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The Truth About Unlocking Your Cell Phone
GSM Phones are designed to be used with any network, but certain providers have electronic locks on their phones when they are being offered with special discounts or deals. Sometimes this can mean excessive charges when you roam outside your provider’s network. Or maybe most of the people you call end up going with a service that allows free calls to anyone in the network. Or maybe you are just ready for a change.
It doesn’t really matter what your reason is. The point is, the option for you to take a phone to another GSM provider is absolutely possible. There are new rules that benefit you, the consumer. You can unlock your SIM card and take your phone anywhere you want.
The methods for unlocking a phone vary from carrier to carrier, but there are some key pieces of information you need to make the process go smoothly.
Here are some of the basics you’ll need handy:
1. Your current mobile phone number
2. The name of the carrier your phone is on
3. The manufacturer of the phone
4. The model number of the phone
5. The IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity number, is a 15 digit number that you can find on most phones by pressing; *#06#
Once you have all of this information in hand, there’s a few different ways for you to get the job done. First and foremost, call your current provider and ask them for the unlock code. Some carriers require that you stay with them for a period of time (like 6 weeks, or 6 months or so, but verify it with your service).
In most cases, it will be simple, and you get your code within minutes. Other times however, some representatives have been known to be very protective of the unlock code for your phone and will refuse to give it to you.
If that happens, there are still options. There are some services online that will provide you with an unlock code for a small fee. There are also DIY (Do-It-Yourself) guides available that can help you through the process if you are a little tech savvy. You could always try calling back for a different rep. It’s worked for me, so it’s definitely worth a try. If you plan on unlocking many phones, either for business or personal use, then there are also devices and equipment out there that are a little costlier but definitely pay for themselves after a few uses.
So to sum it up once you get your unlock code:
1. Insert your new SIM card from your new provider
2. Enter the unlock code when prompted
3. Set up your new phone
4. VOILA!
And there you have it. Keep in mind that some of the more sophisticated smartphones require some additional setting changes in order to make sure you get your texts, emails, browsing capabilities, etc. You can find most of this information by Googling it..
In the event you cannot, please send us an email to help@jincorplabs.com and let us know what phone model you have, what your new service is, and what you are looking to fix. We will help you find the resources you need to get things up and running smoothly for you in no time!
The truth about unlocking your cell phone
Ample Apps from Apple (& RIM, too!)
Will touch screens work for me?
Learn how to get out of your current contract for way less than the early termination fee!
Will Touch Screens Work for Me?
If you have been been using smartphones for awhile, then you’re used to the full QWERTY keypads that many of them have to offer.
Touchscreen keyboards are a different experience. Depending on the phone model you have, some keyboards may be more responsive than others. Earlier touchscreen models tend to be slow to respond. They took a little getting used to, but could get the job done. In the early days, classic button keypads were the ideal choice.
Now, the newer phones seem to have rectified most of these issues...for the most part. Sometimes you still don’t get the letters you intended to, but they are definitely improving. The Apple iPhone is probably the most popular example of this.
If you are used to a classic QWERTY keyboard with buttons, but are open to a new learning experience, then you will probably like how touchscreen keyboards have advanced. You will most likely have somewhat of a minor learning curve to get used to the tactile difference. But once you get going, it’s second nature.
If you are happy with the classic, and don’t want to “relearn” a keyboard, then you will most likely want to stick with the buttons. After all, they get the job done, and still look pretty neat.
Can You Really Get Out of a Contract Without Paying the Excessive Fees?
Enter…THE CONTRACT!!!
One of the most common products you will buy when shopping for a new cellular phone, is a service contract. With the exception of pay-as-you-go phones, getting a new cell typically involves choosing a contract as well. If you are at the end of a contract and you decide to take advantage of a great deal on a hot new phone with your provider, they usually give you a pretty sweet phone for a very fair retail price.
If your current service is great and you feel no need to switch, then this is a great option for you to get a hot new phone for a good price. However, if you’re like us, then sometimes you want to try a new service…or maybe another provide is running an incredible deal that you can’t just pass up…except you have to pass it up because your contract has 18 months left. Or maybe another provider has the phone you want, but you can’t have it because you have to be on their service plans.
For people like us, the ETF (or Early Termination Fee) comes into play. The providers make a good deal of their money from the typical one or two year contract, which is why they are able to offer you the phone at a discount. Many of us hate to sign those two year contracts, but see no other way of obtaining the phone you really want. So we go ahead and sign up for another two years anyway, sometimes grudgingly, and sometimes not.
Many people do not know this, but there is a relatively new way to get out of your contract without having to pay the ETF (which can be a few hundred dollars depending on how many lines you have. This new method is doing a “change of contract”. A good web site that offers this service for a small fee is Cellswapper.
