How many different cell phones have you bought in your life just because you needed to change service plans or providers? Maybe your latest mobile phone contract ran out or you moved to a new state and the cell service at your new residence is non-existent. Whatever the case may be, you now have several useless mobile phones and their corresponding chargers in the junk drawer and you have absolutely no idea what to do with them. This is why you need to unlock your phone.

Whether you buy your cell phone or it's considered "free" after rebates and such, every mobile phone has a "serial number" that's referred to in the industry as an IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). This number connects a particular phone to a service. At the same time, it connects the subscriber (you) to the phone, so in the long run you (the subscriber) are directly connected to a cell phone subscriber.

Inside the majority of these phones is a removable card called the SIM (Subscriber Information Module). This card also connects the phone to the subscriber (you) and the phone to the service. Many cell service providers will put a lock on the SIM so that the phone at hand will only work with their service. Even if you used your hard-earned money to pay for this new phone, the cell company can force you to use their service. This hardly seems fair, doesn't it? This is why it's a good idea to unlock your cell phone.

By unlocking your cell phone, you will be able to use any cell phone service provider that you'd like. In addition, you're getting rid of roaming charges completely while increasing the resale value of your phone. Basically, you have a clear phone with no legal attachments to any one location. As long as the unlocking is done right, your phone should operate fine and your service would go on as normal.

A note worth a mention: If you have a service contract with a particular provider, complying with its terms and conditions (including any maintenance fees) is par for the course. A contract is a legally binding agreement and it would definitely be in your best interest to follow along until the end.

It wasn't all that long ago that a cell phone owner needed to send their phone away to a reputable company to do the cell phone unlocking for them. But times are changing, and recent advances allow cell phones to be unlocked with a "secret code" based on the mobile phone service provider and the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). This way of unlocking is not only more cost efficient, but much quicker, too. Instead of waiting for the mail to come, close to immediate results are granted with an email address and the downloading of a mobile phone unlocking kit.