For years, all iPhones were sold with a software SIM lock that tied the phone to the phone company you bought it from. That’s no longer the case. Today, you can buy an unlocked iPhone that you can use with any phone company you want.

You can now buy an unlocked iPhone because customers are now paying full price for their phones, instead of getting discounts from carriers in exchange for multi-year contracts. An unlocked iPhone is more flexible, but it’s not for everyone. Here are the answers to the most common questions about unlocked iPhones.

An unlocked iPhone is a phone that isn’t tied to a single carrier. This means you can use it on any compatible mobile network, as long as you have a service plan with that carrier. It also means you’re not locked into a multi-year contract with the carrier, and you’re free to switch carriers whenever you want.

The biggest advantage of an unlocked iPhone is flexibility. As mentioned in the previous section, you can transfer an unlocked iPhone to another phone company when there are better rates or promotions. Unlocked phones are also convenient if you travel abroad, because you can get a short-term phone plan from a local phone company instead of using the (potentially expensive) international plans of your primary phone company.