UnlockBase

You’re preparing to switch from your current cell phone provider to a new one. There are a few things to consider before making the move, such as unlocking your phone.  If you don’t pay the full amount for a new phone upfront, it will be Carrier Locked. This means that until you pay it off, your phone will only be able to connect to that carrier’s network. If you move carriers without first unlocking your phone, you may be unable to send messages or make phone calls.

What does it mean to be carrier-locked?

After purchase, most cell phones are locked to a certain mobile provider. This makes it impossible for customers to utilize the device outside of the nation or with another service provider. You won’t be able to use another SIM from a different carrier until you remove the lock through the carrier or another manner. Carriers may often remove the lock if it has been placed. However, there are some instances where carriers are unable to remove the lock.

What’s the deal with carriers locking phones?

Phone locking, according to cellular carriers, is a fundamental element of their business. They may keep people on their network by locking phones they sell on contract, ensuring that they pay their monthly costs. Remember that phones are subsidized and aren’t genuinely worth their on-contract rates.

High-end cellphones are prohibitively pricey. On the first day of possession, an unlocked iPhone will run you back $599+! When you sign a contract with a carrier, they subsidize the cost of a phone like this to approximately $100-300. (often 2 years). If your phone is tied to your carrier, you are less likely to switch carriers. Some say, however, that the contract binds you to the carrier regardless, and that it is now so simple to unlock your phone that this technique is antiquated.

Should I Unlock My Carrier Locked Phone?

YES! In reality, unlocking your smartphone gives you greater control over it as the owner. So, if you have the opportunity, here are three compelling reasons to do so:

• It allows it to be used on a global scale.
  
  Carriers generally subsidize the cost of a smartphone when a user joins up for a new two-year contract and locks the subsidized phone to their service in order to entice users. Carrier Lock Phones are always far more expensive because mobile service in much of the globe is significantly cheaper than in the United States, and partly because carrier partnerships are expensive for the end user. Of course, if your smartphone is locked, you won’t be able to do anything about it.

• It allows you to change carriers.
  
  You don’t like your carrier, but you enjoy your phone. This wasn’t a problem before smartphones; simply cancel the service, obtain a new SIM card, and join up for a new service plan with the new carrier. That’s not so easy nowadays, owing to contracts and locking. If your phone is locked, you’ll have to buy a new handset if you wish to transfer service providers for any reason, such as bad mobile coverage in your location. Unlocked phones, on the other hand, can be used on your new carrier’s network if the device is supported. On AT&T and T-Mobile, practically all GSM phones function, and those phones work almost anywhere in the world.

• It Increases the Phone’s Value

We all sell or give away our old cell phones at some point, but they have less value if they are locked to a certain cellular operator. If you want to get the most money out of your old cellphone, or if you want to give it to someone who isn’t on the same carrier as you, unlocking it is the easiest method to do it.

Unlock Your Phone Using Unlock Base

We have all felt ripped off by a phone contract at one point or another. Then should you ever go overseas, well, that’s an even better excuse to start ramping up the charges? Costly texts, crazy internet access charges, eye-watering call tariffs. But now there is a safe, quick, and clever way to dig yourself out of the contract you are currently stuck with. In fact, you can be home free in just a few minutes with UnlockBase.com. Why unlock cell phones? Because you deserve the freedom of the best tariffs out there.

Unlocking your phone puts you back in control of your call charges and costs, at home and abroad

Conclusion

The great thing about network unlocking your smartphone, tablet, or portable hub, is that once you’ve done it, that’s it. Your phone cannot be re-locked to a different network. Any compatible SIM card can be inserted, and as long as you have an account and credit with that network, you’ll be able to make calls, send SMS, and perhaps even get online. If you have any other ideas, let us know in the comment below!

A notification stating “Connection trouble or invalid MMI code” appears on occasion, which might be annoying for Android users. When the invalid MMI code notification occurs, it usually implies that you won’t be able to make calls or send texts until the problem is fixed.

This usually happens when a user tries to send an MMI code (Man-Machine-Interface code).

Fortunately, there are a few options for resolving the Android “Connection problem or invalid MMI code” issue.

What is MMI Code?

A mobile code that starts with a star/hash (*#) prefix is known as an MMI (Man Machine Interface code)  code. MMI codes are input in the same way that phone numbers are to get a range of information and to enable and disable certain functions. Entering *#06# on a GSM phone, for example, displays the model and serial number (see IMEI).

Different Fixes for Connection Problem or Invalid MMI Code

1.Reboot your Android device.

A mobile code that starts with a star/hash (*#) prefix is known as an MMI code. MMI codes are input in the same way that phone numbers are to get a range of information and to enable and disable certain functions. Entering *#06# on a GSM phone, for example, displays the model and serial number (see IMEI).

2.Enter Safe Mode

Safe mode allows you to debug your phone more effectively because it only runs stock Android programs. You can see if the invalid MMI code problem persists without any other programs running in the background by disabling them. Safe mode will turn off any pre-installed apps or services on the phone.

Please follow the instructions below to enter safe mode and see whether there is a suspect app interfering with your phone’s network operation. To enter safe mode, however, follow these steps:

• Switch off your phone.
• Keep the power button pressed.
• Keep hitting the menu button, which is to the left of the home key, while holding down the power button.
• A safe mode emblem will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen.

Now it’s time to put everything to the test.

Within the dialer, enter the same Prefix code you tried earlier to test whether it works, e.g. “*#06#”

If it works, there is an app on your Android phone that is causing the Invalid MMI Code problem.

Restart your phone and uninstall any newly downloaded apps.

3.Modify Prefix Code

Another option for resolving your connection issue is pretty straightforward. Only a comma (,) must be added to the end of the prefix code (*135#). With this addition, the operation is forced to look for the problem. After your prefix code, you can also put ‘+’ (plus). It also functions similarly to a comma.

4.Turn on the radio to enable IMS over SMS.

• Type : (*#*#4636#*#*)
  
  NOTE: There is no need to push the send button; the Service mode will appear automatically.
• Switch to the Service mode.
• Go to Device information or Phone information.
• Run Ping Test
• Click on ‘Turn Off Radio
• Now click on “Turn on IMS over SMS’
• Reboot your phone. 

5.Check Network Setting

Because you are not getting reception, you may be getting the Connection Problem or Invalid MMI Code error. Go here to change your wireless carrier.

• Settings
• Connection to the Internet
• Networks for mobile devices
• Select Network Operators from the drop-down menu.
• Search for networks and pick a wireless service provider.

It may take several attempts to connect to the available networks. If your carrier or service provider is not shown in the network operator search, you should examine your SIM card for any issues that could be interfering with network or SIM authentication.

Unlock Your Phone

Maybe the reason  why your provider is not shown in the network operator search is that your phone is unlocked and the sim card is not supported? There are loads of service providers in the market, and loads of competitive packages for you to choose from. Why get handcuffed to just one? 

Unlock your phone here at UnlockBase : https://www.unlockbase.com/unlock-phone/
It’s so easy to unlock your phone with UnlockBase.com you will wonder why you spent months locked into an unattractive contract. Make extortionate roaming rates a thing of the past, or escape from the fees and charges.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are several ways on how you can fix the MMI code error. If you still have a network connection or invalid MMI code error on your Android phone after trying the procedures many times, you might need to visit a local shop and have your phone checked properly by an authorized technician. There might be some hardware issues that’s preventing your device to recognize the network operators for mobile networks network. Have you had a smartphone that gives a” Connection Problem or Invalid MMI Code” Error? Let us know in the comments below!

The sim card is the chip that came with the phone and it not only saves data from texts or calls you received or made, it helps your phone connect to your carrier’s network. Sim not provisioned MM2 error is common among android phones. 

But don’t worry, this error is not difficult to fix. As long as you know what the reason for the error is, you’ll be able to fix it. And in this article, we’ll show you quick and easy troubleshooting tests that you can do to fix sim not provisioned mm2 or sim not provisioned error. 

What does sim not provisioned mm2 mean?

If the SIM card is not properly inserted, if it was damaged, or if it was not activated on your network, you will not be able to make or receive calls or texts, and you will see errors on your phone such as ‘sim not provisioned’, ‘phone not allowed for voice’, or ‘sim not provisioned mm2’. 

Other reasons for the sim not provisioned error to pop up are: 

• You are no longer in your carrier’s coverage area and not activated for roaming. 

If you are indeed “roaming” or outside your carrier’s coverage area, you have to insert a SIM card from other carriers that are servicing the area you’re in. 

On the other hand, for this to work, you must ensure that your phone is not locked to your carrier. Otherwise, using another carrier’s sim card will not work. 

Removing the carrier lock on your phone is an easy and straightforward process and if your carrier won’t or can’t do it for you, you can do it safely with UnlockBase. Go here: https://www.unlockbase.com/unlock-phone/

• You are using a new sim card that was not activated together with your device. 

If you have a new SIM card, it might take 24-48 hours before it’s fully activated by the carrier. 

How to fix SIM not provisioned error: 5 Ways

What do you do when you see the sim not provisioned for voice error pop up? 

Identifying the reason why this error appears in the first place is the first step to fixing it. Let’s start with the simplest, most obvious reason and that is the appearance of the sim card. 

1. Check SIM card for possible damages. 

• Take the sim card out. Are there dents, damage, or possible scratches? 
  
• Are you properly inserting the sim card to the sim slot? 
  
• Is it the right sim card size? 
  
• Is there dirt in the sim card or the sim card slot? 

You have to make sure the sim card and the sim card slot have no damage or dirt in them before you start using your phone. If this is the case, then you’ll have to replace the SIM card with one from your carrier. 

If you are using postpaid or you want to use the same phone number on your new SIM card, you have to activate the new sim card together with your device. They will ask you to provide the SIM card’s ICCID and your phone’s IMEI, both are the serial numbers assigned to them. 

If you have an older phone model, the sim card might be located at the back, below the battery. You have to remove the battery to access the sim card slot. Newer phones have a sim card slot on the side. 

