When you buy a subsidized iPhone directly from a network or retail outlet it will be IMEI locked, meaning it can only be used with one carrier. Carriers make an awful lot of money from customers they manage to lock into a contract, and in order to make these contracts appear more attractive, they provide sweeteners as an incentive (by way of a free or very cheap iPhone) to sign on the line. When it comes to the Apple iPhone, in order to entice their potential customers to sign up for lengthy contracts with them, the big cellular providers virtually give them away! On top of this the carriers keep the pressure on Apple to ensure they keep the MRP of their unlocked handsets very high, making the discounted models they supply seem even more desirable. The prices of the factory unlocked iPhone bought directly from Apple are often in excess of 5 times the price of the subsidized models supplied by the networks.

Buying a carrier locked iPhone for half the price of a regular iPhone sounds like it's a great idea? Say you get relocated by your employer to a temporary position overseas? The cost of using your iPhone while travelling internationally can be extortionate. There have been reported cases where people have been on holiday and unwittingly using their iPhones on Facebook or Twitter only to return to an astronomical phone bill! The sensible thing to do is use a local carrier to provide your phone and internet service while you are overseas. However, you will need to get your iPhone unlocked before you can do so.

unlock iphone
You can get an iPhone unlock by one of two methods. IMEI unlocking is the primary way, and one which most people prefer. The other method is via a software hack, which can only be installed after and iPhone has been jailbroken. The software unlock became obsolete in 2011 when Apple