Locked or unlocked

August 26, 2024 12:46 PM

For reasons that have to do with losing phones in the past

I like to have a identical or near identical phone at home in case I loose my current phone. I have had my provider help me in the past to transfer data from lost phone to one I take with me to the service center that I had as backup at home. It went smoothly. I am now in a position where I have to buy a backup phone and don't know if I should get locked or unlocked. Locked sounds like trouble. Like it wouldn't accept the transferred data. But I'm not sure. Is one cheaper than the other? Is unlocked better?

posted by Czjewel to Technology (3 answers total)

I have two phones with identical data and home screen apps etc. Locked or unlocked refers to the carrier locking it if you buy it through them on installments or monthly credits. It does not make a difference in terms of your data.

I have an Android (Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8a) phone. Matching the data and the home screen was really easy. When you first turn on the new Pixel phone it gives you an option to match or copy everything from another phone you own. You need to have them very close to each other and have NFC turned on. The new phone screen will guide you through the process. Takes about 20 minutes depending on how much you are copying. Installing the 300 or so apps I have took the most time.

If you have an iPhone, I have no idea, but I assume they have a similar easy process.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 1:00 PM on August 26 [1 favorite]

Locked generally means locked to a certain carrier.
The phone will not work with another carrier unless it is unlocked using a code which you will have to beg the carrier to give you or pay for it.
In Canada all phones must be sold unlocked.
It makes it easy to switch carriers.
posted by yyz at 1:38 PM on August 26 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks all.
posted by Czjewel at 10:02 AM on August 30