Weekly Cell Phone Jargon Update Week 7

SellyourCell.com will provide weekly info statements to help you better understand what can be confusing Cell Phone Jargon.

Week 7: Locked vs Unlocked phones. By definition a locked phone is a handset that can be used only on one carrier. Any phone you buy directly from a U.S. carrier will come "locked" to that provider. Unlocked phones lack any settings that tie them to a specific carrier. If you have an unlocked phone, you can use it with any GSM carrier. If you travel abroad, you can often buy a prepaid SIM card from a local carrier and use it in an unlocked handset.