What does it mean when a phone has no-contract?
A no-contract phone is one that doesn’t require you to sign a carrier agreement in order to buy and use it, so when the phone’s paid off, it’s yours. Most carriers now sell a no-contract option, either with our without a payment plan.
Are phones automatically unlocked?
What does it mean when a phone is locked? When a handset is locked it means it will only work with the provider from whom you bought it. If your phone is locked it won’t automatically become unlocked when your contract expires with your provider. You’ll have to specifically ask your carrier to unlock it.
When you buy a phone outright is it unlocked?
If you bought your phone outright, it’s considered a “prepaid” device and can be unlocked one year after its initial activation. There’s one caveat, however: Your bill from your carrier has to be paid. So if you owe money, your carrier doesn’t have to unlock your phone.
Does no SIM mean the phone is unlocked?
Head to Settings > General > About and find the Carrier Lock field. If you see No SIM restrictions here, your iPhone is unlocked. Anything else means that your iPhone is locked to your carrier.
How do you know if your phone is unlocked for any carrier?
But in general, you can go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks > Network Operators and tap Search Now to see if the names of other carriers come up. If multiple carrier names show up, your phone might be unlocked.
Is Sim free same as unlocked?
A phone that is free of a SIM card. Unlike phones you may pick up from networks such as Virgin, Vodafone and O2, which are often ‘locked’ to a certain carrier, SIM Free phones are completely ‘unlocked’ from specific networks. This means you can interchange SIM cards from different carriers in the phone.
What does no contract mean when buying a phone?
What’s a no-contract phone? Typically, when you buy a phone from a mobile provider, you are getting the device at a greatly reduced price to encourage you to join the service. As part of the deal to get this subsidized phone, you have to sign a two-year contract with said carrier .
Does an unlocked cell phone need a contract?
An unlocked smartphone is a phone that isn’t tied to a specific carrier or contract . Therefore, you have the freedom to shop for the latest phones and plans as often – or as infrequently – as you like. Plus, they don’t come preloaded with numerous carrier applications that that take up space on your phone.
What companies have no contract cell phones?
Some of the best no contract phone companies include TracFone, Straight Talk, Boost Mobile MetroPCS and Virgin Mobile . These are the most established companies offering prepaid no contract phone plans.
Does no contract mean prepaid?
“No contract” means no specific time commitment required, like the former two-year contracts. Similar to prepaid in the fact that there is no time commitment, but different because these “no contract” options are paid upon usage, meaning they are postpaid plans.