If you've had your phone since it was fresh out of the box, straight from your service provider, you may have never gone through the process of unlocking the SIM slot. Though there are number of ways to go about SIM unlocking your phone, be it through your provider or a third party, there are a lot of benefits to jumping through those hoops.
Better resale value
Whenever you're ready to sell your phone, you can absolutely command a higher price if it's unlocked. Unlock prices will vary by device, but considering the work put into the process, it should still be profitable after resale. If you know you're going to be upgrading down the line, you might as well get your phone unlocked so you can maximize the amount you recoup during resale.
Get the best deals abroad
Being able to get wireless service while globetrotting can help you translate, navigate, and research when abroad. If your phone is still locked when you get off the plane, you're going to have to deal with steep roaming fees from your home provider. Even with a dedicated roaming package, you'll likely save a few bucks by swapping SIM cards with one of the domestic service providers. Trust me, it's worth wrestling with the language barrier at the local provider's store.
Jump on great new plans
Back at home, there may be a promotion at a new service you want to hop onto. You won't be able to avail yourself of monthly savings without unlocking your phone. Once that's done though, you'll be free to hop between carriers on month-to-month plans depending on whoever's offering the best bang for buck. That flexibility is worth the effort of getting your phone unlocked. There's no better option than US Mobile for powerful yet flexible wireless plans that deliver fast data speeds and affordable pricing.
Having a useful spare
Even your older phones can be good candidates for unlocking if they aren't already. With an unlocked phone in your drawer, you'll always have a fallback at a moment's notice if your current daily driver breaks for whatever reason. Not only does this help you maintain peace of mind, it can be handy for helping friends out in a pinch, too.
Taking control of your hardware
For all of the functional benefits of unlocking your phone, there's something to be said about the sheer feeling of independence of having an unlocked phone. Once upon a time unlocking your phone outside of the purview of your service provider was illegal in the U.S. Along the same vein of maintaining a right to repair, you should also have the right to pick and choose your service whenever you want.
US Mobile
US Mobile is a great place to take your newly unlocked phone. We gave the flexible service top marks in our review. If you're interested in getting exactly what you pay for, use the coupon code ANC4USM at checkout for a free Starter Kit and $15 off your first month!