2. Re-insert and restart your phone. 

If the SIM card and the sim card slot (caddy) is not showing any physical signs of damage or dirt, try refreshing your phone’s system with a restart. 

Sometimes, a simple restart can fix SIM card not provisioned error. 

This error could have happened because the phone took longer than usual to connect with your sim card or just hiccups in its system that’s not too big to be worried about. 

3. Enable Airplane Mode 

If restarting your device is not fixing it, you may try putting your phone on Airplane mode. Airplane mode disconnects your phone from any network. Tap Airplane mode again to enable your phone to reconnect. 

If you still see Sim not provisioned mm2 or sim not provisioned for voice error on the phone, your SIM card might not be activated. 

4. Try the SIM card on another phone. 

This is an option if you are not sure whether it’s the SIM card or the sim card slot that’s malfunctioning. If you have a spare phone that’s working, you can try inserting the SIM card you have on that phone. 

But if it is detected by the other device, then it means the SIM card itself is functioning. If it’s not detected and it’s a new sim card or there’s no damage on the outside, then it’s likely that the SIM card is not activated by your carrier. 

NOTE: If you are inserting the sim card on a postpaid phone that uses a different carrier, your sim card will not work and you will see an error that would say ‘SIM not valid’ or ‘SIM not supported”. 

Related: How to fix sim not supported error 

5. Activate your SIM card by contacting your carrier. 

Is your SIM card new? Are you using an old SIM card on a new phone? 

As we mentioned earlier in this article, it takes 24-48 hours to activate a new SIM card. If this is the case for you, all you need to do is wait for the time allotted for the SIM or phone to be activated. 

If you are using an old SIM card on a new phone, you have to inform your carrier that you wish to use the old SIM so they can ‘register’ and have it activated together with the new phone. 

Usually, new phones come with a new SIM card as well and that comes pre-registered with the phone. Also, you have to make sure your phone is compatible with your old SIM card. 

Conclusion: Troubleshoot  SIM not provisioned MM2 in under 5 minutes 

We hope the steps above helped you fix SIM not provisioned MM2 error. They will help know in under 5 minutes what the problem is and how to fix it. 

Did we miss anything here? Have you had this error before? How did you fix it? Let us know in the comments!

TL;DR

1. Google is collecting data about you through your phone.
2. Phishing comes in so many forms.
3. Never trust your password to anyone, not even your phone.
4. Use Password Managers.
5. Change your passwords regularly.
6. Add an extra layer of lock to your phone.
7. Clean your browsers more often (than your house).
8. Don’t just click “OK” or “I agree” absentmindedly.
9. Employ 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) for all withdrawals (and on all your online accounts).
10. Check the fidelity of your Social Media accounts.
11. Create A Guest Wifi Network.
12. Install a Firewall on your computer or on your home network.
13. Use a VPN to hide your ass.
14. Avoid using public Wi-Fi.
15. Install manufacturer updates when needed.
16. Be careful with the apps you install.

When we think about privacy in the digital world, we all suddenly feel anxious. Are we truly safe from privacy invasion? Are our phones especially equipped to keep our bank details, emails, phone numbers, etc free from hackers and digital thieves?

We’ve heard enough stories from people who lost their money because of email phishing and of those whose private videos got exposed and never got their peace again. It’s adding up to the anxiety people are burdened with nowadays, even after the extraordinary layer of security technology has to offer.

Mobile phones in particular, is one of the most vulnerable gadgets that is prone to hacker attacks. It gets especially hotter nowadays, since more and more people are using their mobile phones to buy things online, and even purchase products right off the shelves at Walmart.

Although mobile phones have become the best boon for humankind, it could also be the source of our greatest bane. With all the threats that’s going on around us, what can you do or what do you need to know to keep yourself safe when using your phone?

Well, let’s delve deeper and discover what you should know and what you can do to protect your privacy and essentially, your life.

1. Google is collecting data about you through your phone.

Did you know that you are being stalked by Google? Google knows almost everything about you. It can predict with absolute accuracy what you want to buy, what you want to search about, and even tell you where you’ve been last.

Google’s AI helps them know what ads to suggest based on your search behavior. And on your phone, there’s a default Google app that lets them know your location so they can suggest the best restaurants, places to visit, and report accurate temperature.

Ever since GPS, it was possible for anyone to follow us around or stalk without us knowing, and of course, this is a government initiative through NASA. Your mobile phone picks up signal from your mobile phone service provider towers and they can predict with almost perfect accuracy where you are at the moment just by using that data alone.

By default, Android and iOS users have GPS trackers enabled, but there’s no need to sulk, you can disable these location trackers just as easily. Here’s how to stop your phone from logging your location:

To Disable location reporting on Android:

1. Go to Settings
2. Location
3. Google Location Settings
4. Switch slider off on both Location Reporting and Location History
5. Delete Location History
6. Repeat process on each Google Account on your device.

Note that by disabling these services you are essentially limiting Google on suggesting information that may be of help to you. Nonetheless, you can leave Location Reporting on when you think you need it. You can also block Google from seeing your location through the help of a VPN app for Android devices from services like ExpressVPN. This not only blocks Google, but also your ISP from seeing your location.

To Disable location reporting in iOS:

1. Go to Settings
2. Privacy
3. Location Services
4. Swipe slider off on all apps or select apps you want it disabled (e.g Google Maps)
5. System Services
6. Deny location data from features you want to disable it

Note that with iOS you can’t erase the location history, so you have to log on to a web browser for you to do that. Choose the days you want to delete location history and you’re done.

2. Phishing comes in so many forms.

Bet you’ve probably seen how phishing emails look like, and hopefully it wasn’t successful on whatever its scheming to do. Email phishing disguises itself as a trustworthy organization aiming to gather important information from people who aren’t suspecting. They can disguise to be your bank, a famous brand, Google, and even your phone’s manufacturer!

Even Facebook has had this incident and a lot of accounts in so many countries had been infected. If you suspect your computer or your phone had been infected or hacked through Facebook or any other website, you can run a malware scan and immediately log out from the internet.

Unfortunately, hackers and phishers evolve fast and they are extremely creative. Nonetheless, it’s easy to outsmart them if you know how they really do it. Now, take a look at these examples:

• Pop-up offering quick fixes for your mobile problems. They can show you a result of a quick device scan and will ask you to download or install a malware that is potentially dangerous to your computer and/or the data in it.

• Email disguised to be your bank account asking for more account information. Your bank already has your account number, so there’s no way they’d ask that from you via email. Also, legitimate companies will not ask you to send your personal information through email or text.

• A Facebook message from a friend with a link. Facebook hackers have made it to your friends’ inbox and if your friend unsuspectingly clicks on that link, all the person on their friends list will receive the message as well. This links will slow your computer down or install extensions on your browsers that can gather login information. You wouldn’t notice they installed anything but when you login to your bank, email, or work-related sites using the infected browser, it will send the information to the hacker’s server.

• Emails disguised as customer complaint. High-level executives are the target of “customer complaint” phishers. They can even come up with an official-looking subpoena to make it look legitimate. More often, they are going to ask you to click a link where you will be asked to install a software so you can proceed. They can sometimes also clone your email login page where you will unsuspectingly enter your email login information to proceed.

• Emails disguised as a shipping carrier asking for your personal information. Key here is not to provide your address or any information about you if you can’t confirm you have an order with them. Most carriers don’t really need to confirm shipping information because it is done by their vendor or the company where you purchase your goods from. If you are not expecting any order delivery, better to erase it right away.

• Clone emails. As the term itself defines, this type of phishing clones or copies the exact email sent to you by a legitimate entity (e.g bank) and they also use an email address that looks like that of your bank. If you receive an email regarding a matter that your bank already had informed you with before, please don’t click any link. Instead investigate and verify the email by searching about it. You’re probably not the first to receive that email and the public have already been alerted about it.

• Email from an unknown company about a freebie or a voucher you can claim by clicking a link. Well, it is easy to bait someone using their emotion, but remember, if the offer is too good to be true, it probably is.

• Unsecured website login page. If you are routed to a page where you have to enter login information like username, email, pin, or passwords, always remember to check its security. Websites which as HTTPS and has a lock icon before the web address is safe and secure for you to enter your credentials. If on the other hand, it is only an HTTP or there’s no lock icon, you should be concerned. Also, you can check the website’s security certificate when you click on the lock icon. This helps you know how your data is protected.

Remember that phishing doesn’t only use one medium of communication. It can disguise itself as an unsuspecting text message from your daughter about your credit card information, or it can be through a call. When you receive a phone call from a company XYZ and they are asking personal information about you (including your birthday) that’s already one form of phishing.

There are other ways to prevent phishing and we’ll go through them in the next sections.

3. Never trust your password to anyone, not even your phone.

As mentioned earlier, hackers and phishers have created ingenious ways to install extensions on your browsers with a single click. These extensions are triggered by certain websites, especially those where you enter login information. Although it would be easier for you to keep your passwords saved or “remembered” by your browser, it would be unsafe for you to do that.

Google Chrome, for example, isn’t a secure place to store your passwords. Anyone with access to your browser can keep your login credentials and save it for their own use. Although the hacker has to have physical access to your computer for them to steal your login information, you surely don’t want them to discover something you want to hide or keep for yourself.

Your phone’s browsers are also flawed the same. You can keep your social media logins to yourself if you allow people to use your phone or borrow it. You can stay unsuspecting but better be safe than sorry.

4. Use Password Managers.

If you have way too many passwords for you to remember, you can install a password manager like Lastpass. You need only one master password for the software login and you can keep all of your passwords in there safe and sound.

You can set a two-way authentication as well, so that when you login using a computer, you will need to authenticate it using your phone or another gadget of your choice. There are a lot of free password managers out there, so go get one now!

5. Change your passwords regularly.

Talking about passwords, it is necessary that you change your passwords on a regular basis, especially for those which concern your privacy and your banking logins. Even Apple Pay has its own flaws, so never trust yourself enough to keep these passwords and PIN’s just the same for more than 6 months.

