As we kick off a series of features on unlocked smartphones, mainly focused on mid-priced devices in the U.S. market, it's worth remembering that Europe does 'unlocked' very differently.
Would you buy a car that can only use the right lane? SIM unlocked, or network unlocked, phones aren't a big deal for many of us. We're using a network provider that works well in the places where we spend most of our time (or should be), and using a phone that was designed to work on that particular network. Everyone is happy, everything just works, and we don't take time to think...
Is my phone's bootloader unlocked? Is it SIM unlocked? What's the difference, and why is any of this important?
On both sides of the Atlantic, Motorola is pushing the second-generation Moto X with price cuts. But even with a cheaper price tag, is it worth your cash? It's hard to believe it's been more than nine months since we first went hands-on with the 2014 Moto X. By the fickle standards of the smartphone world, it's starting to get a bit long in the tooth. Motorola's various discounts on...
President Obama will today sign a bill into law that will allow American citizens to legally unlock their phones in order to take them to another cellular carrier, either in the United States or abroad. The President announced his intent to sign the bill last week. The new law is only a temporary measure, and is only valid until 2015. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill...
Although most people generally don't think of it when they go to unlock their cellphone for another carrier, the process of doing so in the U.S. has been a topic of much debate involving consumers, the House of Representatives, and even the President of the United States. For those unfamiliar, service providers like AT&T and Verizon typically lock their devices so they can only be...
While Sony continues to struggle to get its Xperia phones directly into U.S. carrier stores, there's good news for American Sony fans wanting to pick up GSM unlocked versions of the company's latest Xperia Z2. Engadget reports that the Japanese firm has confirmed its intention to sell the Z2 on its online store in the U.S. at some point "in the near future." The move would be a...
Latest version of KitKat and HTC Sense 5.5 round out the 312MB OTA package If you've got a developer edition or unlocked carrier-free model HTC One in your pocket, it's time to whip that puppy out and check for an update. Users are reporting a 312MB OTA that brings the device to Android 4.4.2 and Sense 5.5, which should also improve system stability and adjust the screen time out when...
Get your Samsung Galaxy S4 unlocked to use it on other carriers!
Customers to be notified proactively of unlocked status, get devices unlocked for free The CTIA has announced today it has come to an agreement with the FCC regarding cellphone unlocking. The five largest carriers — Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular — have signed-on with a deal that increases the transparency and improves the process of unlocking phones in the...
Yet another thing to be thankful for HTC USA's Twitter account just gave word that unlocked and developer edition HTC One phones have a new update pushing out today. This OTA will bring KitKat and Sense 5.5 to the One, and sounds like a pretty good way to cap off a day of thanks. HTC One Unlocked and Developer Edition owners - your Kit Kat roll out starts today! Let us know your...
Could a bootloader-unlocked Verizon Note 3 be on the cards? Back in June Verizon and Samsung teamed up to offer a special "Developer Edition" Galaxy S4, with an unlocked bootloader, for those who like to tinker with their devices. Today it seems a second such handset might be on the cards, as a listing on Samsung's U.S. site makes reference to a "Developer Edition Galaxy Note 3." Enter...
European SM-N9005 and Latin American SM-N900 locked to SIMs from their respective regions Update: Check our breakdown of exactly what's going on with region-locking on the Note 3 for more details. Here's some alarming news for those wanting to pick up an unlocked, SIM-free Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and use it internationally. Reports have been surfacing over the past day from Note 3 owners...
Sony bootloader unlock site warns of camera woes for those who unlock the new handset If you've just picked up a shiny new Sony Xperia Z1 and want to get hacking away at the device, you may want to hold off for awhile. A new message on the Sony Mobile bootloader unlock site warns that — "Warning! At the moment, unlocking the Xperia™ Z1 boot loader will stop the camera functionality...
Phone unlocking to be 'expeditious and transparent,' while not affecting service contracts The Obama administration, by way of the NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration), today officially petitioned the FCC to voice its opinion that carriers should be required unlock customer's phones. The petition cuts right to the point, stating that US consumers should be...
Justiceanthony asks in the Android Central Forums: Hi all, I'm new here. I'm looking to buy a new Note 2 for the third time (yeah, I lost the first one and gave the second to my girlfriend). Someone is selling one to me here in Ghana , and it was previously locked to O2 (UK network), it's now been unlocked and my question is whether it's been automatically rooted since it's unlocked...
Did you know that as of Jan 26, 2013, it's "illegal" to unlock your phone? Of course you did. You've seen the "Sky is falling!" headlines It's not quite that simple, but that's what you'll hear around the Internets today. The too-long-didn't-read simple version is that you'll likely not be affected in any way (minus the personal freedom aspect). But after seeing so many people worried...
Now that your chances of getting a Nexus 4 are down the drain (at least for now), if you poke around the Google Play Store a bit more you may find something interesting. The newest model of the Nexus 7, the one with HSPA+ data, is now listed as "Unlocked + AT&T SIM", rather than just "Unlocked". Reading through the specs you see that Google is directly promoting the use of the Nexus...
A lot of us who are planning to buy the LG Nexus 4 will be doing so because of the developer options, including the easily unlockable bootloader. Unlocking your bootloader is something to think about before you jump in and do it, because a locked bootloader is essential to keeping your device secure. Once you unlock it, a knowledgeable person can take every bit of data off your phone,...
High performance at a reasonable cost, but can it ever be considered over the more popular manufacturers' offerings? There's a pretty decent chance you've used a Huawei phone without even knowing it. A longtime seller of spec devices, Huawei has started to step into the competitive arena that is the high-end smartphone market. For 2012, Huawei offers this, the Ascend D Quad XL. When the...