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There is a lot of information inside of a smartphone. With that in mind, one of the most important types of information within any smartphone is its IMEI. You might also hear about a smartphone’s MEID, which an IMEI often gets confused with. An IMEI acts as a kind of identification code for cellular phones. This means that this number identifies the actual phone itself instead of the user.   If IMEIs seem unfamiliar, that’s ok. Chances are, you’ve seen many IMEIs without realizing what they are. It’s hard to blame you, especially since IMEIs are usually either in small print or difficult for most people unfamiliar with smartphones to track down.   In order to better understand how the IMEI works, you’ll need to take a look at how it builds off of previous technologies. Before smartphones hit the mainstream market, cellular phones only had a few significant numbers associated with them. The first part of a phone number was used to identify the network that a user was on. Now, things are much more complex.   But, you’re here because you want to know about IMEIs. That means that your smartphone is more than likely running on cellular networks. If you work in the electronics industry (especially as a phone flipper), it’s important to understand what IMEIs are and how they can help you out. In this article, we’re going to go over:   What an IMEI is What makes IMEIs important How IMEIs, MEIDs, and ESNs differ from each other How to check an IMEI on iPhones and Android devices How electronics wholesalers can mass test smartphones Why you should think about using Trade-In Tech to find clean phones   What is an IMEI?     IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. An IMEI is a unique number, meaning that no two phones will have the same IMEI. You can think of this number as something that’s similar to your social security number. No two people have the same social security number.   With that said, some smartphones can have two IMEIs. However, this is only if this phone is what’s known as a dual SIM model. This type of phone would have a single modem that’s registered to two networks. The second IMEI is just there for the SIM card that’s not in use.   The Importance of Keeping IMEIs Relatively Private   When you see an IMEI, it typically looks like some kind of secret code. With that in mind, it’s understandable to wonder if you should keep the IMEIs you come across private. Generally speaking, it is best to avoid giving out an IMEI if you don’t have to.   However, you’ll also need to remember that it’s impossible to remain completely anonymous in the modern world. Even if you give out your IMEI for one reason or another, it won’t expose any of your personal data.   For instance, it’s understandable for a potential buyer to want a phone’s IMEI to make sure it’s not blacklisted before they buy this device. But, someone with bad intentions might also be able to gain valuable information from your IMEI.   Unfortunately, it’s sometimes difficult to know who has good or bad intentions with the IMEIs on your company’s phones. If you don’t have good vibes or the person you’re speaking with doesn’t seem legitimate, it’s probably best to avoid giving them any IMEIs.   What Makes an IMEI so Important (and Why You Shouldn’t Share It)?     At first, an IMEI can look like a bunch of random numbers. However, this important series of numbers can actually tell you quite a lot about a smartphone. An IMEI can provide information about the device it’s tied to. Fortunately, an IMEI can not hold any information about the person or people who owned a phone in the past.   The first reason that you need to know what an IMEI is is that it’s a type of ID that every smartphone has. All smartphones have their own unique ID, and some electronics stores make use of this by requiring basic information from you before they sell you a phone. This makes it very easy for them to figure out your phone’s warranty, and whether or not the smartphone is stolen.   As we mentioned earlier, you can think of an IMEI as a social security number. Social security numbers play a really important role in identity theft and keeping people protected.   You can also learn about things like warranty dates, blacklist status, and carrier info by having a smartphone’s IMEI.   They Can Help Protect Lost or Stolen Smartphones   In most cases, you’re not going to spend much time remembering or even thinking about your phone’s IMEI. Well, that is, unless you’re one of many people unfortunate to either lose their phone or get it stolen. If this happens, you can (in most cases) contact your cell phone provider, and they’ll lock your smartphone.   If a thief gets rid of your old smartphone and replaces it, there’s a good chance that you could find out about it.   Having a locked phone is also good if you tend to lose things. If you lose your cell phone, you can have your smartphone service provider lock it temporarily. When you find your phone, the provider can unlock your phone again. By doing this, the smartphone owner would get back the full usability of their respective devices.   Protection Against Counterfeiting   If you buy or resell electronics, you must watch out for counterfeit merchandise. Unfortunately, there’s quite a lot of counterfeit merchandise for sale online. Recent research from ITU News found that, during 2017, about 12.9% of all legitimate sales were lost due to counterfeiting.   In order to combat the counterfeit market, some manufacturers have tied a device’s IMEI with its product registration. By combining these two important pieces of information, you can get a good idea of whether or not a device is real.   Once you register your device with such a service, it becomes much harder for counterfeiters to sell knock-off versions of that product. For example, if an iPhone is made and then registered with the IMEI-based authentication system, it would be very difficult for someone to sell fake iPhones.   