It is advisable that you change your credit card pins on a regular basis to protect yourself from card skimming. If on the other hand, you use your phone to purchase, you need to make sure that your phone is locked enough that when someone steals it, it would be practically useless.

Jailbreaking a phone is something that even a grade-school kid can do nowadays, so to help protect yourself from this kind of disaster, you need to add an extra layer of lock to your phone which we will discuss next.

6. Add an extra layer of lock to your phone.

Adding an extra layer of lock or security to your phone is going to help you not only secure your phone’s private data but it also prevents other people from using your information illegally.

There are a lot of free App Locks you can download from Google Play. With an extra lock installed you can lock certain apps and programs using a 6-digit PIN code and a simple toggle and voila, your Facebook, Gmail, or banking app is safe with another line of security.

Mobile phone manufacturers understand this necessity that’s why they always pack your devices with biometrics such as iris scanner, Face ID, fingerprint scanner, etc. However, no technology is perfect and there are still flaws in the system.

In an iPhone X, for example, your identical twin brother (if you have) can open your phone without any problem. In China, a lot of people had been in an uproar against Apple lately due to its racism in producing iPhone X.

A woman had discovered that her son can unlock her iPhone X and when she got to the store, she was told that there was a problem with the camera. She later discovered that everyone else can actually unlock her phone using their face with no problem and so was every other iPhone X in the store!

This major flaw had been denied by iPhone and of course, they denied the accusation of being racist. This had happened a month later iPhone X was released in the market.

7. Clean your browsers more often (than your house)

Cleaning your browser is as important as cleaning your house. You have to erase your browsing history once in a while if you want to keep your devices safe from hackers.

Although there is a need for any hacker to have physical access to the device (e.g mobile phone), once someone breaks into your computer, they can look at the browser history and use the available data to steal information from you.

It’s easy to clean your browser. If you are using Chrome on your phone:

1. Go to Chrome app
2. Tap More History
3. Tap Clear browsing data
4. Go to Browsing history
5. Uncheck any other boxes you don’t want to delete.
6. Tap Clear data

Clean your browser often and save yourself from dirty trouble in the future.

8. Don’t just click “OK”or “I agree” absentmindedly.

We all know that apps do ask “permissions” to access certain programs on your phone like your contacts, calendar, photos, messaging, notes, etc. By default, all of these programs have their boxes ticked, it’s up to you to uncheck the box next to the program you don’t want the app to have access with.

Limiting the app’s access isn’t going to affect the performance of the app, although there will be features that are to be compromised. Nonetheless, if you don’t want your Facebook, Messenger, Twitter or any other app for that matter have access to data that you think should stay private like Contacts, you can opt out and still be able to use them.

If you want to limit permissions on some apps, here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to Settings
2. Apps
3. Device
4. Tap the Gear icon
5. App permissions
6. Toggle slider ON or OFF on apps you want to limit access

In the same way, does some websites ask for permissions. If you have seen websites asking permission to “give you a notification about latest updates” or even asking to “enable cookies“, you better read what exactly they want from you.

By default, you shouldn’t allow them to do just that, and in fact, Google already penalizes websites who don’t let you opt out from these “permissions“. What these “cookies” do is to observe your behaviour when in the internet so they know what ads to suggest.

Amazon does this and so does other e-commerce websites. Google also does this, however, to a much healthier extent. When the information gathered by these cookies are given to the wrong hands, you’ll be spammed and the next thing you know, you’ll have annoying pop-ups every now and then.

If you are using Chrome on your computer, here’s how you change permission on all sites you will visit:

1. On you computer, left click on Chrome
2. Hover your mouse on the top right, click More (it looks like 3 bullets in a line)
3. Click Settings
4. Scroll down and click Advanced at the bottom
5. Under “Privacy and Security” click on Content Settings
6. Change the permission you want to update.

If you are using Android or iOS on your gadget, here’s how you get there:

1. Open Chrome
2. On the top right, click More  (it looks like 3 bullets in a line)
3. Hit Settings
4. Under Advanced, tap Content Settings (iOS) or Site Settings (Android)
5. Tap on the permission you wish to change.
6. Please follow “Recommended” advise from Google Chrome but ideally, you would want the following to be on the corresponding mode:

• Cookies – Removing some cookies may mean that you will be logged out from some websites)
• Camera – Should be on “Always Ask” mode
• Location – “Ask before accessing”
• Microphone – “Ask before accessing”
• Notifications – “Ask before sending”
• Flash – “Ask first”
• Pop-up’s– “Blocked”

For more information regarding Chrome browser settings, you can visit Chrome Support or you can go here for the full tutorial on their support site.

9. Employ 2FA (2 Factor Authentication) for all withdrawals (and on all your online accounts)

One way to also add another level of security to your bank accounts, Paypal, etc. you can add a 2-factor Authentication for all withdrawals. What this do is to provide you a notification on your phone (you bring daily), to authenticate and allow the withdrawal or any transaction.

This will help you to validate and deny the transaction that’s at hand. This keeps your money safe because the hacker has to have a physical access of your phone in order to do the last half of their job.

You can add 2FA on Paypal, WordPress, Evernote, Lastpass, Dropbox, Slack, Amazon, WhatsApp, and on your social media accounts. Google Authenticator is one of the commonly used 2FA apps and it supports a hostful of websites and apps that you want to have extra security. Thankfully, there’s a Google Authenticator app for both Android and Apple.

It’s fairly easy to get the app working. Once downloaded, install the app on your phone and sync your phone and tablet. For a full tutorial on how it’s done on Android or iOS, you can go here.

Apple also has 2-step authentication verification procedures that will notify you of any iCloud access or any app access on your iPhone or Mac. If you want to enable it, here’s how:

On iOS:

1. Go to Settings
2. Sign in on iCloud
3. Tap arrow on Apple ID
4. Tap Password and Security
5. Tap Turn ON Two-factor Authentication

On macOS:

1. Go to System Preferences
2. Sign in on iCloud
3. Click Account details
4. Click Security
5. Click Turn ON Two-Factor Authentication

Microsoft is also on the same league, and it will add more security on your OneDrive, Skype, Xbox Live, etc. If you want to enable 2FA on your, you can look at this tutorial from Microsoft Support for guidance.

Google also has a 2FA capability and they have enabled email alerts by default so you can receive an email about new browser logins. If there’s a login on a new or unrecognized device, Google will let you know about it via email.

10. Check the fidelity of your Social Media accounts.

Your social media accounts are surely going to be a headache once hacked. People can steal your identity or use your private information to blackmail you. But as mentioned earlier, you can enable 2FA on each of your social media accounts to keep them protected.

For mobile-only app or service which do not have 2FA capability, you can enable login verification. Also, if you have logged in any of your social media account on another gadget, you need to remove or “forget” your password on those devices. With SnapChat, you can do this remotely using login verification. You can also generate a Recovery Key or Code for when your mobile device is stolen to protect your social media accounts.

On the other hand, Facebook also have created a way for their users to know whether their account has been hacked. If you haven’t tried this trick yet, here’s how:

1. Go to Settings
2. Click Security and Login
3. Click Where You’re Logged Into
4. You will see your login history’s dates, places, and device used
5. If it wasn’t you, click “Not You”
6. Click Secure Account
7. Click Get Started and Facebook will walk you through the rest of the steps. It includes changing your current password.

If your Facebook account have been hacked you will see suspicious logins that you have not initiated. In order to prevent this from happening again in the future, you need to:

1. Turn log in alerts.
2. Update your password often.
3. Enable 2FA
4. Choose 3 to 5 friends to contact if your account is locked out.
5. Be vigilant with friend requests.
6. Don’t click suspicious links.
7. Don’t believe any emails about changing your password or about your account being hacked. You need to login to Facebook first to confirm this because you will receive a notification from them if it is indeed true. It’s a no-no to update your password outside of the Facebook app or web page itself because Facebook will never ask you to do that.

The same rule applies to every other social media account you have. Never assume your account is safe unless you did the extra mile of checking it. The information they can get from your Facebook or other social media accounts is enough to steal your peace and ruin your life.

11. Create A Guest Wifi Network

The struggle of having a connected home is keeping everything safe from thieves. If you have a connected home network, you don’t want anyone else to see or even remotely access your computer or gadget.

This is also one reason why, it is advised that you have a “Guest” Wifi network, so if your friends want to connect to your home Wifi when you hang out, they can do so without compromising your security.

If you have a connected home, it is important to keep all the access only to your trusted gadgets. Letting in an unauthorized mobile phone or laptop to your main Wifi network is dangerous because that means they can access your router’s login page and change the settings.

Whereas if they are connected to the guest network, they will not be able to access your router’s page. Thus, a guest network strengthens your network’s security.

They can get the IP addresses of your home’s main server where you store and share access to your important documents and data. Giving them access to your main Wifi is equal to giving them access to all of your house’s connected devices.

How do you create a Guest Network?

By default, most routers nowadays is already broadcasting a guest network and the main network using unique individual passwords.  The guest Wifi network usually has a “-guest” suffix in the end.  If you want to customize it, which is recommended, you need to know how to access the router’s setup page.

First, know your router’s brand name. The router is the device that transmits the internet connection coming from your modem into wireless signals. It’s practically the source of your Wifi connection.

There are also times when your modem and router is just one box, but if you aren’t sure which is which, you can ask your internet service provider to walk you through.

If you now know your router’s brand name, you can then search how to open it’s setup page, in most cases, all you need is your router’s IP address.

1. Open browser.
2. Enter your Router’s IP address.
3. Enter router’s login information (username and password)
4. Once logged in, look for the keywords Network, Guest Network, or Guest Access and click on it, or
5. Click on “Allow Guest Access”
6. Enter your preferred Wifi name on the SSID box.
7. Enter your preferred Wifi password for your Guest network.
8. Click OK or Finish.

