Jailbreaking vs. Unlocking

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It’s not uncommon to confuse unlocking with jailbreaking, or vice versa when talking about iPhones.  The two buzzwords actually have separate meanings, and one of them is actually still impossible to pull off on the new iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, and iOS7.  Unlocking your iPhone is still possible, however, regardless of which operating system or model you have.  In case you were interested in what jailbreaking is, here are some of the main features of both jailbreaking and unlocking:

Jailbreaking Your iPhone 5c

  • You can install any app on your device, not just apps from the App Store
  • You can modify interface elements, animations, and core features
  • It voids your warranty!
  • Leaves you susceptible to viruses and malware

Unlocking Your iPhone 5c

  • You can use your device with almost any carrier
  • Your device’s resale value goes up
  • Save money by not having to pay full price for your phone (Those prices start at $549!)
  • Pay less when traveling overseas with domestic pre-paid SIM cards

So overall, each of these methods have their own unique conditions and perform much different tasks.  And again, it’s currently not possible to jailbreak an iPhone 5c, but you can unlock it via this website!

Can the iPhone 5c and iOS7 Be Unlocked?

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iOS7 IconA lot of our readers ask if devices with iOS7 can be unlocked.  Because all iPhone 5c’s come with iOS7 pre-loaded, the answer should be simple :)  iOS7 devices can definitely be unlocked, but they cannot be jailbroken as of yet.  When a device such as the iPhone 5c is unlocked, which can be done at the cheapest rate here, the actual operating system does not have to be “hacked” in anyway, and instead the process is mainly done through the baseband software which runs in conjunction with the operating system.

Since the iPhone 5c, regardless of its new OS, utilizes IMEI and SIM card standards, its ability to be unlocked remains the same despite the newer OS.  The unlocking process can still only be done by a limited amount of partners or the companies themselves, but there are several costs and restrictions in place going directly through the big companies.  The ability to unlock your subsidized iPhone 5c remains your right, and fortunately there’s a company that provides this service.

Whenever a new iOS7 update appears, the ability to unlock your iPhone will remain unscathed, so there’s never any rush to unlock unless something drastic changes, which won’t be happening with the iPhone 5c if the past is any indication.

Advantages to Unlocking the iPhone 5c

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Unlock iPhone 5cIf you’ve always heard about people talking about unlocking their iPhone 5c, there are a few very good reasons to do so.  Unlocking is not that same as jailbreaking, rather unlocking allows you to bring your iPhone 5c to any carrier you’d like.  There’s a few great things that owning an unlocked iPhone 5c will allow you to do, and if you purchased an iPhone at a contract price, you can get yours unlocked for a very low rate as well.

Advantage #1 – It’s Cheaper than Buying an Unlocked iPhone 5c

You can purchase unlocked iPhone 5c’s directly from Apple, but you’re going to pay a lot of money: the unsubsidized price which is over $500.  If you unlock your iPhone 5c, you pay a fraction of that cost and still get to maintain your current service with the provider so you won’t have to pay any termination fees.  By getting your device unlocked, you’re saving a substantial sum of money for the same benefits.

Advantage #2 – Cheaper International Rates

If you travel overseas, you’d basically be locked into your carrier’s international roaming plans, which add up extremely quickly.  With an unlocked iPhone 5c, you can now use a SIM card from a carrier that operates out of the country you’re visiting.  You can even get prepaid cards, which will save you a substantial sum of money as well.  You can purchase prepaid SIM cards at the airport of pretty much any country you fly into, but your telephone number will be different.  Data will be much, much cheaper, and you may also be able to find a great deal on unlimited text messaging.

Advantage #3 – Resale Value

The iPhone 5c already holds its value extremely well, but if it’s unlocked, it’s much more valuable, especially on the global market.  If you have an iPhone 5c that will only work with a North American carrier such as AT&T, the only interested parties will be AT&T customers and the few who are aware of unlocking an iPhone 5c.  The value added of having a pre-unlocked iPhone 5c far outweighs the cost of doing so, and will get the price closer to the unsubsidized price of existing units.