Otherwise known as “fake” merchandise, counterfeit products are made or distributed by people looking to scam others into buying inferior products. Unlike their name-brand counterparts, counterfeit products have no brand recognition. More often than not, counterfeit products also perform much worse than name-brand smartphones.   In the United States, it’s much easier to sue a business for distributing counterfeit goods. In fact, according to Americaslegalguide.com, people can sue counterfeiters if they deceive or mislead consumers into believing that their products are actually made by the company whose name appears on those counterfeits.   However, you might be buying electronics from other parts of the world. If this is the case, you might not have the same protections as a buyer in the United States.   How Does the IMEI Blacklist Work?   When you sign up for a service that uses IMEI as a form of ID, you’ll need to provide your device’s unique number. Thanks to the many stolen smartphones being sold online, the IMEI blacklist is something every reseller wants to check out. Hopefully, they don’t find any of their purchased phones in this list.   Companies like Google and Apple use IMEIs as a way to combat the sale of stolen and counterfeit devices. If you try to sell a smartphone that has been blacklisted, you’ll have a very difficult time getting the sale to go through.   When it comes to being aware of stolen devices, many companies are on the ball. They’ve taken great strides towards making sure that they can track every device and blacklist it if need be.   What’s the Difference Between an IMEI, MEID, and ESN?     While the IMEI is widely used, it’s not the only way to identify a phone. There is also the MEID and ESN. While most of these identifiers look different from one another, they all serve one purpose, and that’s to help identify a phone. Some of these identifiers are also used to identify many types of popular electronics, including smartwatches and tablets.   First, let’s take a quick look at what each of these abbreviations stands for:   IMEI: International Mobile Equipment Identity - The subject of this article. An IMEI is also the main way that mobile devices can distinguish themselves from one another. No two phones will have the same IMEI.   MEID: Mobile Equipment Identifier - Made to replace the ESNs, a MEID contains 14 hexadecimal digits. This is used in America, especially for cell phones.   ESN: Electronic Serial Number - You’re not going to find this identifier on modern cell phones. That’s because this format completely ran out of new numbers to assign in 2008.   A serial number is a way for a manufacturer to identify a device. However, an IMEI or MEID would be used only for smartphones. A television or computer wouldn’t have this identifier. IMEIs and MEIDs are used internationally. This means that a phone made for use in the United States won’t share an IMEI of a smartphone made for use in India.   The IMEI, MEID, and ESN all serve the same purpose: identify a device. Unfortunately, there is no way to convert an IMEI into an ESN or MEID. You also cannot convert a MEID to an IMEI or ESN. Each of these identifiers serves its own singular purpose.   Most smartphone manufacturers also place information about a phone or tablet’s model into IMEIs. For instance, Samsung might use “S8” in their IMEIs to identify only phones that are Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphones.   IMEIs are great sources of help for separating real and counterfeit phones. However, it’s not foolproof. For example, you could possibly clone that information into a fake device. The only way to tell if an IMEI or MEID is legitimate is to compare it against the manufacturer’s records.   How to Check the IMEI Number of iPhones and Android Phones     Let’s now start learning how to check the IMEI of an iPhone. It’s important to note that there are several ways to achieve this goal. Where you’ll need to look depends on the iPhone you have. You can sometimes find this important number by connecting your iPhone to iTunes.   If you’re working with the most reasonably modern iPhones, you can find the IMEI on the SIM trays of these phones. Some iPhone 6 and iPhone 5 smartphones will have the IMEI on the back of these devices, near the bottom.   However, one of the easiest ways to find out an iPhone’s IMEI is by doing this:   Turn on your iPhone. Tap on the Settings program. From Settings, tap on General. From the General menu, select About On this menu, you should find the iPhone’s IMEI.   It’s now time for you to learn how to check an Android phone’s IMEI. Don’t worry - checking the IMEI on an Android smartphone is incredibly easy. All you have to do is dial the following on your Android phone’s keypad: “*#06#” After you do this, you should see the IMEI of your Android smartphone.   By typing in those four simple characters, the IMEI of your Android smartphone should appear on this device’s screen.   You don’t only have to use the previously mentioned method to find an Android phone’s IMEI. It’s also sometimes possible to find an IMEI by removing an Android phone’s battery from the device itself. However, this is only true for Android phones that have removable batteries.   Most of the newer Android devices have non-removable batteries. In these cases, you might need to find the IMEI of an Android smartphone by going to the manufacturer’s website.   Another important thing to note is that some Samsung smartphones can have more than one IMEI. This is only true for dual-sim smartphones. These types of phones have two IMEIs, one for each SIM.   Finding Out If the IMEI is “Clean”   At this point, you should know how to check the IMEI of many popular smartphones. So, you now might be wondering what you’ll do with an IMEI. One of the most beneficial things to do after learning a phone’s IMEI is to test it.   