Monday, 6 October 2014

Unlocked Mobile Phones Outright Offer Cost-Effective And Flexible Plans

By Craig Hannerley


We all remember the initial shock we got when we received our first cellphone bill after signing up for a two year contract with a specific service provider. It all sounded so nice, easy and cheap to choose a dandy, modern phone with all the various functions at a low monthly rate. What most people only realized later, was all the hidden costs and limitations involved in the contract that one is now legally bound to honor for the next two years. Buying mobile phones outright may save you a great deal of money and frustration, and give you a wider choice.

Mobile phones purchased on a contract basis may initially seem cheap because the full prize is subsidized by your monthly fees to the service provider over a two year period. In the long run, however, it can actually work out more expensive than buying an unlocked phone where there is no contract or hidden administration fees involved and more options available.

Buying a new mobile phone outright may initially cost you more (as a once-off payment) than with a 2-year contract, but if you do the calculations, you will find it may actually work out cheaper if you spread the amount over a two year period. The difference is that the total cost of a new mobile phone purchased on a contract basis is subsidized by your monthly payments for the duration of the contract length and thus only appears to be cheaper.

Outright mobile phones allow you the freedom to choose any phone of your choice and not only those offered by your service provider. Cellphones have also become a fashion trend and it's important to be able to buy the one you like most. Just make sure your service provider operates on GSM networks, since all these unlocked cellphones only work on GSM cellular networks using SIM cards.

People are often disappointed when they cannot upgrade their cellphone contract to include a specific phone of their choice because it is not included in their service provider's package deals. Service providers can only allow a certain amount of manufacturers' products on their networks and thus one's choice is often limited. Without a binding contract, you can pick and choose any trendy unlocked cellphone of your choice from any manufacturer.

Apart from having a bigger selection of cellphones to choose from, outright cellphones save you the frustration of dealing with contractual, billing and administrative errors that often occur in long term contracts. People often battle to get out of a contract once it has expired due to administrative problems. With unlocked mobile phones one is free to buy as many and as often as one likes.

These SIM cards are freely available in most countries and can be inserted into any unlocked phone. You can choose between month-to-month services or a longer contract. The SIM card contains your basic information such as phone number, contacts and calling history.

Outright mobile phones are especially handy and cost-effective for people who often travel internationally. You can cut your international calling costs dramatically by simply buying a pre-paid SIM card with a local number of the country that you are visiting. Those who plan to travel to different countries during the same trip, can check out international roaming SIM cards with the cheapest roaming rates rather than buying a local SIM card in each country that they visit.

Another option is to keep your compatible GSM unlocked cellphone with your home number to make calls to family and friends at home. Although the calls and texts will cost you more, you will not have to repeatedly give new cellphone numbers to them from every country that you visit. This is only a cost-effective option if you just want to make a few international calls.

The best deal for jet setters is a cellphone with dual SIM cards that stores both your regular home SIM card and the SIM card of your host country. This allows you to make and receive calls to and from your family at home on your regular home number, as well as making and receiving local calls at the lower local rates of your host country.

Technology is constantly changing and one should research the best options available. Depending on one's specific needs and cellphone habits, an unlocked cellphone that offers cheaper and more flexible plans might be best for you!




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