And voila! Your guest network is already setup. If you can’t access your router’s setup page, you might need help from your internet service provider (ISP) or you can call the router’s manufacturer to walk you through.

There are a lot of high-tech routers nowadays and the router that came from your ISP is probably outdated and don’t have the guest network functionality. It is highly recommended you update it to the model that’s best for your family’s needs for wireless connectivity.

12. Install a Firewall on your computer or on your home network.

A firewall is one integral component to a home network. If you are using a cloud server in your home, you want that protected with a Firewall. A firewall can be a physical device or a software you can install.

Your router is one good example of a firewall. When you are connected to the modem, you will be given a public IP address and that is the perfect ingredient towards a hacking disaster. If you are using a public IP address you are like going to a war without an armor and of course, and we don’t want that.

To fully arm yourself, you need a firewall or a device or a software between you and the cruel world of the internet. Instead of using a public IP address, you want to use a private IP address.

The modem gives you a public IP address while the router in the other hand gives you a private IP address. With a router in between your device and the modem, hackers will not be able to get on your network and access your device.

It would be an extra challenge for them to hack your network because they will have to be connected to your private home network first before they can get in and start doing their business.

That being said, it takes your WiFi password for them to be able to steal information. With a well-secured router in your home, your network has better security.

Now, on the other hand, a Firewall could also be a software. You can install a software on your device to prevent it from getting viruses or malwares that can potentially harm the data that’s stored in your computer. These malwares can also be used to steal information from you and even shut your computer down.

If you want the best security for your home network and your devices, you need to have a strong Firewall.

13. Use a VPN to hide your ass.

A VPN or a Virtual Private Network is a medium or a service that serves two purposes:

1. To remotely connect to your company/home computer
2. To safely hide all of the data you transmit over the internet.

The security that VPN offers is best if you want to transmit or access private information over the internet. A VPN encrypts all the information that you use over the internet, so that you browsing history, downloads, etc will not be visible to your internet service provider.

If you are travelling or always on the go, you won’t fear the security threat of using a public WiFi because you can login to your VPN and open your emails securely without feeling like anyone is sniffing on you. Now, you can use the internet and no one will know what you accessed, downloaded, or seen because your internet service provider will not be able to take records of them.

You can hide your ass or your IP address and essentially be able to download via BitTorrent and save yourself from copyright infringement litigation. Just be sure to use a VPN that doesn’t have Europe, US, or Canada as their exit points where these activities are considered illegal.

You can also install a VPN on your mobile gadgets, so if you like the convenience of opening your email or your work CRM‘s using your phone or tablet, you can freely do so securely!

Although it used to be mainly for corporate use, a VPN is also a wonderful add on to your home network because of the security offers. The process is pretty straightforward as downloading an app (mobile) or a software (computer) to make it work.

Next, sign up for the service, you can choose between a paid and a free service, although the latter will probably sacrifice a little privacy from your end as they will feed you with ads according to your browsing behaviour, which is somehow a contradiction of the purpose it serves.

After signing up, be sure to read the EULA (End User License Agreement) because not all VPNs are created equal and you might be compromising an essential feature due to this trifling negligence. There are thousands of VPN service providers and choosing one can get overwhelming, but the top thing to consider is the reason why you are using it.

If security is one of the things you are most concerned of, then getting a VPN should be at the top of your list.

14. Avoid using public Wi-Fi.

As mentioned in the previous item, connecting to a public WiFi is a big no-no when you are trying to open your emails and even your social media accounts because this could potential put your privacy at risk.

If you are always on-the-go or can’t afford the cost of your postpaid service provider you can always have a VPN installed so you can keep yourself secured while on a public WiFi. You can’t expect for the speed to be fast though, as VPN connection uses a lot of data on encrypting your searches and may result to lower speeds.

Also, being on public WiFi means you are trusting the owner whatever information they get from your internet browsing data. If you have trust issues, don’t get yourself on a public WiFi.

Another alternative is to bring an unlocked portable WiFi hotspot which allows you to insert and use any sim from every country all over the globe. With your WiFi hotspot, you don’t need to connect to an unsecured public WiFi plus you can connect multiple devices and surf simultaneously on all these devices.

15. Install manufacturer updates when needed.

Alright, this is one thing that is pretty much done by your phone or computer automatically, however it’s not always like that. For instance, your gadget is probably going to ask your permission to install any updates where you can do later.

Every persistent hacker out there will always find a hole out of every software update and this is why manufacturers continue to produce update even after their flagship is out of the stores. Apple has been consistent in giving software updates for their phones however, Android manufacturers had been notoriously called out because they seem to stop giving updates after a new phone is launched. That doesn’t essentially mean Android is less secure than Apple, but the assurance of a consistent software update even after 2 years of purchase should be a part of your buying conditions.

16. Be careful with the apps you install.

Never ever download an app that is outside the official App Store or Google Play and that means you should only install apps from these places.

As mentioned in the earlier segment, apps ask permissions to get access to your mobile’s data, if you absentmindedly allow these apps to access anything they want to have access to, you just got yourself in to trouble.

The apps you download outside of the official Android and Apple stores are not tested by the software developers for security and they could potentially harm the data on your mobile by installing malwares or stealing vital information from it such as your contacts and calendar. It can even hack your email.

Stay away from sketchy app stores which offer apps you don’t see on the official app stores.

Takeaway

That was a whole lot of information about getting yourself safe in the internet both on mobile and on a computer, but the most important thing there is to remember is to always be vigilant and suspicious of everything you do online.

Be suspicious about the link, be very careful when you download, be vigilant when you grant app permissions, and be wary of suspicious websites. As the golden rule of thumb says, you’re better safe than sorry.

If you are a #Millennial you have certainly witnessed the mobile evolution right before your eyes. Childhood days were the start of a booming mobile technology and we’ve seen how the Teletubbies antenna was used by Nokia to help our parents’ phones get a signal to send a text message.

You’ve also probably knocked some of your toes  with the same Nokia phone when you dropped it on the floor. It’s hilarious these phones are so heavy that they dent the floor instead of breaking or getting scratches.

It’s also funny to think that despite how Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony changed their shapes, colors, and technology, Apple stayed the same and just changed sizes! There were other minor changes of course, but nothing drastic really changed for Apple on the outside.

So much about that, let’s go through the 9 most epic mobile phones of your childhood you wished still looked cool ten years later.

1. Nokia 5110 (1998)

We all know Nokia 5110 was one of the sturdiest phones ever created. You could throw it to someone’s face and get them injured. That’s how big, chunky, and sturdy they are! Nonetheless, we all love the colors which, as mentioned earlier, made them really looked like they are the Teletubbies.

Not to mention the love-hate relationship we had with the antenna.

This phone will always be part of every #millennials childhood because of its playful colors and replaceable casing. I’m sure you’ve had at least two Nokia 5110 casing on its entire lifetime. Changing those casings were like dressing up a doll!

And oh, the nostalgic monophonic Nokia Tune! And oh, the nostalgic monophonic Nokia Tune!
 

 
Buying yourself a phone on that era probably cost a fortune, because just like now, mobile phones continue to be a sign of social status and sophistication. Oh what fun would it be to unlock your Nokia 5110 now and use it for a show?

It’s going to be a #NokiaNostalgia !

2. Nokia 3310 (2000)

Every single millennial kid out there would agree Nokia is part of their childhood. In fact, we can say that Nokia once ruled the mobile world because at a particular point, they were able to sell over 126 million units worldwide!

We’re talking about a time when only the first world countries had convenient access to the internet and when mobile phones were only called Nokia – the golden millennia 2000. Of course, there were other phone manufacturers, but Nokia trumped them all worldwide.

Motorola, Blackberry, and HTC already existed at this time. Technically speaking, Motorola started the mobile phone technology but at that time, it was Nokia who was killing it (even in third-world countries).

Snake was one of the most popular (if not the only) mobile phone game at the time. I can only imagine the frustration of a game over when your Snake ate its own self!

It was also this time that the phones had customizable names and welcome messages (which you probably changed every time you get a new inspiring quote from your teacher).

Nokia also made it more fun when they allowed users to edit the ringtone and make it sound like your favorite love song – Right here waiting, Two Less Lonely People, etc. Agh, there were so many things you can do if you loved music and if you loved playing around.

And of course, we would miss the time when we never actually run out of battery even for 2 days! I’d gladly unlock my Nokia 3310 any time of the day, only if it is still a cool option as a backup phone when I’m travelling!

3.  Blackberry 6200 (2003)

If you didn’t knew, Blackberry had been rocking the mobile industry ever since it started. And since then, they didn’t appeal to the wider audience but to those who are in the business niche.

It’s a rather small niche but they were successful in ruling it. Just like the saying, “it doesn’t matter if your the best, it matters if you’re the first,” (I’m sure I heard that somewhere).

Speaking of being first, it is also the first to have an email-centric approach, so yeah, you’re Mom and Dad probably spent a fortune to have the convenience of a Blackberry.

It’s funny because Blackberry made the impossible possible, quite literally, in putting a full QWERTY keyboard, which you only see on your lengthy computer keyboard at home.

Nonetheless, this made Blackberry stand out from the crowd of mobile phones which are fighting for a generic market.

4. Motorola i730 (2004)

2004 was the year of the flip phones. You surely can’t miss the glossy looking Motorola i730 flip phone. It has the push-to-talk feature that lets you play with friends as if they were walkie-talkies from the future! (Did you even knew about that back then?)

This phone was also the real thing because it had a true GPS functionality. You can’t get lost with this while travelling can you?

This feature makes this phone the ultimate travel companion since Qualcomm said they developed and tested the GPS assisted tech to locate the user within feet from their actual location (mindblown).

Qualcomm really made stalking easier for the government or any other entity for that matter. Just great.

Anyways, getting stalked can be done in just a matter of seconds nowadays. You can’t deny the fact that you’ve stalked at least one person’s social media account (aight?).

After all, isn’t that what it’s made for?

5. LG Chocolate (2006)

This phone will literally make you want to lick it to bits. LG Chocolate really looked like a chocolate bar with a keypad and a screen. How did you manage to not bite it when you’re craving for a chocolate?

I’ve mentioned chocolate three times in a single paragraph, but it just doesn’t stop there. (I swear I’m going to try my best to help you curb the craving)

The LG Choc***** came in different flavors, err, colors. In the US there are four different colors which are: (1) Light Green for Mint Choc, (2) White for  White Choc, (3) Pink for Strawberry Choc, and (4) Red for Cherry Choc.

Hmm, yummy.

6. Motorola RAZR v3 (2006)

Motorola RAZR v3 is one of the phones which are truly to die for during 2006. I can guarantee you that’s without exaggeration because this particular Motorola is looking so lovely and sleek- it totally slayed all the other flip phones during its time.

It was an excellent trendsetter and it came in so many colors and designs, that you’d sulk in a Motorola store for days because of confusion. (I’d totally ship one right now)

This flip phone was thin and lightweight, however, this meant this phone is going to break once you drop it. This started the era of classy phone cases to keep the phone from scratching or at least give an extra layer of protection.

This year was truly fun and amusing for mobile phones because you can get neon-colored leather covers and pastel colored cases. Remember how it looked so cool to flip open your phone when someone calls?

However, this was also the era when phones became so fragile and break so easily. On the lighter note, this year became the best year for Apple and it changed the mobile history since then.

7. iPhone 3G (2007)

There’s a saying that if iPhone divided the history of mobile; Before iPhone and After iPhone.

Being a teenager during the time iPhone was born gave every millennial the capability to tell the history of iPhone since 3G up to iPhone X, simply because you were there and you experienced every single change firsthand. And mind you every millennial knows the accurate reason why it’s called an iPhone.

So why? It’s not my Phone, it’s not your phone either. It’s iPhone. Duhh.

Ever since the iPhone 3G, companies like Samsung, Motorola, HTC, Blackberry, had to up their game as well. First of all, the design of the iPhone looked like it came from 50 years after compared to all the other phones which existed at that time.

Although, the price of an iPhone is arguably more expensive compared to other phones, it made Apple a symbol of sophistication and even wealth! And still, over a decade later not everyone can afford a flagship iPhone.

Steve Jobs really did a good job at making our teenage years extra cool because of the iPhone, the iPod, and the iPad.

8. Samsung BlackJack II (2007)

2007 was really a bad year for Samsung, especially for the Samsung BlackJack II. This was supposed to be an awesome year of cellphone designs but here comes Apple raking all the attention.

Samsung tried to make this a good comeback with the BlackJack II. It had everything a teenager would be looking for a phone;  a GPS, a huge battery, bigger screen, bigger memory and an SD card slot, a high- resolution camera, a full QWERTY keyboard, a music player, and BLUETOOTH. (Who doesn’t love bluetooth on 2007?)

It also had this sophisticated Blackberry look with a spinning jog wheel which was a huge plus at that time. Remember when you hated the 4-sided Ok and navigation button because it sounded on every click?

IMO, this phone would’ve been a huge hit had the iPhone 3G released a year later, but I guess Samsung’s timing wasn’t that good. Nonetheless, it continues to be iPhone’s closest competitor.

9. HTC Hero (2009)

This is HTC’s third shot at making phones, and well, HTC Hero didn’t disappoint. This phone is so peculiar because you don’t normally see a phone with a chin (curved bottom). It adds a lot of novelty and it’s obviously making people curious.

It was a good fit for an average hand and who wouldn’t like how convenient it was to your fingers to press those buttons at the lower part of the phone? We were used to always adjust our hand and fingers to the phone, but this time HTC figured out how the phone can also adjust to how our fingers and hands are made.

It also had an awesome trackball to avoid the disappointment of Android fans.

It had the back, home, and search buttons conveniently at the curved edge for your chubby hands to easily access. For the industrial design alone, HTC already won the hearts of all Android fans.

There you have it folks. If you have that #Millennial vibe in you why don’t you sport your old phones and have fun with it? For sure, it’s going to create a lot of fun and nostalgic conversations among your friends. It is also cool to show off your childhood gadgets once in a while, so why don’t you give this a go?

By the way, if you plan on making your phones fully operational with a different network, you can have it SIM unlocked. It’s super affordable and convenient, and of course, it’s going to bring new exciting memories.

Have fun will yah?

Guess, you’re done shopping for everyone else but for yourself, so you’re out here looking for the perfect phone or gadget you can gift yourself this Christmas. And dang, we know it’s not an easy task. 2017 has so much to offer so, don’t give up, because we’re giving you this little list to help you finally make up your mind about your own gift.

Here’s Unlockbase’ list of the 10 best gadgets to gift yourselves with this Christmas of 2017.

1. Budget/ Mid Range Phone: HTC U11 Life ($350)

If you have made yourself the least priority for gift giving and only have a meager amount to buy yourself something, well, don’t feel sorry anymore. The HTC U11 Life is similar to its predecessor HTC U11, a flagship device, which is also happens to be twice the price.

With $350, you get 64GB of internal memory capacity, plus 4GB of RAM. That’s more than decent for the price, and that’s not the only thing it boasts of. U11 Life has a pretty good camera for a mid range phone, because you get a pretty 16mp camera you can shoot in 4k quality.

We’re not claiming it has the best camera, but on par with other mid range phones, this one surely stands out. It has a large battery at 2600 mAh. It’s also solid, maybe a little lighter than most flagship phones, but it has a glossy glass cover that looks so classic.

2. Gaming Console: Xbox One X ($499)

2017 is probably the best year to launch a flagship with an “X”, and we’re not only taking iPhone X, because after its release another game changer came in the world of gaming, and that’s no other than Xbox One X.

The price starts at $499, but it sure is worth the price according to the consensus of tech geeks. It’s noticeably a little pricey compared to its close competitor PS4, but it’s definitely worth the price. You already know how Microsoft advertised this, yet it’s unbelievable delivers as promised.

It has the fastest CPU and GPU, if you’re a gamer you know what I mean. You can expect this one to have the best graphics card configuration, power management, and ergonomic design. Yes baby, that’s 4k gaming at 60fps.

3. Smartphone Camera System: LG V30 ($800)

Now, before you cross your arms iPhonegeeks, you might want to check our article for LG V30  iPhone X vs Samsung Note 8 vs LG V30. I can tell you’re raising your eyebrows right now, but let’s get to the narrative. You can compare mobile phone prices and be amazed at how much features you’re actually getting with an LG V30.

Compared to other flagship devices, LG V30 comes at a rather bargain price $800. It has the edge-to-edge screen which is so 2017, and it has the best hardware protection compared to other expensive flagships. It also has by far the best audio quality, perfect for every audiophile, which is admittedly a small niche market.

In addition to that, it has an awesome 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage, perfect for any gamer or multi-tasking digital nomad. It’s camera features lets you have preset filter for all your videos and images. You can edit images and videos, of up to 50 different series.

It also has a dual rear 16MP camera with f/1.6 that lets you switch to wide angle shots smoothly. The battery life on the LG V30 also lasts you a day under normal to moderate usage, so you wouldn’t have to worry about losing power in the middle of the day.

4. Most Versatile Laptop: Lenovo Yoga Book ($270- $300)

Lenovo Yoga laptops are known for their being both a laptop and a tablet at the same time. You can open the laptop flat of up to 360 degrees that the screen and the keyboard can touch each other’s back.

Okay, aside from its versatility, Lenovo created two different versions of the newly released Lenovo Yoga Book; one is running Windows and the other is running Android. Ain’t that cool? If you are torn between getting a notebook or a tablet, well not anymore.

The Lenovo Yoga Book surprisingly doesn’t cost you a fortune, the price ranges between $270- $300 without sacrificing any vital feature or hardware. If you are the type who likes to collect the “firsts” of every gadget innovation, then you’re going to dig this.

The Lenovo Yoga Book is thin and light, weighing only 1.5 lbs (680g). That’s totally insane! It doesn’t stop there, this notebook/tablet’s screen can be used as a Wacom digitizer and it has an entirely digital capacitive keyboard. That’s right, there are no physical buttons, but it types accurately.

With a simple press of the pen button on your digital keyboard, you can now switch from typing to drawing. The Create Pad, as Lenovo calls it, uses EMR, and that means your pen/stylus has nothing inside it to operate. You can draw or scribble on a paper and it will digitalize it for later use or edits. The build is magnesium alloy and it looks and feels so premium you wouldn’t feel like you’d been bringing something like a scribbling pad.

With all these features, it’s no doubt that the Lenovo Yoga Book is the most interesting notebook and tablet that’s ever happened to us.

5. Smart Watch: Samsung Gear Sport ($300)

If you are the sporty and health conscious type who wants to track everything down to the last calorie, then this must be the watch that you are looking for. Samsung Gear Sport is the only smartwatch that lets you track your calorie count and even help you burn them down!

It does pretty much every single smartwatch could do minus the hefty price because this smartwatch is priced only at $300, that means you don’t need to break the bank just to have all the convenience you need for “just” a smartwatch.

It has 4GB storage running on 708 mb RAM, 300 mAh battery that can last you more than a day even with the always on display activated. As expected of a sport gear, it has a water resistant rating of 5ATM or 50 meters. If you are fond of water sports like swimming, you can readily sync Speedo On, the brands swim tracking app.

Navigation is also a breeze because its settings and notifications dock is easily accessible with a mere swipe. You can receive and reply to text messages when your phone is connected via bluetooth. It is also NFC enabled and you can pay your groceries using your smartwatch using any Samsung Pay compatible NFC reader.

6. Television: Sony XBR-X900E ($1498)

If you are looking for a TV that has 4K quality and awesome features, then you’re up for one of the best TV’s of the Year, Sony XBR-X900E. This mid-range, Android TV is just half the price of high-end TV’s, starting at $1498, but it is definitely not half the quality and features. With its sleek, minimal and modern style and almost endless screen, you’d definitely conclude this TV is a bargain for a Sony.