We’re not talking about the kind of tests you took in school. Instead of that, these tests involve the IMEIs of your phones. So, put away the calculator and cheat sheets. You’ll be doing these smartphone tests to make sure that the phones you’re interested in aren’t blacklisted.    You can tell if a phone is clean or not by checking the IMEI with a blacklist checker. This is sometimes an online tool. To use this service, you’ll need to input your IMEI into the website via your smartphone or another device that has an internet connection.   A device with an IMEI that isn’t clean is often either lost, blacklisted, or stolen. This can also happen if a phone’s owner is behind on their payments. Regardless of the reason, you don’t want to carry or try to resell blacklisted smartphones.   Consider Using More Than One Website to Check Your Phones   The good news is that it’s easy and fast to check a phone’s IMEI online. However, the bad news is that IMEI checkers use the same database. Sometimes, this can result in you worrying about not finding a phone in one database and assuming the worst.   From there, this can lead to you assuming that a phone is blacklisted. But in reality, the IMEI might actually be clean because it’s not in another service’s database. So, if one website tells you that an IMEI is not clean, we recommend that you use more than one service when checking your device.   You don’t want to rush this part of the phone checking process. Yes, it will take a little extra time to complete IMEI checks on various websites. However, doing this will save you a lot of potential headaches in the future.   Mass IMEI Testing for Electronics Wholesalers     We’ve covered how you can find the IMEI for the most popular types of phones. While this information is great to have, it doesn’t solve the problem of how to mass test devices. It might not seem like a big concern now, but you could soon find yourself needing to perform a lot of IMEI checks down the road.   Here are the main reasons why it’s best to avoid testing a lot of phones manually:   Time-consuming: In life, time is money. With that in mind, you don’t want to spend all of your valuable time checking IMEIs on a phone-by-phone basis. Fortunately, you won’t have that problem if you use some kind of phone testing software. By doing this, you can complete in a few hours what might normally take days (or even longer)!   Getting confused: You might think that you’re the type of person who is familiar with just about every smartphone on the market. If so, you can skip reading this section. However, it’s best to avoid spending time checking IMEIs by hand if you're not comfortable manually checking phones. It's almost impossible to find two smartphones from different companies that are exactly alike. So, be prepared to look through a lot of manuals and online forums to find IMEI locations for unfamiliar smartphones.   Easy to Make Mistakes: Another disadvantage of manually checking IMEIs is that it’s incredibly easy to make mistakes while doing this. And that’s the last thing you want to deal with. For example, imagine that you had a blacklisted phone. Because you entered in one incorrect number, it looks like everything’s fine with the phone you’re about to sell. Wrong. Soon, you’ll likely have an angry customer trying to get in touch with you. So, be extra careful to make sure you’re entering every character of an IMEI correctly.   It’s Boring: Let’s be honest - no one wants to spend eight (or more) hours per day inputting characters into a checker to learn more about a phone’s IMEI. Even the people who love data entry are going to be bored to tears after a full day or two of doing this. Instead, use phone testing software to make this process quick and efficient.   Should I Automate IMEI Checks?   You can try to test phones manually for a while. It might even not be that bad when you’re checking a small number of electronics. However, you’ll soon find that you have far too many phones to test manually. This is a problem that many electronics wholesalers commonly encounter. If this is the case, there is good news.    You don’t have to deal with this potential headache. Instead, you can purchase a piece of phone testing software. This will allow you to access a large pool of IMEI checkers in one spot. You simply have to enter some information about the phone and click on the “Check IMEI” button (or whatever button the software you choose uses).   Fortunately, some companies offer services enabling them to mass test smartphones. One of these companies is Phonecheck. If you haven’t heard of this company, Phonecheck is a business and tool that helps automate all sorts of - well, phone checks!   An automated phone testing tool has a lot of advantages. If you use PhoneCheck, this tool does an extremely thorough 80-point diagnostic test. With this test, you can learn more about the external and internal parts of your smartphones. Even if you’re only worried about IMEIs, having this information is incredibly helpful if you’re a phone flipper or an electronics reseller.   Oh, and you can also find this company on Trade-In Tech. We’re so happy to have Phonecheck as one of our many members. If you are an electronics wholesaler or someone with another job title who processes a lot of phones, Phonecheck could be an incredibly valuable service to sign up for. You also don’t have to worry about making mistakes either because this software is very accurate.   Phonecheck also takes care of erasing data, which is an important thing if you’re a reseller. The last thing you want to do is resell phones with someone else’s data on them. If you’re using a service like Phonecheck, you’ll have the assurance that all of your smartphones are ready to resell.   Find Phones With Clean IMEIs on Trade-In Tech     As you’ve learned, buying phones with clean IMEIs is a must. You don’t have to spend hours each day trying to track down clean smartphones that are ready to resell. All you need to do is join Trade-In Tech, a wholesale platform for electronics wholesalers.   