One of the most common and requested gifts is a new smartphone. It is an article that today is usually bought in many ways since we have a multitude of online stores, second-hand websites, buying and selling forums, etc. and there are even those who choose to buy it directly from a telephone operator and thus have their new smartphone, although it may tie you to the company for a while.
The question that assails us is to know if that mobile is free or not. We have to say that the most normal thing in these times is that we will find smartphones, which despite being obtained through operators are totally free.
Years ago with high-end smartphones it used to be like this, today almost all phones are totally free, although they may have applications from the operator in question, and even when we turn on our smartphone the company logo or similar may appear.
But let's see what is a free mobile, how to know if it is or not, if they can be released and in what way we can do it.
How do I know if my mobile is free?
The first thing we are going to clarify is what it means for a mobile to be free, this means that said device can work with the SIM card of any telephone company that is in your country, whatever it may be, and therefore it is not subject to the obligation to only use cards from the operator that provided us with the mobile phone in its day.
Therefore, a mobile that is not free will only work with the SIM cards of the operator that sold it, and we will not be able to use any other.
To find out if our smartphone is free or not, the simplest way we have is to insert a SIM card slot that is different from our usual operator. That is, from another company different from ours, whether it be Movistar, Vodafone, Orange, Yoigo ...
If the mobile works correctly, you can make calls and even surf the Internet, without Wi-Fi, that means that your smartphone is not subject to any operator or telephone company, so you can change it whenever you want. Or when you get a more advantageous offer from another company and you decide to switch, you won't have to worry about buying another mobile.
We can say that this characteristic makes its sale much more attractive in the future, if at any time we decide to change the smartphone, since it is not restricted or has limitations when it comes to using it.
On the other hand, if you bought your smartphone on a website such as Amazon, Mediamarkt, or Aliexpres, normally and generally are free, or they present this type of problem since, since they are not provided by operators, they are not subject to restrictions of this type.
The same happens if you buy it in a chain of department stores, as long as you only buy the terminal, since some firms of this type offer telephony services and they may be subject to them in the event that you obtain it in that way.
Another way to know if our phone is free is by entering the code of the terminal manufacturer.
The major manufacturers of smartphones provide codes to know if a mobile is locked.
How to know if your Samsung mobile is free
- In the application from where you make the calls, dial the code * # # 7465625
- If after this the word OFF means it is free. If it appears ON means not free and to use it with the SIM of another operator you will have to release it.
- This method does not work on all SamsungIf this is your case, you will have to try another alternative.
How to know if your Huawei mobile is free
- In the app where you make the calls, dial the code * # * # * # * # 2846579
- A menu will open and you will have to go to Project Menu - Network Settigs - SIM Card Lock sate query.
- If it appears Sim card lock state NW_LOCKED means not free.
How to know if your Sony mobile is free
- In the calls APP, dial the code * # * # * # * # 7378423
- A menu will open and you will have to go to Service Info - Configuration.
- You look for where it says Root Status, if it appears YES is free and if it appears It does NOT mean that it is not released.
How to know if your LG mobile is free
- Go to Settings - About phone - Software information.
- And in Software version if it ends with -EUR-XX means it is free.
How to unlock your smartphone?
Years ago the operators they used to lock their cell phones so you could only use it with them. That is, so that we had a link with them until the end of the contract with said company. This was the way they had to ensure your stay with them, that is, they locked your phone to be able to use only with their company.
If today you have a phone that is not free, always you can contact the operator and request that your phone be unlocked. Normally they agreed to this request as long as these requirements were met:
- In the signed contract, he had to the period of stay is over with the telephone service provider.
- Also there should be no invoice pending payment.
- And you were under the obligation to prove that the mobile was really yours. For this, what they asked you was the IME numberI, of the telephone.
Once they verified all this data, they remotely unlocked your device. Generally it was through email, or by SMS they provided you with a code and instructions to enter them on the mobile phone.
Although as we have said this almost does not happen, since Current legislation requires that terminals come from where they come, they must be free and cannot be subject to any blockade by any operator.
It must be recognized that Movistar was a of the first companies to start marketing their phones freely. She was the one who paved the way for this phenomenon, that of being able to have free mobiles, as they come to us without strange additions or absurd blocks. And of course, being a large company, many others copied the idea and the style. Now, it is more than usual to obtain our free terminals, either by company or by other means.