It has two different sizes, 49”classes and 65” classes. Chromecast is also built in so you can cast from any Android, iOS and laptop. You can keep Youtube or Netflix easily on your beautiful Bravia screen.

It has a premium build and the picture is on par with OLED TV’s like LG, which is twice the price. It also comes with helpful apps and programs like Google Assistant that you can activate through its Remote Control, Google Home or an Amazon Alexa Speaker.

It also so classic on its center pedestal, thin and shiny enough to make it almost feel like it’s floating in the air.

This Sony TV is also a great companion to your gaming devices. Overall, it’s the best TV for the price.

7. IOT Innovation: Logitech Harmony Hub Elite ($263)

We’re already in the age of the “Internet of things”, and we’re living a life full of convenience because of immense connectivity. If you have a smart home or are planning to have one, then you must have been wishing for that one device who can control everything for you. Well, the tech heavens heard your prayers and created Logitech Harmony Hub Elite.

This 3-in-1 Harmony Hub can control everything inside your home, like your TV, AC, Refrigerator, Gaming Consoles, Lights, etc. All this perks for just $263 and we’re pretty confident you can control all of your devices using this because it currently supports over 270,00 devices. There’s no way you can have more than that, I believe.

You will never have to hate yourself for being forgetful ever again! Remote controls are definitely one of the hardest thing to find, next to your car keys of course, but thanks to Logitech because you will have one single remote control for all your devices, gadgets, and appliances.

It comes with a free mobile app so you can also make your smartphone as the remote. You will never find yourself an excuse why you can’t turn off your devices because you’re too tired to get turn off your TV from the other room.

8. Sound/ Headphones ($100)

If you are the audiophile or an audiophile wannabe, you probably have a collection of headsets you keep in your chamber. If you are planning to add another baby for a mere $100, the Grado SR80e open-back headphone is definitely going to give the best bang for the buck.

Grado Labs is a family-owned business who takes pride in creating their devices right inside the borders and not taking cheaper mass production options from China, really, the best foot forward.

Speaking of the best foot forward, it really is quite affordable for a Hi-Fi device, and it has this 80’s retro look that is going to stand out from the massive modern, minimal, and futuristic design of other headphone brands.

Of course, this is going to be an upgrade to its predecessors but sound quality-wise, you couldn’t quite expect any difference at all from its brothers from the same lab. It is comfortable and it has fully rotating earcups. Quite surprisingly, it has foam pads, but it’s easily torn, so you might find yourself replacing it in just a matter of months.

It’s best to use this headphones in an area where there is lesser noise so you can really enjoy the music. It doesn’t isolate noise effectively, more likely because it is an open-back headphone, sound leakage is also not efficient, so you can best enjoy this on a quieter environment.

9. Fitness Trackers ($50)

If you are the fitbit type but you don’t want to learn a complicated gadgets like smartwatches, Moov Now is definitely the best fitness tracker that you want to get your hands on. It’s very affordable, at $50, which should suffice the reason why it doesn’t have a screen, it doesn’t have a heart rate tracker, but for the things it lacked, it made up for its battery life.

It’s battery can last of up to 6 months, and it offers pretty much everything you want to have for a daily fitness tracker. You can easily connect your iOS or Android to your device, simply strap it in your wrist and you’re good to go.

Everyone’s definitely loving Moov Now, bet you’d love it too.

10. Virtual Reality: Google Daydream View ($99)

Google has added a new line to its smart gadgets and that’s the reason why Google Daydream View has been hotly anticipated by both Google and Virtual Reality fans. It works great with Google Pixel and other Android devices. It’s affordable at $99 and from experience, it’s definitely worth the price when compared to other VR headsets.

Daydream has a lot of great apps available and it has exclusive access to Youtube VR which makes it all the more exciting. It has a fabric design with vibrant colors and it comes with a remote control.

The remote control is a crazy, genius initiative from Google because it can be used for game navigation and gameplay wand. It’s lightweight, and material design makes it a must on your gadget wishlist for 2017, and you can enjoy amazing VR experiences without having to break the bank.

There you go friends. The Holiday season is just around the corner, and while we love to give gifts to other people, it’s not bad to splurge on to something for yourself, too. Mobile gadgets are essential daily drivers so get yourself some and enjoy the new year coming up ahead!

Thinking of unlocking your phone? Worried about getting scammed? Worried that it wouldn’t work? If you are looking for places that unlock phones then you’re in one!

Asking Google about “cell phone unlock near me” will give you the local tech guys’ social media page, website, or store location. It’s probably a good choice but it takes a lot of energy and time to go to a store and more importantly, it’s probably going to cost you more than what you’d originally expected.

Looking for a legitimate unlock phone store is also difficult to find nowadays especially that more and more people are being victimized by paying people for service they no longer see the next day.

Of course, unlocking your phone with your carrier is probably not free (even when you’re already out of contract) so you’re left with no other choice but to unlock it through online unlocking services.

Good news! You are at the right place. UnlockBase is one of the largest mobile sim unlocking service providers all over the world. And yes, we serve everyone around the globe.

We have over ten thousand customer reviews from third-party review sites and we have been in this business since 2004. If you are looking for a reliable, fast, easy, and affordable way to unlock your phone safely, then we’re exactly what you’re looking for!

Now, before we move forward and unlock your phone, let’s go through a few things you need to remember when unlocking your phone with us.

Is Unlocking Your Phone Legal?

Yes, it is legal. For most countries, unlocking your phone is a legal thing to do and if you are from North and South America, or the UK, you’re free to do so.

However, there are restrictions as to how much you can go with a phone. For example, unblocking a blacklisted phone is not legal and will for sure get the Five-O waiting on your front porch.

But what if you, unfortunately, bought a blacklisted phone does that mean you can’t use it forever?

The answer is no. You can still unlock your phone but you can’t unblock it.

Unlocking is different from unblocking and there are probably several phone locks applied to your phone, depending on the manufacturer and your carrier.

We will go through cellphone lock types 101 in a second, but to explain that briefly, unblocking a blacklisted cell phone is like changing the phone’s IMEI (a.k.a Serial number) so it can bypass the security lines that service providers used to prevent it from using their networks.

That being said, it should be clear to you that blacklisted phones can’t be used in any service provider unless you get out of your country and use it elsewhere. You can SIM UNLOCK a blacklisted phone but you can’t UNBLOCK IT.

Despite the fact that we can unlock a blacklisted phone, the catch is that it is impossible to use it in the country where the original carrier resides. You can’t use it on any network.

They don’t like sharing customers but they share access to the official blacklisted cell phones to prevent anyone, who got the phone through illegal means, from using their network.

That’s how they protect their consumers who are not only prey from phone theft but also of identity theft.

But what are the instances that make a phone blacklisted? Well, there are only 2 known reasons that result to this:

1. If the phone is reported lost or stolen, and
2. When your phone has an unpaid balance of its postpaid carrier.

Yes, number 2 still happens so if you have plans on quitting your current carrier without paying the remaining device balance, you’ve got to think again.

Types Of Phone Locks

There are several phone lock types and they are can be confusing at times on which one to use. You should be aware that most of the phones have several lock levels applied and it is important to know which lock is applied so you can enter the correct code.

It is also important to note that you will need to know how many remaining unlock attempts is left for us to unlock your phone. We usually ask you to conduct this before completing your order because it helps us gauge whether it is possible for us to unlock your phone or not.

We’ll dive deeper on that later, but here are the types of locks and lock levels that may be applied to your phone.
 

Screen Lock

This is your personal lock to restrict access to your phone. The screen lock does not allow any user to access your phone’s data unless they get past through it.

Who knows your screen lock? None, but you or anyone you entrusted the key to. You have personally set the screen lock, it could be a pattern, a word or mixed series of letters and numbers, or simply a pin. It could also be your fingerprint, face or Iris ID.

We’ve encountered so many customers ask us for locks that they themselves have set. We want to help but we don’t provide that type of service.

If you’ve forgotten your screen lock key, you might need to find a different service provider for that matter. There are a lot of online resources that will teach you to get past through the lock screen.

If you have an Android phone and you’ve forgotten your lock key or just kept getting errors, you can try these steps 7 ways to Bypass Android Screen lock.

Hope you make it through!

SIM Lock

SIM Lock is also known as Network Lock it is a lock set by your service provider or carrier, and this enables them to restrict your phone’s connectivity only to their network. This happens when you bought the phone under a 2-year plan, or if you have purchased a phone to one of their stores.

If you have purchased the phone outright, it will still be locked to them and chances are you will have to activate the phone first by using their service for a set period of time.

 
Once you have already activated the phone, you can now unlock it with us. There are several types of SIM lock and it depends on each brand and carrier, and unlocking an LG phone may be different from a Samsung phone.

• NCK- Network Lock, restricts the phone connectivity to one carrier only.
• NSCK- Network Subset Lock, restricts the phone to use a network subset, meaning your phone will only work with a select designated subset of SIM cards within the network.
• SPCK- Service Provider Lock, just another term used for NCK or network lock
• CPCK- Corporate provider lock restricts the phone to use a designated subset of SIM cards within the network which is commonly provided by a corporation to its employees or customers. This lock is usually applied when your mobile device was provided by your company.
• Region Lock- you don’t see this often but Region Lock as the term suggests restricts your phone to be of use to a specific area or country only. Samsung for example, apply this lock so that phones made for Europe can only be used for European carriers. Nonetheless, simply activate the phone by using any European carrier at least once or use the original carrier you bought it from, and the region-lock is removed.

How To Get An Unlock Code

UnlockBase offers a fast and easy unlock solution to all your mobile devices. We also offer the most affordable pricing for all our unlock services in any brand, and yes, you can get your phone permanently SIM unlocked for as low as 5 bucks!

If what we offer is nowhere near your expectations or if you found a competitor offer that’s lower than what we do, we’ll gladly match that.

