class=\"d-inline-block m-1 p-0 text-center align-middle\" style=\"width:75px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/images\/operators\/icon-200\/sky.png\" alt=\"Sky Mobile\" width=\"60\" style=\"width:60px;\" \/><\/li><li class=\"d-inline-block m-1 p-0 text-center align-middle\" style=\"width:75px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/images\/operators\/icon-200\/tesco.png\" alt=\"Tesco Mobile\" width=\"75\" style=\"width:75px;\" \/><\/li><li class=\"d-inline-block m-1 p-0 text-center align-middle\" style=\"width:75px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/images\/operators\/icon-200\/three.png\" alt=\"Three\" width=\"42\" style=\"width:42px;\" \/><\/li><li class=\"d-inline-block m-1 p-0 text-center align-middle\" style=\"width:75px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/images\/operators\/icon-200\/virgin.png\" alt=\"Virgin Mobile\" width=\"75\" style=\"width:75px;\" \/><\/li><li class=\"d-inline-block m-1 p-0 text-center align-middle\" style=\"width:75px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/images\/operators\/icon-200\/vodafone.png\" alt=\"Vodafone\" width=\"60\" style=\"width:60px;\" \/><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<p>In the UK, only some mobile networks will lock smartphones to their network whereas others will typically provide their handsets unlocked.<\/p>\n<p>The following table gives a quick overview of which mobile networks currently lock their smartphones:<\/p>\n<table class=\"table table-ken table-sm table-bordered\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Mobile Network<\/th>\n<th>Are Handsets Locked To The Mobile Network?<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.productsandservices.bt.com%2Fmobile%2Fphones%2F\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"BT Broadband\" data-ourl=\"https:\/\/www.productsandservices.bt.com\/mobile\/phones\/\">BT Mobile<\/a><\/td>\n<td><strong>No.<\/strong> Handsets are provided unlocked.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.ee.co.uk%2F\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"EE Mobile\" data-ourl=\"https:\/\/shop.ee.co.uk\/\">EE<\/a><\/td>\n<td><strong>Yes.<\/strong> Handsets are normally locked to EE.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.giffgaff.com%2Fphones\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"giffgaff SIM\" data-ourl=\"https:\/\/www.giffgaff.com\/phones\">giffgaff<\/a><\/td>\n<td><strong>No.<\/strong> Handsets are provided unlocked.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.idmobile.co.uk%2F\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"iD Mobile\" data-ourl=\"https:\/\/www.idmobile.co.uk\/\">iD Mobile<\/a><\/td>\n<td><strong>No.<\/strong> Handsets are provided unlocked.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.o2.co.uk%2Fshop\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"O2 Mobile\" data-ourl=\"https:\/\/www.o2.co.uk\/shop\">O2<\/a><\/td>\n<td><strong>Yes.<\/strong> Handsets are normally locked to O2.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sky.com%2Fshop%2Fmobile\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"Sky UK\" data-ourl=\"https:\/\/www.sky.com\/shop\/mobile\">Sky Mobile<\/a><\/td>\n<td><strong>No.<\/strong> Handsets are provided unlocked.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.tescomobile.com%2F\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"Tesco Mobile\" data-ourl=\"https:\/\/shop.tescomobile.com\/\">Tesco Mobile<\/a><\/td>\n<td><strong>Yes.<\/strong> Handsets are normally locked to Tesco Mobile.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.three.co.uk%2Fstore\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"Three Mobile\" data-ourl=\"http:\/\/www.three.co.uk\/store\">Three<\/a><\/td>\n<td><strong>No.<\/strong> Handsets are provided unlocked.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.virginmedia.com%2Fvirgin-media-mobile.html\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"Virgin Media\" data-ourl=\"http:\/\/store.virginmedia.com\/virgin-media-mobile.html\">Virgin Mobile<\/a><\/td>\n<td><strong>Yes (PAYG only).<\/strong> Handsets are locked on Pay As You Go, and unlocked on contract.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vodafone.co.uk%2Fshop%2Findex.htm\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"Vodafone Mobile\" data-ourl=\"http:\/\/www.vodafone.co.uk\/shop\/index.htm\">Vodafone<\/a><\/td>\n<td><strong>Yes.<\/strong> Handsets are normally locked to Vodafone.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Some mobile networks decide to lock their smartphones as they may &#8220;subsidise&#8221; the upfront cost of the handset. By offering handsets as a loss-leader, they try to attract new customers to their network. The network-locking mechanism provides a way for networks to stop you from taking a subsidised device and immediately using it on another mobile network.<\/p>\n<p>On request, all UK mobile networks will unlock your smartphone, but this may be subject to a small fee or eligibility requirements (e.g. they may ask you to have been a customer on their mobile network for a certain amount of time).