There's a lot of buzz about unlocked cell phones, especially since the release of the Apple iPhone. eBay is littered with “Unlocked” phones but the reality is a lot of people don't know what an “Unocked” phone is, if they need one, or in a lot of cases, if they have one. This article will explain the basics.

When you buy a cell phone with a service plan, whether you buy it from the carrier or from a retail location, more likely than not the phone is “Locked”. This means that they phone can only be used with one carrier. So for example if you purchase a phone to be used with your AT&T service, it cannot be used with any other carriers like T-mobile. If the phone is “Unlocked” it means it is not tethered to a specific carrier, but.