Basically, you list your contract on one of the many services online that allow other people to come in and purchase your remaining contract. By doing so, you transfer their name to your contract for a substantially smaller fee, and they take over the rest of it. You are then free to look for a new provider and phone without having to pay the ETF.
This can be a great service to both parties, because you could get rid of your contract early with no ridiculous fees, and you can potentially provide the new owner with the plan that fits them. Perhaps they cannot obtain a contract with a popular provider because of the initial costs. Or maybe they are looking to leave their contract as well so they can use a phone not offered by their current provider.
There are some services out there that do this for free, but you pay for it because sometimes by the time you find a “buyer” who is willing to assume the rest of your contract, it might not do you any good. Other services out there charge a fairly small fee ($20 on average compared to the $150+ ETF) and can get you out of your contract relatively quickly.
Another method is to transfer your contract over to a family member or someone else very close to you. The process is free, pretty simple, and if you and the other person are present it only takes about half an hour. Call your provider and ask for an Assumption of Liability. They will send a form for the new owner to review and sign, and then be asked to give the same personal information as if they were applying for the contract themselves (ie. Social Security Number, address, phone number, etc.). A credit check will probably also be required. And if your account balance is not up to date, then it won’t really be available. Be sure to call your provider for full details.
Even though this method is free, it does not allow for some of the flexibility the paid services allow. If you require some more leeway, then for a small fee, these paid services can be the way to go. Sometimes, people even include phones and accessories as part of the deal.
There are definitely ways to break free and avoid the ETF, it just depends on what you’re looking for. So if you’re looking to make the move, rest assured that there are ways for you to do it without any hassle and awkwardness. That smartphone you want is a reality after all! Good luck!
Ample Apps from Apple (& RIM, too!)
With both iPhone and BlackBerry apps exploding on the market, there’s a variety of things you can do now. The cell phone used to be a pretty simple tool. It made calls, and that was it. Then came text messages, and then emails, and so on.
Now with the power of the Internet on your phone, the power of apps is accessible to everyone. There are some crazy ones out there, too. I saw a commercial recently of an app that makes your iPhone a level (yes, the kind with the liquid gauges that show you if a surface is level or not)!
There are apps for the weather, free music, phone themes, phonebooks, maps, and so on. It’s getting pretty diverse with what they’re coming out with now.
Here’s a list of some popular places that you can get apps:
T-Mobile G1 Apps:
http://www.tmobileg1applications.com/
Apple iPhone Apps
http://www.apple.com/iphone/appstore/
The Best of BlackBerry Resources
If you’re reading this, then you are probably well aware of GPS and all of the different brands and types of systems you can get out there, so I’m going to get right to the good stuff. I’m going to talk about my experience with GoogleMaps and GPS.
I use it on a regular basis on my BlackBerry Storm, but the interface is practically identical across multiple devices. You have the classic search features, where you can look up a point of interest or get directions from point A to point B, you have satellite view so you can zoom in and get a better idea of landmarks you come across, and so forth.
When you look up a particular point of interest, like a restaurant, you can get the address and see the exact location on the map. It will even bring up the phone number if one is listed for that particular location. Just about every smartphone will allow you to press “SEND” on your phone from there and place a call to make a reservation or place an order. It comes in handy when you’re out and about looking for a movie, a place to eat, a gas station, a post office, whatever your heart desires.
You can zoom in and out just like you can on www.googlemaps.com, although with the addition of live GPS tracking, it’s taken it a step further. Not all smartphone operating systems will sync GPS and GoogleMaps in a plug-and-play manner. Some may require downloading the newest version of either GoogleMaps or your operating system.
Its live tracking is a little delayed. It’s not quite as responsive as standard navigation systems in cars, or portable GPS devices like Garmins or TomToms. Every 15-20 seconds, the screen refreshes itself to show you your current location and the direction you are heading. If you’re in between turns, sometimes you can pass your turn before the screen refreshes in time. But it doesn’t happen often, as GoogleMaps has a pretty good checkpoint system when you are following directions. Every few miles or turns, it will give you a yellow diamond that you can hover over to see the details of your next turn.
Unfortunately, GoogleMaps does not offer narrated turn-by-turn directions. You do have to refer to your smartphone every so often to get an update. It’s not much of a problem when you have a passenger in the car, but makes a pretty big difference if you need GPS everyday. It does not make sense to have to stop and click on your next checkpoint if you want to verify your next turn.
So in the end, if you are using GoogleMaps on your smartphone as a GPS unit, then you are better off using it if you are on foot, or not operating a vehicle. It’s great for a support device to help you in a pinch, but I would take a factory or standalone GPS unit any day when it comes to driving anywhere.
To download the newest version of GoogleMaps, you can go to:
http://www.google.com/mobile/default/maps.html
Or if you are on your phone, go to: