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There are a huge number of people listing a mobile phone unlocking service, or offering the software for sale that willl allow you to unlock the phone yourself. This is tantamount to theft as the codes are readily available all over the internetFor those that do not know what unlocking is all about, it simply means that your handset is locked to one operator network, T-Mobile, Vodaphone etc. If you try to use a T-Mobile sim card in a handset supplied by vodaphone, you will see a message telling you something along the lines of "SIM REJECTED" or "SIM DISALLOWED"Networks subsidise the cost of the handset against the contract that you take out. The true cost of the handset can be hundreds of pounds, (the new N70 is retailing at £300 on the Nokia website) but if you agree to a 12 or 18 month contract, you can quite often receive the latest range-topping handset free, especially if you have a history of high monthly bills!!The idea behind sim-locking is to protect the networks' investment in the subsidised price of the handset - they have had to buy the phone, and have given it you on the basis that you use their network for the next 12 months. However their price plan may not be ideal for you and another operator may be able to offer a better deal on some items. Vodaphone for example, are quite expensive on internet and web-surfing, but O2 offer some great packages on Mb usage. I have a great contract on Vodaphone for minutes and texts, but for internet use,I swap sim cards to use my O2 PAYG for surfing the mobile internet.I also use foreign PAYG sim cards when u go on holiday - it is still cheaper than using roaming on my home networkSo how do you unlock your phone?Most phones can be unlocked by entering a long alpha-numeric code, something that looks like #pw+1234567890**#Motorolas can also be unlocked remotely, however the codes are held by Motorola who tend only to release them to trade customers - network providers,Phone shops, repairers etc.Alternatively,they can be 'clipped' -plugged into a laptop or specialist piece of hardware,both of which are readily available in small independent phone shops, or many market stalls for a few pounds.Sony -Ericsson phones also require a cable connection.Knowing what to look for is the crucial part.Search for nokia(or your handset brand)free unlocking,and you will find thousands of matches to start with.Be careful of anyone that asks for your IMEI number up front there is a chance they can use this information to clone your phone and cause probs,avoid any adverts that require you to call a premium number,all they are doing is automating the process that you should be doing yourself,and charging £.search look for aDCT4 calculator OR search for a"free DCT4 calculator".This is the magical piece of software that works out what your unlock code is.It was written "hollowman"or"dejan deserves a medal!The software is in the public domain,and although it is free to use,There is also website called nokiafree.org that offers reviews,advice, guidance and help on all Nokia related matters,and as you may have guessed,it's free to browse their site!The forums are FULL information on all Nokia issues,all things cellular and Nokia-like. Crucially though,they offer an online DCT4 calculator that is completely free to use.Most phones from the last few years can be unlocked using this calculator,Alcatel, some Siemens, most Nokia,most
Samsung.LG,Panasonic & Sharp n others.The calc simply asks for your IMEI number, and a 5 digit network operator code.After entering in your handset type a series of codes are displayed, one of which will unlock your phone when entered.Whilst researching for this guide,I found 28 sites that offered the free online calculator,or free to download.Of these 28,only 3 did not offer comprehensive,or easy instructions.There is a new breed of sim-lock however,in the form of a BB5 locking protection.Currently this includes the Nokia N series(N70, N80, N90, N91)and the Nokia 6630 & 6680 smart phones.These have the sim lock hard-coded into one of the chips inside the handset,and currently there is no program or software that will crack this.Despite what people are advertising YOU CAN NOT UNLOCK THESE PHONES YOURSELF!! The codes are unique to each handset, and are not linked to the IMEI Unless somebody gains access to the list of unlock codes held securely by Nokia,there is no way around this. Even when software has been developed to crack the codes,it will be a case of connecting the hanset to a PC that can read the chips, and display the unlock code.Whoever invents that piece of kit will retire a rich man!The phone has to be unlocked by a code issued by your network provider,and they will only issue the code to the owner and with a valid reason.The most effective reason is that you have a SIM card issued by your employers that you want to use,If you buy one of these phones second hand and try to get it unlocked,you will be facing an almost impossible