 
We have a customer-based YouTube channel and most of our videos were created by our customers who were taping the actual unlock process. You may find a device the same with yours in one of the videos on our channel. Feel free to check it out for your guidance.

Nonetheless, you don’t need to sweat it out to get your phone unlocked. The process is fairly easy. It wouldn’t be a scene in a computer lab, but we’re going to need a few details about your phone so we can get the unlock code for you.

Here’s what we need from you:

1. IMEI number
2. Carrier/Provider Information
3. Phone Model Number
4. IMEI status (make sure it’s clean, not reported lost/stolen, not blacklisted)

There are phones that may ask more than that, but granted the phone that you have are after 2015, that should be everything you need.

So how you do find the IMEI? And what is the IMEI?

The IMEI is your phone’s serial number and IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. That’s what we use to calculate the correct unlock code specifically for your mobile device. Here’s how you get it.

Method 1: Go to dialer > Dial *#06#> IMEI number

Method 2: Go to Settings> About Phone> Status> Scroll through IMEI

Method 3: Look it up in the phone box, you will see a lot of standing bar series and one of them is labeled IMEI  (Please insert a screenshot)

If you already have the IMEI head on to our unlock sales page:

1. Go to https://www.unlockbase.com/ (insert image of our homepage).
2. Go to Unlock (please add red arrow on the Unlock button).
3. Choose your phone’s brand or manufacturer.
4. Choose your phone’s model number.
5. Type in your IMEI code, email, and choose your carrier.
6. Click on Proceed to checkout now.
7. You will then be lead to secure payment page (yup it has HTTPS so it’s secured guys).
8. Please read our “Eligibility Instructions” before you head on to “Confirm My Order“ button.
9. Wait for our email payment confirmation.

Now before you do that, please double check all the information you enter. Again, make sure your phone is not blacklisted and choose your carrier carefully. (You can read about Blacklisted phones here).

As mentioned earlier, your phone’s carrier/service provider may blacklist your phone if you quit your plan without paying off the remaining device balance. Unlocking a blacklisted phone is possible, but you might still not be able to use it anyway.

In addition to that, entering a wrong IMEI number will be a ground to remove your eligibility for a refund. Yes, we offer a 100% money back guarantee, but there are eligibility grounds that we will be discussing on the latter part of this article.

How To Enter The Unlock Code

After confirming your order with us, you will be given a turn around time that will be based on your phone brand and you carrier. If you already received our email for your unlock code/s (yes, because we provide you all the code you need), you can now proceed on entering the code to your device.

T-Mobile and MetroPCS pre-install the Mobile Device Unlock App to all of their phones to make the unlock process easier for their customers. For T-Mobile, it gives the customer the option to unlock their phone temporarily so they can use it when travelling, but it lasts for a certain period of time only and they only allow up to 3 temporary unlocks for a year.

You also need to have a good standing account for you to take advantage of this. But you don’t have to deal with that, because here at UnlockBase, you can have your T-Mobile or MetroPCS phone permanently unlocked!

1. Insert a non-carrier SIM. Remove phone’s back cover and battery if you need to.
2. Power on your phone. Wait for the phone to prompt for a SIM Unlock Code. (It usually labels what kind of code it is looking for like NCK, SPCK, etc)
3. Enter the corresponding code carefully. Remember some phones become “frozen” or “hard locked” if you have used up all the remaining unlock attempts, so enter it right the first time.
4. Hit Unlock or Enter.
5. Your phone will give you a successful unlock confirmation.
6. Your phone is now unlocked!

It should be that easy.

Customer Protection and Guarantee (Refund Eligibility)

As mentioned earlier there are eligibility rules that we adhere to before we process a refund. Do note that before you confirm your order, we lead you to our Eligibility Requirements page so you will know the necessary conditions for us to unlock your phone.

Our unlock process is seamless, but in the unlikely case that it doesn’t work, we will process a refund to our customers. And that refund will be based on the following grounds:

1. Make sure your phone is not running a CUSTOM ROM or its original manufacturer software/ firmware. Our unlock codes may not work with your phone if it is using a different software. If you don’t know if your phone is running a CUSTOM ROM, simply go to  Settings > About Phone > Software Information > Android Version.
2. Each phone/tablet brand have different unlock code entry instructions and we have created online resources that is complete with all the details on how to unlock them. Consider looking at them first before paying for our service.
3. Also try to first a non- carrier sim on your phone for you to check if it automatically prompts you for a sim unlock code before you enter the interface. If you can’t access the page by any chance, please do not proceed with your order.
4. We DO NOT UNLOCK CDMA PHONES, if you got your device from Verizon, Sprint, Tracfone or from any CDMA network, we will not be able to unlock it. We only unlock GSM phones.
5. Make sure your phone doesn’t have a Mobile Device Unlock App because if it does the unlock code we have generated for it will never work. T-Mobile and MetroPCS pre-install this to all of their devices. As mentioned earlier, we have a different process for this and it will not involve any unlock code.
6. Our services are limited only to unlocking your phone and we do not support nor tweak any other setting on your phone after being able to successfully unlock it. Setting “APN” (Access Point Name” is not part of our support and you can call your new carrier’s tech support to help you set it up.
7. We do not have any “Unblocking” service and your Blacklisted phone will not be able to connect to any network. Even if it is already SIM unlocked, it is still in the global blacklist database and that prevents it from using any network.
8. Take note that we can no longer cancel your order once you Confirm your order, and you will be given a set turnaround time. Even if there was any unlikely reasonable delay, we will be unable to cancel it. Once we have sent your information to our suppliers (yes, we work with people/ carriers from all over the globe) all orders are considered final. 

If your phone is running its original ROM you will see the Android version of the phone as it is. On the other hand, phones running a Custom ROM will have the signature of the developer, and the most common android OS developers are: CyanogenMod, Paranoid Android, Cataclysm, Dirty Unicorns, etc.

If you also notice your phone having a different software interface compared to the original, then it must be running a custom OS. You may need to flash the STOCK ROM (another term for the original software) on your device.
 

 
If you have agreed to all of the above conditions, we will not be able to process you a refund if the reason for the unsuccessful unlock is because of any of the existing conditions.

So, there you go. That’s about it. Unlocking your phone should be easy and convenient. You can check our wholesale and retail page for you to check the average turnaround time for each order.

Is there anything we missed? Please feel free to leave a comment. If you need help, don’t hesitate to shoot us a message. We have email and chat support that are ready to cater your questions any time of the day!
 

You are here either because you want to try our service risk-free or because you’re just trying to save yourself money for your travel goals. Nonetheless, we offer you 4 easy ways to get your phone unlocked for free with us. No kidding, this is pure business and this page is no secret to all of our customers.

This is pretty easy, no need to add so much fuzz about it. You can make any of them and add it to your YouTube channel, your blog or any of your websites where it can reach people.

Just make sure that before you proceed on making one, you send a few details about your proposal to info@unlockbase.com for us to qualify your request for a free unlock code. This goes the same for all the remaining options.

Feel free to skim through your 4 awesome and easy options.

1. Film Your Phone’s Unlock Process

You don’t need to spend so much time editing the video, keep it short and simple. It should just include 3 major components:

1. How to order an unlock code from UnlockBase:

Film the process of ordering an unlock code from UnlockBase. Before that, at the start of your video, make sure you mention your COUNTRY, CARRIER, and DEVICE MODEL. Starting from where you enter your IMEI, choose your device, check out page, etc. Blur any information you think is confidential for you.

2. What Our Email Confirmation Looks Like

Film the part where you received an email from us confirming that we received your payment and also where we give you the unlock code for your phone.

3. What You Did With the Code We Sent You

This is the most vital part of the process. Film the part where you insert a new sim to your phone, enter the unlock code and get your phone successfully unlocked. It should be clearly indicated. You might want to check our Code Entry FAQ page since this step is a little complicated.

Make sure to follow all email instructions when entering the unlock code.

Video Title:

Title your video in this manner: “How to unlock  [your phone model] from [the network carrier & country the phone is locked to]”

For example, if you have a Samsung Galaxy S6 that is locked to Nextel Mexico, your title would be: “How to Unlock Samsung S6 from Nextel Mexico”

Video Tags on YouTube:

• Unlock
• Phone
• Cell Phone
• Tutorial
• Model of your phone (ie: Samsung Galaxy S6)
• Network carrier & country phone was locked to (ie: Nextel Mexico)
• Unlock Code
• Instructions

Sample Video:

2. Social Media Mention

If you’re not cool with the filming and all, here’s a simpler way to get a free unlock code from us.

Just simply mention us in various social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter and voila! You get your code. This has to qualify with our standards of course, but if you want to get a surefire way of getting a code, you can also mention us on forums communities and leave positive reviews on third-party platforms. That, we will discuss on the next item.

Our qualifications can vary from Facebook followers, the average number of shares per post, etc. It depends and varies on the kind of page you run. Nonetheless, your effort sending your proposal will not go to waste, because you’d be delighted with the discounts that we offer exclusively for influencers like you. For sure, you have more devices you’d want to unlock in the future.

We truly appreciate your desire to promote our brand and partner with us, that’s why we never fail to reward your loyalty and support.

3. Testimonial

Another surefire way to get a free/discount code or unlock service from us is to leave positive reviews on third-party forums and communities. We expect this to be of course to be given in your honest opinion.  We are sure you will leave a positive review if you really felt our service was great and you liked how we handled your concern.

If you think this is something you’d like to do, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re all ears for you.

4. Influencer/ Blogger PR

If you are a blogger, a vlogger, a celebrity, an authority or expert in your field and have a considerable amount of reach with a solid fan/ follower base, we’d be so thrilled to work with you! Part of our marketing efforts is reaching out to you guys and it surely eliminates all the trivial emails if you go ahead and reach out to us!