<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Find_Out_Whether_Your_Phone_Is_Locked\">Find Out Whether Your Phone Is Locked<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-15438\" src=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Smartphones-2014.jpg\" alt=\"Smartphones\" width=\"300\" height=\"244\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Smartphones-2014.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Smartphones-2014-40x32.jpg 40w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Smartphones-2014-100x81.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>The table above should give you a good indication about whether your smartphone is likely to be locked to a mobile network.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re still unsure whether your smartphone is unlocked, the best way to check is by <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/free-pay-as-you-go-sim-cards-listed-reviewed-and-compared\">ordering a free Pay As You Go SIM card<\/a>. The SIM card you order should come from another mobile network (though there are a couple of caveats, see * below for more details).<\/p>\n<p>When your new SIM card arrives, insert it into your smartphone. If the SIM card is accepted and you can see the name of the mobile network being shown on the screen, then your smartphone is unlocked and there&#8217;s nothing further you need to do. If you see an error message such as &#8220;SIM Not Valid&#8221; or &#8220;Invalid SIM&#8221; then your smartphone is currently locked and you&#8217;ll need to unlock it.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16281 \" src=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/iPhone-SIM-Not-Valid-Error-288x300.jpg\" alt=\"SIM Not Valid: The SIM card that you currently have installed in this iPhone is from a carrier that is not supported under the activation policy that is currently assigned by the activation server. This is not a hardware issue with the iPhone. Please insert another SIM card from a supported carrier or request that this iPhone be unlocked by your carrier.\" width=\"200\" height=\"208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/iPhone-SIM-Not-Valid-Error-288x300.jpg 288w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/iPhone-SIM-Not-Valid-Error-38x40.jpg 38w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/iPhone-SIM-Not-Valid-Error-96x100.jpg 96w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/iPhone-SIM-Not-Valid-Error.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"caption-text\"><em class=\"small\">If you see a message saying &#8220;SIM Not Valid&#8221; or &#8220;Invalid SIM&#8221;, your smartphone is currently locked to a network.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>(* Caveat: You should ideally test your phone using a SIM card from a mobile network that uses a different <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/mobile-operators-explained-virtual-networks-and-coverage\">coverage provider<\/a>. For instance, a <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/out.php\/giffgaff\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"giffgaff SIM\" data-ourl=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/out.php\/giffgaff\">giffgaff SIM card<\/a> may work in some O2-locked smartphones as giffgaff makes use of coverage from O2).<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"How_To_Unlock_Your_Smartphone\">How To Unlock Your Smartphone<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-8335\" src=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Unlock-237x300.jpg\" alt=\"Unlock\" width=\"237\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Unlock-237x300.jpg 237w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Unlock-31x40.jpg 31w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Unlock-79x100.jpg 79w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Unlock.jpg 260w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 237px) 100vw, 237px\" \/>There are four simple steps to unlocking your smartphone:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Find out whether your smartphone is already unlocked. <\/strong>If you&#8217;re still unsure, a good way to check is to <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/free-pay-as-you-go-sim-cards-listed-reviewed-and-compared\">order a free Pay As You Go SIM card<\/a> from another network.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Obtain the IMEI number for your smartphone.<\/strong> If you need to unlock your smartphone, the next step is to obtain your 15-digit IMEI number. This is a unique identifier for your smartphone and can be found by entering *#06# on your telephone keypad (star hash zero six hash).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ask your mobile network to unlock the smartphone.<\/strong> Depending on your mobile network and tariff, this can cost you up to \u00a315. For more information, see our guides on <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/how-to-unlock-your-iphone-from-o2-and-orange\">unlocking an iPhone<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/how-to-unlock-samsung-galaxy-from-uk-mobile-networks\">unlocking a Samsung Galaxy<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>When the unlock has been processed, enjoy using your new mobile network or SIM card.