Thursday 9 October 2014

Buying Unlocked Mobile Phones Outright May Save You A Great Deal

By Shamar Smith


We all remember the initial shock we got when we received our first cellphone bill after signing up for a two year contract with a specific service provider. It all sounded so nice, easy and cheap to choose a dandy, modern phone with all the various functions at a low monthly rate. What most people only realized later, was all the hidden costs and limitations involved in the contract that one is now legally bound to honor for the next two years. Buying mobile phones outright may save you a great deal of money and frustration, and give you a wider choice.

The variety of mobile phone packages and plans offered by carriers are overwhelming. The popular 2-year cellphone contracts are often so attractively advertised that it seems like a huge bargain. On closer inspection, however, one finds there are many hidden administrative and billing costs involved. Investing in an unlocked phone without contractual ties may perhaps be a cheaper option in the long run and offers one more flexibility and a wider choice of products.

A new unlocked phone from your favorite manufacturer may initially cost more because it is a once-off payment. However, when the amount is spread over a 24 month period, it may actually be cheaper than your total monthly payments on a two-year contract - especially if you combine it with a cheaper plan.

With unlocked phones, you are not tied to a specific carrier and thus have a wider choice of phones to choose from. These cheaper phones, however, only work on GSM cellular networks using Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards. Not all mobile carriers operate on GSM networks and thus one will have to find out which ones are associated with unlocked phones.

People are often disappointed when they cannot upgrade their cellphone contract to include a specific phone of their choice because it is not included in their service provider's package deals. Service providers can only allow a certain amount of manufacturers' products on their networks and thus one's choice is often limited. Without a binding contract, you can pick and choose any trendy unlocked cellphone of your choice from any manufacturer.

Apart from having a bigger selection of cellphones to choose from, outright cellphones save you the frustration of dealing with contractual, billing and administrative errors that often occur in long term contracts. People often battle to get out of a contract once it has expired due to administrative problems. With unlocked mobile phones one is free to buy as many and as often as one likes.

These SIM cards are freely available in most countries and can be inserted into any unlocked phone. You can choose between month-to-month services or a longer contract. The SIM card contains your basic information such as phone number, contacts and calling history.

By buying a prepaid SIM card with a local number of the country in which you are staying, you can minimize your local calling costs. If you plan to travel to multiple countries during the same trip, it might be cheaper to buy a SIM card that offers international roaming services at the cheapest roaming rates. This will save you the trouble of buying a local SIM card in every country you visit.

If you only occasionally want to stay in touch with family and friends at home during your travels, you can use your compatible GSM unlocked cellphone with your home number. Naturally the cost for calls and texts will be more, but it will save you the hassle of giving new phone numbers from each country you visit to friends and family at home.

Another option for frequent travelers is to get a mobile device with dual SIM cards. These unlocked cellphones store both your regular SIM card and the SIM card of the country you are visiting. In this way you can receive calls from home on your regular home number and make and receive calls with the lower rates of a local number.

With all the new advancements and technology in the cellphone industry, it is important to stay informed about all the latest trends and products. Outright mobile phones may just be a cheaper and better option for your specific needs!




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