UNLOCK PHONE TO USE ABROAD.

[littleja]

I think I previously posted this question on the wrong topic box. This is the correct one I think. I have an LG Touchscreen mobile phone which I want to send to a friend in malta. I tried a different SIM in the phone but no response. If I have the phone unlocked can my friend put her SIM in it and use the phone in malta? Thankyou in advance for replies.

[Buenchico]

Once unlocked, a mobile phone should work with any SIM as long as the phone transmits and receives on the same frequencies as are used by the provider associated with that SIM. (Different countries use different radio frequencies, so you can't always guarantee that a mobile phone will work outside the area which it was designed for).

Fortunately, Malta uses the same 900/1800 MHz band pairing as the UK, so it would seem likely that the unlocked phone would accept a Maltese SIM. Since Malta uses the same mains electricity sockets (at effectively the same nominal voltage - of 240V instead of the UK's 230V) the charger should also work without any problems.

Chris

[littleja]

Buenchico, Thankyou you have put my mind at rest. i am unlocking the phone online on a site i located few days ago. I hope it works.

[Old_Geezer]

Not all phones unlock so easily. My most recent took months before the shop found the hash values they required to unlock it. I assume all modern so called smart phones might have that issue.

Most handsets today are double or triple frequency so that you can use them in a foreign land when on holiday. But you need to check the handset manual to see what a particular one does. I'm unsure about your LG Touchscreen.

Unlocking is really a separate issue to use abroad. A locked handset is set to only log on to the network of the provider (or other networks approved under commercial roaming agreements). Certainly it will need to be unlocked for use with a different provider, regardless as to whether it is to be used in the UK or abroad.