But we’re much more than just a great platform. Take a look at the many reasons why Trade-In Tech is the best place to find smartphones for sale online.    A Massive Selection of Clean Phones   Because you’re reading this article, chances are, you’re interested in phones with clean IMEIs. We’re glad to let you know that there is a wide range of clean, unlocked phones available for sale on Trade-In Tech. After you become a member of our wholesale electronics platform, you can start working with our exclusive network of buyers and sellers throughout the world.   As soon as you join the community, you’ll have access to thousands of phones. You can filter your search to find out which phones are clean and ready to resell. If you don’t see what you need immediately, be sure to check back later. Our inventory is frequently updated often because of our large membership network.   In addition to our huge selection of high-quality smartphones, we also have many tablets and other types of electronics available. This includes laptops (both Apple and PCs), computers, and video game systems like the Nintendo Switch and the Xbox One.   We also specialize in accessories that you might need to resell. Need memory cards? How about headsets or portable chargers? We have it all!   Smartphones From Popular Companies   Another understandably important concern is making sure you’re buying phones that people and companies want. If not, it won’t be easy to start or scale a resale business. Fortunately, you won’t be worried about a lack of selection if you’re a member of Trade-In Tech.   Since the products available for sale on our website come from a large, worldwide network of electronics dealers, you can rest assured that you’ll find clean smartphones from all of the most popular companies, including:   Apple Samsung Google Oppo Huawei And many, many more!   You can find anything from iPhones, Samsungs, and Blackberries to cheap phones from around the world. If you’re looking for a new company for your wholesale electronics business to partner with, there isn’t a better option.   When you’re buying the most popular smartphones, you’re making it incredibly easy for yourself as a reseller. And that’s always a good thing!   A Competitive Marketplace   We might be a little biased, but we feel that many of our members are always looking to make a sale. Having such a competitive marketplace is great when you’re looking for smartphones that are reasonably priced.   Trade-In Tech’s sellers list a wide range of smartphones that have clean IMEIs. Plus, you can bet that our members tend to offer lower prices for their phones than other sellers. This is yet another reason it makes sense to buy phones from Trade-In Tech!   Not only can you get an incredibly wide range of smartphones for sale here, but you can also benefit from lower prices than other sellers. That sounds like a win-win to us!   Sell Clean and Unlocked Phones for Maximum Profits   There’s no arguing that unlocked smartphones are the most popular, in-demand devices to buy and sell.   Why?   Because they give you the freedom to choose which carrier you use for your device. Plus, unlocked phones tend to be more powerful than locked models (even if their specs look identical on paper).   Of course, buying and selling clean, unlocked smartphones is just one key part of starting up your own electronics resale business. That’s why we make it easy for you to sell these kinds of phones on Trade-In Tech!   After you get your phones, consider taking pictures of them and creating your very own listings in Trade-In Tech. It’s fast and easy to do. Plus, what’s better than being able to buy and resell smartphones by only using one platform?   Not Worrying About Transaction Fees   We let you sell your popular unlocked phones on our website without any hassles. We do all of the hard work for you, making it an easy and enjoyable experience. Plus, we let you start selling right away on our website with no membership fees!   We understand that when you’re in the process of starting a new business, it can be difficult to find the products and resources you need. That’s why we provide entrepreneurs with an easy way to get what they need without any hassles or fees. Without worrying about fees, you have more money in your pocket and not in ours.   When you’re ready to complete a transaction, we give our buyers and sellers the freedom to choose how they want to complete it. You’ll be glad to know that you can complete this transaction through PayPal from our platform. If you prefer, you and the buyer or seller can discuss completing transactions through another payment provider.   Wrapping Things Up   In conclusion, it's smart to check the IMEI number of phones you plan to resell. Doing so will ensure you're buying and reselling high-quality smartphones that work well for your customers. It'll also help you purchase phones that work properly. With these phones in your company's inventory, you can start selling them for maximum profits!   If you’re looking for an online marketplace where you can buy and sell smartphones with ease, Trade-In Tech is the best place to do it. With such a wide selection of high-quality phones available on our website, we make it easy for resellers (with or without experience) to start making money with their smartphone resale business.   Find out more information about reselling electronics at tradeintech.com/blog. You can also take a closer look at what our members currently have for sale by visiting our marketplace.  

