Some people are talking about SIM unlocking as if it was a big deal but I still think if you don’t want your mobile phone to be tied to a network it’s easier to e-mail or phone the customer service of your network provider and simply ask for the unlocking code. I know people who have successfully unlocked their phones for free just by asking for the codes to 3 Ireland. I’ve unlocked all my phones with the unlocking codes O2 Ireland has provided me also for free. I can’t comment anything on Vodafone and Meteor though.
According to SIMable website, the little chip which unlocks your SIM costs £16.99 + £2.95 delivery with free cutting tool. On the other hand asking for the codes to your network provider is totally FREE. It all depends on your necessity. If you want to use your SIM card in different mobile phones from different networks, you need to buy the little chip but if you want your mobile phone to accept different SIM cards, you’d better ask for the unlocking code to your provider.
In my opinion it’s a concept of ownership, when we buy the mobile phone we own the gadget so it has to be untied, freed and unlocked, it has to be all ours 🙂 . I see the SIM card as a service, it doesn’t have to be unlocked because it’s not ours, it’s just a service. When we aren’t happy with some kind of service we just move to another company, as simple as that. Even if I had to spend money and choose between unlocking my gadget or the SIM card, I certainly would go for the mobile phone unlocking.
What about you? What’s your concept?