<\/strong> It can take up to 10 working days for your handset to be unlocked. Once the unlock is complete, you can enjoy <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/sim-only-deals\">cheaper rates at home<\/a> along with <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/using-your-mobile-phone-abroad\">cheaper rates when you travel abroad<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>For more information, follow our step-by-step guides to <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/how-to-unlock-your-iphone-from-o2-and-orange\">unlocking an iPhone<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/how-to-unlock-samsung-galaxy-from-uk-mobile-networks\">unlocking a Samsung Galaxy smartphone<\/a>. If you have an Android smartphone from a different manufacturer, you can still follow most of the instructions in our Samsung Galaxy article (the menus on your phone may look a little bit different but the instructions for unlocking will be exactly the same).<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Where_To_Buy_A_New_Unlocked_Smartphone\">Where To Buy A New Unlocked Smartphone<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span id=\"Apple_iPhone\">Apple iPhone<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-22202\" src=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Apple-iPhone-XS-151x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"126\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Apple-iPhone-XS-151x300.jpg 151w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Apple-iPhone-XS-514x1024.jpg 514w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Apple-iPhone-XS-20x40.jpg 20w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Apple-iPhone-XS-50x100.jpg 50w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Apple-iPhone-XS.jpg 582w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 126px) 100vw, 126px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re looking to buy a new unlocked iPhone, the best place to buy from is normally <a href=\"http:\/\/www.johnlewis.com\/browse\/electricals\/mobile-phones-accessories\/iphone\/_\/N-7bqw?defaultSortOption\">John Lewis<\/a>. John Lewis provides permanently-unlocked iPhones at the same price as going directly to Apple, but with the addition of a two-year guarantee at no extra price. You&#8217;ll also benefit from the John Lewis &#8220;never knowingly unsold&#8221; promise.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-primary\" href=\"http:\/\/www.johnlewis.com\/browse\/electricals\/mobile-phones-accessories\/iphone\/_\/N-7bqw?defaultSortOption\">Order an unlocked iPhone from John Lewis \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In the past, <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/apple-iphone-when-sim-free-doesnt-mean-unlocked\">SIM-free iPhones<\/a> from the Carphone Warehouse and some other third-party retailers would automatically lock themselves to the first mobile network used. Today, this is no longer the case for the newly-purchased iPhones.<\/p>\n<p>If your iPhone was purchased before July 2017, please see our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/apple-iphone-when-sim-free-doesnt-mean-unlocked\">unlocking SIM-free iPhones<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"All_Other_Smartphones\">All Other Smartphones<\/span><\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_17474\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17474\" style=\"max-width: 244px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-17474 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/BT-Mobile-Handsets.jpg\" alt=\"Android Smartphones\" width=\"244\" height=\"165\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/BT-Mobile-Handsets.jpg 244w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/BT-Mobile-Handsets-40x27.jpg 40w, https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/BT-Mobile-Handsets-100x68.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 244px) 100vw, 244px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-17474\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">For all other smartphones, there&#8217;s a wide variety of online retailers where you&#8217;re able to buy an unlocked smartphone.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you&#8217;d like to buy an unlocked smartphone that isn&#8217;t an iPhone, there&#8217;s a wide choice of retailers you&#8217;re able to choose from.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re happy to get the phone on a Pay Monthly contract, try <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.carphonewarehouse.com%2F\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"Carphone Warehouse\" data-ourl=\"http:\/\/www.carphonewarehouse.com\/\">the Carphone Warehouse<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mobiles.co.uk%2F\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"Mobiles.co.uk\" data-ourl=\"http:\/\/www.mobiles.co.uk\/\">Mobiles.co.uk<\/a>. Both of them will provide you with an unlocked handset on a 24-month contract (the contract will often be the same price or slightly cheaper than getting it directly from your mobile network).