Throughout the world, one of the most popular types of electronics remains the smartphone. By combining functionality with convenience, it’s easy to see why smartphones are so in-demand. As you might know, there are lots of smartphones out there. However, in this article, we’ll explain locked and unlocked cell phones.   After reading this post, you’ll have a much deeper understanding of: Why phones get locked If it’s legal to unlock phones How to know if your phone is locked The benefits of unlocked phones How to unlock cell phones on every major carrier Where to find unlocked phones for sale online What cell phone brands can help bring you the most money   Why Do Phones Get Locked?     It’s understandable to wonder why phones get locked. As it turns out, there are several reasons why this happens. Considering that, it’s important to learn why phones get locked and if you can do anything to resolve this situation. Here are the most common reasons why phones get locked.   Locked by Carrier   Many smartphones contain interchangeable parts. One of these parts is a SIM card. This important part is something that enables a smartphone to perform many of its functions. With that in mind, most smartphone carriers have SIM cards that only work on their networks. By doing this, someone couldn’t use a SIM card from carrier A in a phone that’s locked by carrier B.   If you were under a contract with carrier A and wanted to become carrier B’s customer, the first carrier would have to unlock your phone. With that said, making this decision can sometimes require you to buy out the remaining balance of a contract.   As Part of a Payment Plan   As you likely know, most smartphones aren’t cheap electronics to purchase. This is why many smartphone retailers don’t only offer phones for customers that pay for them in full. Instead, many retailers create contract or payment plans for their customers. Under these plans, someone can buy a phone for hundreds of dollars less than paying for it all at once.   Let’s say that you needed a new iPhones. However, you didn’t want to spend $800 on it. Instead of doing that, you visit a phone retailer and spend $199 for the same phone. You would then make monthly payments of $50 until you’ve paid off the rest of your phone’s balance.   By locking their phones, the companies that sell these items to customers can stop them from working if a customer doesn’t continue paying their remaining balances.   Lost   If you’re like most people, your life tends to move at a fast pace. Considering that, it’s easy to have moments when you misplace an item. Unfortunately, this item can sometimes be your smartphone. And, it’s unlikely that you want someone gaining access to your smartphone.   Many people have extremely private information on their phones, including pictures, videos, messages, and even financial information. If you lose your smartphone that’s on a retailer’s payment plan, you can contact this company, and they’ll lock your phone.   This type of temporary lock is a great way to protect your lost phone. Plus, a lock helps ensure no one will try to sell your device. It also protects your private information from getting accessed by a random stranger.   Stolen   Unfortunately, not everyone who loses their cell phones is lucky enough to find them. If you’re in this stressful situation, the best thing to do is report your phone as stolen. This process is similar to what you’d do if your phone was lost. Reporting a stolen phone might even help ensure that those responsible for stealing it get caught.    Is It Legal to Unlock a Cell Phone?     Yes, unlocking your phone is perfectly legal. As long as the phone in question doesn’t have a balance that’s owed to a carrier. If you’ve heard differently, that’s because, at one point, unlocking phones was illegal. However, there was a recent ruling concerning voluntary industry principles that allow for the unlocking of wireless phones with major carriers.   If the request to unlock a phone is one that’s reasonable, it’s illegal for a carrier to not carry out this request. It can also enable someone besides an account owner to unlock a phone.   How Do I Know If My Phone is Locked or Blacklisted?     You might think that finding out if a phone is locked or blacklisted is hard to do. Fortunately, that isn’t the case. You can find out your phone’s condition by contacting the carrier this phone is linked to. After providing them with information about the phone, they should be able to let you know if your phone is either locked or unlocked.   Or, you can simply use an online IMEI/ESN/MEID checker to achieve this goal. These convenient checks should enable you to learn about the status of your phone online. Once you have the number for your device, you simply enter these characters into your online checker of choice.   Within a few moments, most checkers will display more information about your phone. This information often includes whether the phone you’re checking is either locked or otherwise blacklisted.   Where Do I Find My IMEI or ESN Number?   Cell phone manufacturers, carriers, and other companies in this industry need a way to keep track of the millions of phones on the market. To do this, almost every manufactured smartphone has a unique way to identify it. These identifiers are known as an IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), ESN (Electronic Serial Number), or MEID (Mobile Equipment Identifier).   If you want to unlock a phone, you’re going to need the unique identifier for the phone or phones you have. Think of IMEIs or ESNs as you would an automobile’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). Each vehicle around the world has a unique VIN. Each smartphone has a unique ESN, IMEI, or MEID. The type of identifier you need depends on the brand of phone you’re working with.   How to Find an ESN or IMEI on an Android Phone:   To find the ESN or IMEI for an Android phone, you have several options. If you don’t have any luck with the first method, try the others, and you should eventually pull up your phone’s ESN or IMEI.   Option 1: On your Android phone, access the Settings option. Select the About Phone option. Tap on the Status option. After scrolling down, you should soon see the MEID or IMEI of your Android device.   