I heard from a source within the industry that WP7 devices in Asia are not SIM locked. This seems to be a standards thing but I couldn’t find anything on the Internet to back the claims. It’s not a controversy. That’s really just how it’s supposed to be. Since I was the first person to source a device from a telco I decided to test it out.
Validated. My SMART-issued device is still an open line. Here it is working on a Globe SIM which I borrowed:
I’m not familiar with the treaties that make this phenomenon possible (these are for WP7 phones sold in Asia only) but this is definitely a good thing for both Microsoft and SMART if this is consistent across the board. The benefits to Microsoft are obvious. But it is also beneficial to SMART because:
- SMART subscribers can still get this phone at a good retention price (got mine at PHP 5,750 compared to the almost PHP 30k you have to shell out for brand new). It’s not like they’re going to switch once they get the phone.
- I honestly find SMART’s data consistent and fast compared to any of the other two telcos. So for me, nothing changes.
- You have the option of using a foreign SIM card when roaming to another country as opposed to being tied to roaming rates. This is actually great for me because I have a collection of SIM cards from all the countries I visit.
Fun times. If you have a WP7 device, I urge you to try this experiment to further validate the claim.
Photo c/o Nina Fuentes