Sprint has settled a class action lawsuit brought in California by customers seeking to "unlock" their Sprint cell phones for use on other networks. Sprint will now provide customer with an unlock code for their phones when they cancel their Sprint wireless service. This will allow customers to use the unlocked phone on any compatible wireless network. Locked phones will only work on one cellular carrier's network. If you switch carriers, you need to buy a new phone. Wireless carriers defend the practice of phone locking because it lowers the costs of phones, which would cost considerably more if bought "unlocked."
The California Supreme Court recently allowed a similar class action lawsuit against T-Mobile., The Sprint settlement may force T-Mobile to offer its own. AT&T has also been under fire over it's new Apple iPhones, which are locked to the AT&T network. Hackers have found ways to unlock the iPhone, but AT&T and Apple have been fighting the hackers by closing the unlock methods with newer firmware releases.
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