Originally Posted by quantum-x

Ah, you americans, so behind in mobile phones ;)
It's cute, really.

There are different levels of locking, SIM locking and NETWORK locking.

SIM locking is when a SIM card is locked to a particular handset - IE, you can place that SIM in any other phone, and it will not work.

NETWORK locking is when a handset will not function unless it is on a certain carrier.

Most SIM locks can be removed by entering a code into your phone (same w/ network unlocking, but you need a code that is based on your IMEI # - you phone's ID)

Over here, and even more so in europe, you can get a phone unlocked for about $5.

There's heaps of free software to do it.