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OpenMoko phone schedule announced

OpenMoko phone schedule announced

Posted Jan 22, 2007 20:50 UTC (Mon) by ajross (subscriber, #4563)
In reply to: OpenMoko phone schedule announced by JoeBuck
Parent article: OpenMoko phone schedule announced

GSM phones are (modulo some technicalities about which frequency set they support) able to carrier-hop at will. The user credentials are stored on a "SIM" card only, the phone hardware is never locked to a carrier. I'm using a Motorola A780 linux phone on T-Mobile's US network right now, for example.


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OpenMoko phone schedule announced

Posted Jan 23, 2007 0:12 UTC (Tue) by AndyBurns (subscriber, #27521) [Link]

> the phone hardware is never locked to a carrier

Not always the case, in the UK some networks (certainly Orange, maybe others too) lock the phone to their network, due to the handset subsidy you get by signing a long term contract (rather than pay as you go), for a fee they should unlock at the end of the term, alternatively every "street corner" phone shop offers a cheap unlocking service.

However they don't prevent you using your SIM in another phone on their network.

While abroad you can roam onto another carrier's network (and pay through the nose for international call diverts) but unless the phone is unlocked, you can't buy and use a local SIM card to get cheaper calls.

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