An unlocked phone is ideal as another device for international travelers using prepaid or postpaid SIM cards issued by local GSM operators along the way. Once you have the model number, you can make an online search if your phone was sold as a locked or unlocked phone and / or the type of technology your phone is running. One of the main reasons why I mess my phones is also blocking ads. I accomplished this by disabling Chrome and installing Samsung Internet Beta, as well as helping developers by buying ad-free versions of the apps I often use or find free ads from apps when available. How To Unlock Forgotten Passcode On Iphone 5 Ebay Iphone 5s Unlocked Used on this page. here. An unlocked Galaxy S8 from Samsung comes with things you do not want, such as Samsung Gallery Photo App and Samsung Connect Smart Home Management App. So if you want to unlock a Best Buy iPhone for life, put a Verizon POSTPAID SIM (active or not) on your phone and go through activation per access to WLAN. You will probably be stuck if you own another device, but it more of the technology (few phones currently have full Verizon CDMA and LTE support) than anything else. The main difference between an unlocked and a locked mobile phone Unlocked Cell Phones are not carrier-specific meanings that they potentially connect and mobile service to many different mobile phone providers with some limitations. Because networks usually sell their phones at a cheaper price when unlocked and most of the time, the SIM card comes with a plan that you can not afford to pay. First, Verizon phones will lock - meaning you use them Can not be used for another wireless service - until a customer buys one and activates the Verizon service. Choosing a locked or unlocked mobile phone from unlocked mobile phones can be used on a number of operators, it may seem like the obvious and simple choice between them. Both types of smartphones work, but you may be surprised to find that most phones are actually locked and restricted to a particular provider of wireless services.