Unlocked Feature Phones
Stay in touch anytime with a feature phone
What does it mean when a feature phone is unlocked?
An unlocked feature phone means that its network status isn’t tied to a term contract or specific carrier. Feature phones have often been of the affordable variety, so they weren’t always sold under contract, but rather offered outright at lower costs. Despite that, carriers would still lock them to their own network and services when customers purchased them on contract.
The rules have since changed, as of Dec. 1, 2017, where the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) mandated that carriers have to offer all devices unlocked, including all feature phones.
That means you can purchase any feature phone and be certain it will come unlocked out of the box, thereby allowing you to use it with any carrier you choose. Once you own the phone outright, you can go with any carrier you choose within Canada and abroad when you travel.
Does anything change in how an unlocked feature phone works?
The short answer is no. Apart from any network restrictions, feature phones are pretty much unhindered from a functional standpoint. They will work the same way, no matter how you use them, as a locked status doesn’t hinder any features on the phone itself.
An unlocked feature phone works like any other phone would with any carrier. That includes when travelling with the handset, where you can use a local carrier’s SIM card, or take the phone with you in case you plan to live in a foreign country. Feature phones are less demanding when it comes to band support, which is why they may work in various parts of the world, but not be able to connect to the fastest networks in other locales.
A feature phone can let you roam while using major carrier networks in Canada who offer roaming rates at fixed daily rates. This could also include nationwide calling within the country if your monthly plan has that.
What types of feature phones are available unlocked?
At this point, all of them. With their lower price point and ease of use, these are not the types of phones carriers often attach any subsidy to. For those reasons alone, it’s easier to find an unlocked feature phone right out of the box.
They must also be sold unlocked, and if originally locked, carriers must free them from any network restrictions under CRTC mandates. It doesn’t matter if it’s an older or current model. A Canadian carrier must unlock it free of charge upon request.