Speaking of Mobile phones ........

[blackburn_stevie]

What is the difference between "Unlocked" and "SIM Free."?

Ta very much.

[lbingomad]

Unlocked means you are able to put in a sim card of whatever network you require at any time - it may be sold with or without a sim card at the time of purchase.

SIM free means that you are purchasing just the handset without a sim card and depending on where it is purchased it may be locked to that network. 

My personal advice is going into a Carphone Warehouse store, they sell all unlocked phones and are great at giving advice.

Hope I have helped 🙂

[papko]

Unlocked means the phone has no restrictions imposed by a network  provider .

 I.e locked to their network .

 These restrictions can usually be "lifted " by software , or keying in a special code , either by a Network provider or a do it yourself type solution .

 Sim Free , means a phone is sold as a handset only , and is not tied to any network , this I would take to be unlocked .

 Mobile phones can be quite expensive when "new " , Network providers know thta one of th ebest ways of getting people to sign up to their network , and paying their tarriffs , is by offerring an assortment of "New Phones "

 the Network providers want to tie in the user , by restricting the Sim cards of other providers .

 So for example , a Network may serioulsy subsidise the cost of an attractive new phone , hoping to lock the user into  an expensvie tariff.

 The User may decide its economical to "unlock " the phone , and use a sim from a cheaper provider's tariff .

 My advice Dont bother with new phones , they are just a gimmick

 Get a Sim only deal , and provide your own phone , which can be picked up at any Boot sale , for £2 

😉

[tommy.irene]

Unlocked means you are able to put in a sim card of whatever network you require at any time - it may be sold with or without a sim card at the time of purchase.

SIM free means that you are purchasing just the handset without a sim card and depending on where it is purchased it may be locked to that network. 

My personal advice is going into a Carphone Warehouse store, they sell all unlocked phones and are great at giving advice.

Hope I have helped 🙂

 Not many people know this....Carphone are good at selling you unlocked phones.. If o2 are doing a pay as you talk phone at £100 and the same phone is on Orange at £40 ..buy the Orange one as your o2 sim card will work ok..

[blackburn_stevie]

No, sorry. I still don't get it.

It seems to me like you guys are saying that "Unlocked" means that you can stick any old SIM card (maybe not from 3) into the phone and it will work. But then "SIM free" seems to mean the same thing.

[cee-dee]

It's not the same.

Some phones don't use a SIM card hence "SIM free". Sometimes the term is used incorrectly when a SIM phone comes without a SIM card (but needs one).