When dealing with an unlocked or locked phone, the question is whether or not the device can work on a specific wireless network that's different than the network the phone was designed to work on. An ...

What's the SIM unlock policy for Verizon, T-Mobile or AT&T? These are each carrier's current device unlock policy as of 2026.

According to Ofcom, nearly half of mobile phone customers who try to unlock their phone find it difficult, while more than a third of people who decide against switching mobile phone networks said the ...

Verizon has received permission from the FCC to keep phones locked for longer periods, effectively ending the 60-day ...

The FCC approved a waiver to the 60-day phone unlock rule after a Verizon petition. Here's what that means for you.

Verizon has quietly rewritten the rules that once made it relatively painless to take your phone to another carrier. A long ...

Handset makers in the U.S. are dabbling in selling phones directly to consumers, but will the model be attractive enough to consumers? Marguerite Reardon started as a CNET News reporter in 2004, ...

The market research firm estimates that 46.5 million active unlocked smartphones were running on US mobile networks during the first quarter of 2019, a 22 percent increase from the same period last ...

Switching to a new cell phone service provider can save you hundreds of dollars per year—and there’s no need to ditch your current phone to do so. To make the move, though, you may have to first ...

If you have Boost Mobile, you might need to unlock your smartphone, even though locked devices are increasingly a thing of the past. Here’s how to unlock a Boost Mobile phone, and what you need to ...

The FCC wants to require all mobile carriers to unlock mobile phones within 60 days of activation. But neither AT&T nor T-Mobile are on board with that idea. In June, FCC Chairwoman Jessica ...

Nokia and Sony Ericsson are looking to crack the unlocked phone market in the U.S., but their quest will be an uphill battle. Marguerite Reardon started as a CNET News reporter in 2004, covering ...