Option 2: Pull up your Android phone’s keypad. Dial *#06# on your phone’s keypad. Your phone’s IMEI or MEID number should appear on your screen.   Option 3: Carefully remove your phone’s back cover. Remove the phone’s battery. On the back of your phone, you should see the IMEI or MEID number.   Hopefully, one of these options helps you find the IMEI or MEID of your Android phone. But what about iPhone owners?   How to Find a MEID or IMEI on an iPhone   Fortunately, there are also several proven ways for iPhone owners to find this important information. If you need to find this information, try one or all of the methods below.   Option 1: Dial *#06# on your phone’s keypad You should soon see the IMEI or MEID of your phone appear on the screen.   Option 2: Find a paperclip, SIM-eject tool, or something of a similar length and smallness.  Slowly insert this item into the hole beside your phone’s SIM card tray. If you inserted this device properly, your SIM card’s tray should eject. Find the IMEI on your phone’s SIM card tray.   Option 3: Pull up your phone’s Settings menu. Tap on the General option. Tap the About option. Scroll down until you find the IMEI or MEID of your iPhone.   What Are the Benefits of Unlocked Phones?     It’s now time to learn about the benefits of unlocked phones. Whether you buy, sell, or own them, unlocked phones have many advantages. Here’s a closer look at the benefits of these types of phones.   Completely Functional   The main benefit of an unlocked phone is that it is fully functional. These phones aren’t under a contract with any wireless carrier. They’ll also be ready to seamlessly get tied to a carrier when the owner is ready. After this happens, unlocked phones should be able to make and receive both calls and texts.   Flexible   Another reason unlocked phones are so great is that they’re flexible. In most cases, a person or company purchasing an unlocked phone can transfer it over to almost any carrier. This situation is also great for someone who might have had a bad experience with a carrier in the past.    If someone had a bad experience with Verizon, they probably wouldn’t want a phone that’s locked to this same company. By selling unlocked phones, you and your customers have peace of mind. You’re not selling items that customers will have problems using. Plus, your customers have the freedom to choose any carrier they want to sign up with.   Potentially Using Two or More Networks on One Phone   While this might not be a major factor for you, some people prefer using dual SIM cards on their phones. By doing this, it’s possible for someone to use two networks on one device. An example of this would be someone using SIM card A for calling and texting. And they might use SIM card B only for data.   Someone can do this if they’re getting better rates from certain carriers for calling, texting, or using data. This isn’t always possible on every kind of cell phone. But, for those that offer this feature, it can be great to use multiple SIM cards.   Your Business Makes More Money   Whether you work for or own a business that sells cell phones, it’s essential to provide value to your customers. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be easy to achieve this goal when you’re selling locked phones. While a niche market can benefit from having locked phones, they’re not going to provide much value to the average customer.   Because unlocked phones are far more useful than locked phones, the former can resale for much more money than the latter device.   Free From “Bloatware”   Yet another advantage of unlocked phones is that they don’t often contain bloatware. It’s understandable if bloatware is an unfamiliar term. This is another word for the various apps and software that mobile carriers often place on their phones.   More often than not, bloatware doesn’t do much besides take up space. Since unlocked phones don’t belong to any carrier, they don’t contain a lot of apps or programs that take up free space.   How to Unlock Phones From Any Carrier     It might seem like trying to unlock a phone is hopeless. However, under certain conditions, it’s possible to unlock these kinds of phones. To make this situation easier, we’ve included instructions for how to unlock phones on any major carrier.   Sprint   If you need to unlock smartphones that are locked to Sprint, you’ll first need to contact this company’s Customer Care line. Fortunately, this phone number is connected to Sprint and is available 24 hours per day.   To unlock a Sprint device, you’ll need to have the account information associated with this phone. You’ll also need the IMEI number of the phone you want to unlock. Once you have everything you need, it’s a good idea to check out Sprint’s device unlocking requirements. Some Sprint devices won’t be eligible for unlocking.   If you meet all required criteria, contact Sprint’s 24-hour customer service phone number. After contacting Sprint, let them know you need to unlock a device. If your device can’t be unlocked through a SIM unlock, Sprint will send you an MSL code.   T-Mobile   As you can imagine, you’ll also need account holder-related information to unlock one of T-Mobile’s phones. You can provide this information by contacting T-Mobile and providing the information they require. After doing this and verifying the information they receive, they’ll send you an unlock code.   AT&T   Many people find AT&T’s phone unlocking process to be fairly straightforward and simple. To get started, you’ll need to obtain and fill out a Device Unlock Request Form from AT&T. You’ll also need information for the account you’re trying to unlock, including a name, phone number, and an identifying number or password.    The last thing you’ll need is the IMEI number of the device you’re trying to unlock. Once you have all of this information, an AT&T employee will need to verify the information you’ve given them. You might also be able to complete this process online.    