what you need to know about unlocking the iPhone 3G

Have you ever wondered if there's a place where you can buy an unlocked iPhone 3G without having to worry about legal impediments? That place actually exists. In Hong Kong, buying unlocked cell phones is perfectly normal. In fact, they don't do it any other way. There, when you buy a phone, it's not locked to any carrier. Instead, you pick a carrier to connect to yourself.

The principle behind an unlocked cell phone

The principle behind an unlocked iPhone 3G is very simple. When any cell phone is locked, it will allow you to insert only one kind of SIM card ? the one affiliated with the carrier with which the phone is linked to. Therefore, a locked cell phone can only be used in that particular carrier's network. When you buy an unlocked iPhone 3G, you will be able to use that phone in practically any network.

This kind of arrangement is common in almost every part of the world that uses cell phones. In the US, an iPhone that you buy from AT&T can only be used in the AT&T network. But if you buy an unlocked iPhone 3G, you'll be able to insert a SIM from another carrier and use the phone on its network.

Perfectly legal

In Hong Kong, where you can find a vast collection of cell phones, the phones that you buy are unlocked by default. Say that again? No really, if you buy an iPhone 3G in Hong Kong, you'd be able to use it on any network. Now, we're not talking about bootleg versions. On the contrary, Apple itself has released unlocked iPhone 3G phones there.

Price to pay

There's one caveat though, the price of an unlocked 3G iPhone is relatively higher there than if you bought one in the US. The reason is because, in the US, carriers like AT&T subsidize the cost of the phone in exchange for locking the subscriber into their network.

Buy an unlocked iPhone 3G

When you buy an unlocked 3G iPhone at a relatively higher price, you're actually paying for the cost of freedom; the freedom to choose your own phone and the freedom to select your preferred network.