Unlocking a mobile phone

When you buy a new phone, chances are it'll be locked to the network you bought it on, and if you try to put another network's Sim card in it simply won't function.

To be able to use our Hits SIM cards in a mobile phone the handset must be unlocked.

Unlocking your mobile enables the phone to be used with any compatible Sim card on any network, which gives you these benefits:

A cheaper tariff. If you like your phone but don't have a good deal, unlocking it allows you to keep the phone but switch to another network.

Moving to Spain. If you have moved to Spain and need a Spanish mobile phone number, but, would like to keep your current mobile. Unlocking the mobile will allow you put a Spanish sim in the foreign phone.

In short, unlocking gives your mobile independence from the network you got it from. And what's more, it's usually simple to do. Many, especially slightly older, handsets can be unlocked using codes generated for free on the web, and if that doesn't work, you can do it for a reasonable fee, either through your network or high st. phone unlockers.

Even if you have to pay your network to unlock the handset, unless you're on a particularly good tariff, the savings should quickly outweigh the outlay.

Why do mobile phone companies lock phones?

Mobile companies say their phones are already heavily subsidised to entice you to buy them and they need to make up this shortfall. Yet the reality, as ever, comes down to cold hard cash; it makes no sense to sell you the phone at reduced cost and then let you take your money to another network provider.

How to Unlock

Look for an on-line specialist unlocking company that may be able to help unlock your handset. Try using a search engine to locate a suitable company and make sure you email them first to verify they can unlock your model and review their unlocking policy, terms & conditions and other relevant information.

Visit a local mobile phone store - Certain Nokia models, as well as other popular makes like Sagem, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Samsung cannot be unlocked remotely and you will therefore need to visit a local mobile phone sales and repair shop. Your local small independent mobile phone store will be able to unlock your phone for a small, one-off fee while you wait.

Ask your current network - If you have been with your current network for 12 months or more then they will be able to send you an unlocking code, but this may take a while and involve several phone calls. They will also charge you a premium for this service.