If everything goes smoothly, you should soon receive a confirmation link from AT&T that has a code to unlock your phone. You will also likely receive some type of communication from AT&T to confirm your unlock request’s status.   Verizon   It’s important to note that Verizon’s unlock policies are a little different from the previously mentioned carriers. After July 2019, all of Verizon’s phones remained locked for the first 60 days after getting purchased. Once this 60-day period is over, all of Verizon’s phones will automatically unlock.   With all of that said, you might wonder how to unlock Verizon phones bought before July 2019. To unlock these devices, gather any required information and contact Verizon’s customer service number. You can also call Verizon’s customer support number to confirm that one of your devices is unlocked after the 60-day period passes.   Where Can I Find Unlocked Phones?     At this point, you understand that unlocked phones offer many benefits that locked phones can’t. Before you can start selling unlocked phones, you’ll need a place to find them. With that in mind, there are plenty of places to find these types of phones online. When you’re ready to buy smartphones, check out these great places.   Trade-In Tech   If you’re looking for a top-notch and trustworthy platform to buy phones, look no further than Trade-In Tech. Since 2012, this platform continues to welcome all sorts of people working in the electronics industry. Our members work as electronics retailers, distributors, refurbishers, wholesalers, and in many other roles.   Joining Trade-In Tech is fast and simple. Once you’re verified, you can start enjoying the many things that Trade-In Tech has to offer. You can also find plenty of unlocked cell phones for sale on our platform. If you haven’t heard of us, it’s understandable to want to know more about what we offer. Trade-In Tech aims to be your company’s solution for all things electronics-related. Here’s more information about everything Trade-In Tech offers its members.   A Popular Marketplace   We have a popular members-only marketplace where our large network of members lists electronics for sale. Plus, this marketplace is meticulously organized, meaning it’s easy for you to find exactly what you need quickly. We carry electronics from a wide range of popular companies, such as Sony, Apple, Samsung, LG, and many others.   Buying electronics on our marketplace is as simple as making a couple of clicks. Best of all, we offer no fees to any of our buyers or sellers. Not paying fees after every transaction can help put a lot more money back into your company’s pockets.   Guaranteed Leads   Another major advantage of our electronics platform is that we guarantee you’ll receive leads. Whether you’re a buyer or seller, each of our members receives at least 75 leads per month. Understandably, this isn’t a feature that most companies can offer. However, we proudly make this possible so that our members have everything they need to watch their companies succeed.   Attractive Wholesale Pricing   If you buy phones, sell them, or do both, it’s likely that you have more than several phones in your company’s inventory. With that in mind, you might enjoy that Trade-In Tech offers many types of wholesale electronics. When you’re buying larger amounts of electronics, you can also receive more attractive pricing.   Wholesale pricing can enable your company to buy more than one cell phone at a group price. The amount of phones getting offered depends on the seller you’re working with. Some sellers offer one or a few phones at a time. Other sellers move larger quantities of electronics, sometimes selling 50 to 100 (or more) phones per listing.   A Worldwide Network of Members   When you’re getting ready to buy unlocked phones, it’s understandably important to have a large selection of items to check out. If this is what you want, you’ll love everything available on Trade-In Tech. One reason we’re able to offer so many electronics is that we have members from all over the world.   On Trade-In Tech, you’ll find buyers and sellers from the United States, Asia, the United Kingdom, India, and many other locations worldwide. With such a wide-reaching network, it’s easy to find phones from the world’s most popular brands.   Chat Rooms and a Direct Messaging System   Sometimes, you might not want to use a marketplace to find the unlocked phones your business needs. If that’s the case, Trade-In Tech also offers a direct messaging system and chat rooms to all of our members. These features provide you with even more ways to connect with others and buy unlocked phones.   Novetta Wireless   Another great way to find unlocked phones is by checking out Novetta Wireless. This company carries phones from some of the world’s most popular carriers, such as T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.   This company’s large network includes distributors, retailers, refurbishers, and many others. If you need to buy unlocked phones, Novetta Wireless might have what you’re looking for.   Buying Locally (Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and others)   You can also find unlocked phones by checking out local resources. Fortunately, there are several ways to potentially find unlocked phones locally. Check out these sources when you’re ready to start buying locally.   Craigslist   If you’re familiar with buying and selling items locally, you might consider checking out Craigslist. Surprisingly formed all the way back in 1995, using Craigslist is now one of the world’s most popular ways to buy and sell items locally.   If you’re going to use Craigslist, one of the drawbacks is the fees you’ll have to pay. Some categories of Craigslist won’t allow free postings. This can mean paying as much as $3 to $5 to list your items. These costs can definitely add up as time passes.   