Many shoppers can become confused by the jargon used when buying a cellphone in Canada due to the wide variety of choices. Frequently, the difference between a locked and unlocked cellphone is misunderstood. The aim of this article is to dispel confusion about unlocked phones and explain how they can be used in Canada.

The term unlocked phone refers to a phone that can be used with any wireless provider. Therefore, you can easily switch carriers if you find a better plan at a lower price. If your phone is locked, you can only use it with one service provider. Phone manufacturers will be asked to install a lock that prevents their users from using competing networks. Unlocked phones are smartphones that don’t come with these lock features built in, or are those that have been unlocked by the service provider. All the cell phones that we sell at BestMobileCanada are 100% unlocked and can be used with any carrier SIM card, or you can choose a very competitive cell phone plan starting at only $25/month.

It was entirely possible for Canadian service providers, prior to December 1st, 2017, to charge their users fees to get their phones unlocked. Mobile users were well-known to become frustrated by this practice, which was used to enforce customer loyalty. At the end of 2017, the CRTC updated its Wireless Code, which now forces service providers to offer their customers unlocked devices. In Canada, a carrier now has to unlock a locked phone at your request, at no charge, if you purchase it from any carrier.

Unlocked phones are virtually risk-free when buying used phones or smartphones.

It saves you a lot of headaches to buy an unlocked phone because it comes with a host of benefits. Among them are:

• You can switch from one service provider to another without worrying about unlocking it
• With an unlocked phone, you avoid rigid contracts and can save money on your phone service
• because you can use local SIM cards rather than expensive international roaming plans when traveling
• If you decide to sell your phone, it will have a better resale value

If you prefer to avoid being locked into a contract, you will need to pay the full retail price up front, since carrier subsidies usually reduce the total cost of an upgrade. When buying a used cell phone, you can compensate by getting great deals.

Accordingly, Canada’s updated Wireless Code has simplified the process of obtaining an unlocked phone without paying outrageous fees to carriers. Please feel free to contact us if you have more questions about the unlocked phones we sell at BestMobileCanada.com