There is nothing better than owning an unlocked iPhone simply because you can use it with any SIM Card you want worldwide. The only obstacle is the simlock and today I am going to show you what it is, why it was developed and of course, how to remove it successfully from your iPhone.
What is simlock?
The simlock is a Carrier Restriction Feature implemented on every cell phone regardless of whether it is a GSM or CDMA device.
As long as a wireless phone is simlocked it can only operate with SIM Cards from a specific Mobile Network inside the country it was bought. Outside that country, you can still use one of them but you will be additionally charged according to the locking Network’s roaming fees.
We could talk about simlock’s existence forever but the fact is that most of us choose to buy a new mobile phone cheaper from a Wireless Network. But this discount requires to sign a contract for a specific time period, usually lasting from 1 to 2 years.
So, in order to ensure that your contract will be paid in full without breaking the contract or switching to other more economical solutions like a pre-paid SIM, Carriers demanded and manufacturers developed the infamous simlock.
At first glance, it seems totally reasonable and if this was the whole purpose it would be. But it isn’t.
Are simlocked iPhones actually cheaper?
First of all, you can purchase an unlocked iPhone straight from an Apple Store or any other retailer and as I already told you it will be more expensive than the Mobile Network’s contract alternative.
But if you do the math and I mean to add up the extra charges you pay monthly due to the simlock iPhone you chose instead you will discover that you might even pay more in the end.
Of course, if you want a brand new unlocked iPhone XS Max but you don’t have the $1100 in order to buy it then the Carrier’s offer looks awesome.
But the real simlock problem is when you fulfill your contract obligations. Even then every Wireless Network has a unique simlock removal policy which can make iPhone unlocking seem impossible.
iPhone simlock Removal options
You can remove the simlock from your iPhone with 3 different methods.
1. Through the locking Carrier’s iPhone SIM Unlock Services
Before 2017 it would be impossible to deactivate the simlock through a Mobile Network but since then Canada, China, Singapore, Chile and Israel decided to ban Carriers from selling simlocked cellphones. At the same time, Wireless Networks are obligated to offer their simlock removal services for free as long as a phone is eligible for unlock. Thankfully, this is also happening with many Carriers inside the USA, Japan and various other countries.
2. With an iPhone IMEI Unlock Service
This is the best simlock unlock option when a Mobile network rejects you. It can become quite expensive for specific Carriers and the latest iPhone models but it worths every penny when you want to use any SIM Card you want, inside any country you want
3. By using iPhone Unlock Hardware like R-SIM or Turbo SIM
I would never use something like this to remove a simlock and I have really good reasons. It is a cheap alternative but the same applies to the quality of unlocking.
What is the future of simlock?”
Many countries started to be against simlock. At the same time, Apple introduced the eSIM technology with the latest iPhone models (iPhone XR, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XS) and many fear that Mobile Networks might use it to simlock iPhones forever.
But as long as simlock exists there will always be a way to unlock it. After all, it is completely legal to unlock an iPhone no matter what Mobile Networks trying to do.
