Android smartphones tend to be popular with their users due to the amount of flexibility and freedom that most models offer. When you have an Android phone which is locked to a specific mobile network, you may have the freedom to make changes to the actual handset, but when it comes to how much you’re paying for your phone per month, you’re highly restricted as you can only choose plans from the network that your handset is locked to. We’ve listed some of the main benefits of having your Android smartphone unlocked.
Freedom to Change Plans
Unless you have committed to a contract that you still have some time left to pay, the only thing stopping you from changing mobile plans in order to save yourself as much money as possible is a locked handset. When your handset is locked to a particular network, it can be very difficult to save money as today, there are an increasing number of mobile phone networks all competing to offer the lowest prices. Mobile phone unlocking means that you can take advantage of whichever network is offering the lowest price at the time, as many times as you like.
Avoid Roaming Charges
Another great reason to have your Android smartphone unlocked is that not only does it allow you to use any network of your choice in your home country, it will also allow you to use foreign mobile networks when abroad, too. This means that when you take a holiday, you can avoid racking up big roaming charges and take advantage of going pay as you go on the local networks instead, without having to get a temporary handset.
Better Reselling Value
Since Android phones are constantly being updated with new handsets hitting the shelves all the time, it’s not unusual for your handset to drop in value after you have been using it for over a year. But, a handset that is locked to a specific network can actually have less resale value, and they can also be harder to sell as you’ll be limited to buyers who are willing to use that network only. Having your Android phone unlocked means that if you do choose to sell it on when you upgrade, you’ll likely find a buyer much more quickly and you could even get a better price.
Long Term Savings
If you are quite savvy about it, having an unlocked handset can actually help you to make financial savings in the long run. Although you will usually need to pay a fee in order to have your handset unlocked, purchasing this freedom is definitely worth it. Unlocking your handset means that you can get more use out of it, even continuing to use it on another network after the initial contract has ended. With an unlocked handset, you can also choose from a huge range of cheap SIM only contracts to help you save money.
When your Android phone has so many great options for customisation, why allow your network to hold you back?