Since electronics are extremely popular, you could find it difficult to get your listings seen at the top of Craigslist. This means you’ll need to spend time re-posting your items every few days or so.   Unfortunately, as many local-based platforms are, it’s also common to deal with scammers or Craigslist. Be prepared to receive potentially bogus offers from people before you find something legitimate.   Facebook Marketplace   Another popular online destination is Facebook Marketplace. This can be another source to consider if you want to buy unlocked phones online. One of the pros of Facebook Marketplace is that it’s popular, meaning there are a lot of things for sale on this website.   However, Facebook Marketplace does have several disadvantages. One of these disadvantages is that it won’t have the same protections that Trade-In Tech or other platforms can offer. Essentially, you’re meeting people to buy and sell items.   Since this service is powered by Facebook, you’ll also need to exclusively use this app to communicate with interested buyers.   LetGo   Lastly, you might also try LetGo if you’re trying to find unlocked phones locally. One of the strengths of LetGo is that it’s an intuitive service to use. You can post your listings or search for other people’s listings all through the LetGo app.   However, the major flaw of using LetGo is that it has a limited reach. This means that it might not be easy to find lots of unlocked phones on this platform. However, it could be worth your time to consider checking out what LetGo has to offer.   What Unlocked Phone Brands Are the Most Popular?     One of the last things we wanted to let you know about is popular phone brands. If you’re interested in buying unlocked phones, you don’t want to carry items that aren’t going to sell. Fortunately, we’ve done the research for you with our list of some of the world’s most popular phone brands.   Apple   If you’re looking for popular unlocked phones to sell, finding devices made by Apple is a great place to start. For over a decade, Apple continues to be the manufacturer of one of the world’s most popular smartphones: the iPhone.   Fortunately, there are many types of unlocked iPhones for sale online. One of the best places to find unlocked iPhones is on Trade-In Tech. On Trade-In Tech, you’ll find a wide range of unlocked iPhones from our massive membership network.   Samsung   Another incredibly popular smartphone company is Samsung. While this business might not have gotten its start creating smartphones, they’re now some of the company’s most popular products.   Some of Samsung’s most popular line of smartphones are the Galaxy models. But, like Apple, Samsung also continues innovating by manufacturing tablets and similar types of electronics. However, unlike the iPhone, Samsung’s phones run on the Android operating system.   If you can find unlocked Samsung phones, these items can bring your business lots of profit.   Google   In the past, most people who knew about Google knew them as one of the world’s most popular search engines. However, as many growing companies do, Google wasn’t content with just being a search engine. With that in mind, Google began launching a series of smartphones.   Known as the Google Pixel, this company’s line of smartphones hasn’t replaced the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy in terms of popularity. However, Google Pixels are in-demand smartphones that many people will spend money to own.   Huawei   While this company is still gaining popularity in the United States, many consumers around the world know of Huawei. This company’s smartphones are incredibly popular, sleek, and stylish devices. One of their most popular smartphones is a device that features a folding screen.   Huawei phones operate using a modified version of the Android platform known as the Emotion interface. What’s also great about Huawei smartphones is that they’re often far less expensive than iPhones or Samsung Galaxy devices.   Some consumers also like the special cameras and lighting systems that help power Huawei’s smartphones. If you’re looking for a popular line of smartphones to buy, Huawei’s devices might be best-selling items.   Xiaomi   In the business world, a company’s profit margin is an extremely important factor to consider. Essentially, a profit margin lets a business know how much money it has left after selling a product or service.    When it comes to the profit margins of Xiaomi smartphones, the profit margins for these devices are extremely thin. It’s been reported that Xiaomi only makes a 5% profit on every smartphone it sells.   Fortunately, these low profit margins mean that Xiaomi smartphones are incredibly popular devices for people that don’t want to pay a lot of money for a smartphone. Plus, these phones give a consumer quite a lot of powerful technology for the price of these devices.   Xiaomi smartphones have also gained a lot of popularity within the modding community. As strange as it may seem, Xiaomi doesn’t mind if you root its phones. Doing this also won’t void your phone’s warranty.   Oppo   Founded in 2004, Oppo first began making and selling audio devices. A few years later, it would launch a line of smartphones. This was a smart decision for Oppo to make, as it’s now one of the world’s leading smartphone brands.    Currently, you can find Oppo smartphones for sale in over 40 countries. While there are several popular smartphone lines manufactured by Oppo, one of their most popular products is the X3 smartphone.   As you can see, there are potential ways to unlock cell phones on most major carriers. With a little patience and effort, you can start unlocking phones to sell to your customers. If you want to find out more about running a business reselling phones, make sure to check out Trade-In Tech’s blog. We have all sorts of content about flipping phones, finding phones, and selling them for the most money.