<\/p>\n<p>On Pay As You Go, you can get a handset from either <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.giffgaff.com%2Fphones\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"giffgaff SIM\" data-ourl=\"https:\/\/www.giffgaff.com\/phones\">giffgaff<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=http%3A%2F%2Fstore.three.co.uk%2FPay_As_You_Go_Phones\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"Three Mobile\" data-ourl=\"http:\/\/store.three.co.uk\/Pay_As_You_Go_Phones\">Three<\/a> (both giffgaff and Three provide their handsets unlocked so you&#8217;ll be able to use them on the mobile network of your choice).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, for a SIM-free smartphone (without a contract or SIM card), you can go to one of the following online retailers:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/mn\/search\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;lo=electronics&amp;pf_rd_i=560820&amp;pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&amp;pf_rd_p=845174987&amp;pf_rd_r=138744YVZZ03AZ013Q5C&amp;pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-top-3&amp;pf_rd_t=101&amp;rh=i%3Aelectronics%2Cn%3A560798%2Cn%3A!560800%2Cn%3A1340509031%2Cn%3A5362060031%2Cn%3A356496011&amp;tag=cosbl08-21\">Amazon.co.uk<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.argos.co.uk\/static\/Browse\/ID72\/42793786\/c_1\/1|category_root|Technology|33006169\/c_2\/2|33006169|Mobile+phones+and+accessories|33008085\/c_3\/3|cat_33008085|SIM+free+phones|42793786.htm\">Argos<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.carphonewarehouse.com%2Fsim-free-phones.html\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"Carphone Warehouse\" data-ourl=\"https:\/\/www.carphonewarehouse.com\/sim-free-phones.html\">Carphone Warehouse<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clove.co.uk\/smartphones\">Clove<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/redir\/?go=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.currys.co.uk%2Fgbuk%2Fphones-broadband-and-sat-nav%2Fmobile-phones-and-accessories%2Fmobile-phones%2F362_3412_32041_xx_xx%2Fxx-criteria.html\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-aff=\"Currys Mobile\" data-ourl=\"http:\/\/www.currys.co.uk\/gbuk\/phones-broadband-and-sat-nav\/mobile-phones-and-accessories\/mobile-phones\/362_3412_32041_xx_xx\/xx-criteria.html\">Currys<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.johnlewis.com\/browse\/electricals\/mobile-phones-accessories\/all-mobile-phones\/smartphone\/_\/N-a8vZ1z13ut1\">John Lewis<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.very.co.uk\/electricals\/mobile-phones\/sim-free\/e\/b\/22061,4856.end\">Very<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can also buy a SIM-free smartphone directly from the manufacturer website (e.g. from the <a href=\"https:\/\/store.google.com\/\">Google<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.htc.com\/uk\/smartphones\/\">HTC<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/store.hihonor.com\/uk\/\">Huawei<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.motorola.co.uk\/home#\">Motorola<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.samsung.com\/uk\/Products\/Mobiles\/c\/MO\">Samsung<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/eshop.sonymobile.com\/gb\/\">Sony<\/a> official websites).<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"More_Information\">More Information<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For more information about unlocking your smartphone, please see our step-by-step guides to <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/how-to-unlock-your-iphone-from-o2-and-orange\">unlocking an iPhone<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/how-to-unlock-samsung-galaxy-from-uk-mobile-networks\">unlocking a Samsung Galaxy smartphone<\/a>. Once you have an unlocked smartphone, you may find it useful to read <a href=\"https:\/\/kenstechtips.com\/index.php\/sim-only-deals\">our guide on the best value SIM-only deals<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Everything you need to know about mobile unlocking. Find out which networks lock their phones, how to unlock your handset and where to buy a new unlocked smartphone. In the UK, some mobile networks will lock your smartphone to their network so you won&#8217;t be able to use the handset on a different network. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6320,"parent":14582,"menu_order":9999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3903","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Unlocked Smartphones: Network Policies, How To Unlock &amp; Where To Buy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Everything you need to know about mobile unlocking. 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