You are very welcome here, just send us your proposal, a link to your page, blog or website and we will assess it. We have a dedicated team for this purpose so you can expect to get a speedy reply. We know your work ain’t easy and we know you’re not blogging to give others free publicity, so we truly understand that your hard earned influence and your shared audience comes with a price.

We have been in this business for a long time and we also have a huge amount of traffic going to our site on a daily basis. Just like you, we’ve been through so many hurdles before experiencing this success, and we are ready to share what we have and partner with you long term. That way, it’s a win-win situation for both of us and not just a short, insincere SEO affair.

Just let us know if you have brilliant marketing ideas, we are very eager to hear it from you.

5. Got Better Ideas? Pitch Us!

We get it, we know you probably have better ideas than what we have already listed. We welcome your ideas, open arms, have no doubt about it.

As mentioned earlier, you are welcome to send us your proposals to info@unlockbase.com, and we will gladly take a look at it.

How do you know you’ve already purchased the right phone for your needs? We know! That’s when you get to do everything with your mobile – bring it whenever, wherever, and snap the best shots to treasure through time. Our pick? The Samsung Galaxy S7 from MetroPCS. Not only will you get high-quality specs for your mobile phone, but you also get own it in the best deal yet. Here are its priced details that you shouldn’t miss!

Display and Design

If we’ll talk about design, there’s no way you can go wrong with Samsung products. They are premium, smartly designed, and are technically adept with the latest technologies out there.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 sports a similar display with its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S6, especially with the AMOLED screen size and resolution of 5.1 inches and 2,560 by 1440 respectively. This time, however, the brightness volume has been increased to a significant level – thus, making the S7 screen even more highly visible for users.

It also appeared the same in terms of the rear panel’s design, only that S7 featured a thicker, more rounded, narrower back than that of the S6 to house a slightly bigger battery and avoid the camera lens from looking bumpy. Aside from that, it still has the same metal-glass unibody overall, along with Samsung’s signature home button at the front, a Micro USB charging port, and a sensor.

Another point about S7’s design is that it came with Samsung’s waterproofing technology rated IP68. This meant that the device is fully protected from water spills, splashes, or dunks that can either slow or damage regular phones.

Camera

When it comes to camera quality, Samsung never fell behind. It has the right camera specs to achieve a picture-perfect shot at any time of the day.

The S7 has stepped up its game with a dual-pixel rear camera, thus, making low-light pictures easier to capture. It has integrated a 12MP camera despite the S6 being 16. You might have wondered, why? The 12MP camera included larger, higher number of focus pixels enabling the said camera to focus faster and perform better in low light.

It also featured a CMOS 5MP front camera for snapping smooth, post-worthy selfies. If you have a problem taking selfies in dark places, you may also make use of its Selfie Flash mode to capture your selfie shots better.

With regards to its video shooting capability, the Samsung Galaxy S7 can carry a 4,000 resolution at 30 fps from its rear camera and a 1080p from the selfie, which only means one thing: a good alternative for shooting travel documentaries!

Connectivity and Network Performance

For MetroPCS mobile phones, the Samsung Galaxy S7 is worth the contract. Aside from its built-in connectivity protocols Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 4.2, ANT+, NFC, GPS GLONASS, and USB 2.0, it is also integrated with Samsung’s Smart Switch that enables a faster PC sync.

Moreover, its network is also deployed with LTE connection supporting fast browsing, and streaming online. It also supports good voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) and Wi-Fi calling.

Processor and Battery

In this time and era, mobile users are more informed of the specs that they should focus on. The good news is, Samsung knows that. Thus, in this flagship phone, a user can expect that the smartphone’s free of lags and can very well launch apps without slowing down. Thanks to the S7, it is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 clocked at 2.15GHz processor that fulfills the needs of the majority of mobile users.

Moreover, the S7 is also equipped with an impressively huge battery capacity of 3000mAh matching up to the heavy specs of said model.

Software and Memory

The Samsung Galaxy S7 is also revved up with Samsung’s exclusive custom UI skin along with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow on top of it. It included restyled icons and a simpler home screen and app drawer customization to make it user-friendlier. Among its interesting features is the Always-on screen, which allowed users to peek on the time, battery status, notifications, and the calendar without accessing the phone wholly, thus, minimizing consumed battery life.

In order to make the unit user-friendlier, Samsung allowed a maximum of 32GB for internal storage along with a 200GB external memory slot. This is so people can freely store in photos, videos, and other multimedia files in the comfort of their mobile.

Good thing, MetroPCS made sure default apps didn’t compromise the benefits of the built-in memory.

What’s New with the Samsung Galaxy S7 (SM-G930T1)?

The era of huge, full screen mobile phones has dominated every user’s palm. However, the majority continues to cringe over not being able to fully hold these types of phones. With that said, Samsung offers a completely upgraded version of their flagship phones: a full HD Super AMOLED screen with a narrower body through the face of Samsung Galaxy S7.

Moreover, it also featured a solution to the one of the most common issue – water. Through its rated IP68 water resistant technology integrated in the S7, it will be easier to keep the unit away from damages of water spills, splashes, or dunks that could severely destruct a phone. Even a cup of coffee spilled onto your S7 won’t be a problem anymore!

What would users look forward in Samsung’s flagship unit is the camera specs. For Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung decided to integrate a 12MP dual-pixel camera along with fast autofocus function enabling the unit to capture great photos in low light. The 5MP selfie camera also features a Selfie Flash mode, thus, enabling users to better capture photos during nighttime.

Furthermore, purchasing the Samsung Galaxy S7 included the Gear VR headset as promotion during its early launch. It made the unit more likeable especially that the VR app featured tons of movies, videos, games, and others allowing the high-tech equipment to be enjoyed by users in a whole new level of mobile experience.

Unlock Your Samsung Galaxy S7 (SM-G930T1) with UnlockBase

We all have that particular experience of not being able to enjoy our premium phones due to slow, unsatisfactory network connection. Of course, this makes it frustrating given the good specs that the unit features. With that, UnlockBase, a trusted online mobile unlock site over the Web, aims to fulfill every mobile user’s dream of being able to enjoy the premium perks of their smartphones and the liberty of choosing between good deals from different carriers. In line with our service is the Device Unlock APP that allows a fast, safe, and convenient request-and-apply unlocking process for every device possible! You can freely check on our site for a huge database of mobile brands and models to confirm your device’s compatibility.

If you need our help, feel free to contact us here. We’ll be glad to offer our unlocking service in a fair price!

2016 is the year for large to medium-sized phones. People can choose which kind of phone they prefer given the variety of choices that brands have released within the year. What may be a smart buy among these is the Samsung Galaxy On5. It has the right specs and the perfect build for those who wanted a break from all the gargantuan smartphones in the market. Plus, it’s overwhelmingly affordable in MetroPCS!

Design and Display

The On5 is no less than Samsung’s premium handsets. In fact, its rectangular edges and polycarbonate build somewhat resembles that of Samsung Galaxy S5. The device measures up to 5.6 by 2.8 by 0.3 inches and weighs 5.3 ounces – making it fit in the pocket and an easy grip.

Going to the sides, the smartphone features a metallic polycarbonate border shaping its frame. It also has the power button on the right, the volume rocker on the left, and the audio jack and Micro USB charging port at the bottom, leaving the top blank. Flipping to the front part of the phone is the signature Samsung home button along with the capacitive buttons on both sides. It also features the 5-inch TFT LCD display panel with a 720p resolution, perfect for viewing purposes as it’s capable of producing solid color reproduction. Also, there’s nothing to worry about viewing videos or images outdoors as the device is made for optimum sunlight visibility.

Camera

On5 flaunts a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP selfie camera which takes clear outdoor and low-light snaps. It is also equipped with autofocus capability, fast shutter speed, and gesture shots. Moreover, it’s also capable of shooting high-definition videos at 720p resolution.

Processor and Battery

Talking about the processor, the Samsung Galaxy On5 is powered by an Exynos 3475 clocked at 1.3GHz along with a 1.5GB of RAM. While the device may seem not to be capable of handling multiple tasks, it proved the theorem wrong with its solid performance – making it a smart buy compared from its competitors in the market.

Comparatively, its battery capacity seems to be competitive enough for its marketability rate. The On5 has a 2600mAh that is capable of lasting for about 5 hours or so, depends on how you use the device of course. In addition, the battery is removable so it is easier to swap in a new battery pack when necessary. You also have an option to save power with its Ultra Power Saving mode, which in turn, displays a black and white theme along with a minimalist home screen display and restricted apps and data feature.

Software and Memory

Distinctively, the user interface displays the usual Samsung TouchWiz custom skin along with the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow running in the device. Likewise, with other Samsung smartphones, the On5 is capable of altering its theme, app icons, Settings menu, notification panel, and features – offering users the liberty to personalize their Samsung Galaxy On5.

With regards to memory, the Samsung Galaxy On5 features an 8GB internal storage with an optional Micro SD slot that can reach up to 256GB additional storage.

Connectivity and Network Performance

Being MetroPCS as its carrier, the Samsung Galaxy On5 is equipped with LTE bands 2/4/12, best for fast internet surfing. It also supports T-Mobile’s network, thus, a reliable network performance. Other than that, the device also supports great connectivity protocols such as Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, and a Micro USB 2.0.

What’s New with the Samsung Galaxy On5 (SM-G550T1)

The Samsung Galaxy On5 is notable for its affordable price, great build, and impressive specs. Unlike other entry-level smartphones, the On5 displays a premium look making it perfect for business purposes. More so, it features great viewing angles and a bright 720p display, a perfect choice if you are the type of user who frequently watches movies, take photos outdoors, and the like. Furthermore, it has a reliable battery life of 2600mAh and is compact enough to fit in your pocket – thus, making this smartphone handy to bring wherever, whenever.

Unlock Your Samsung Galaxy On5 (SM-G550T1) with UnlockBase

Combatting with a slow network speed can be frustrating, especially when the liberty of swapping SIMs can take two years before it is possible. If your carrier isn’t capable of providing you your needs, why not unlock it? Unlocking can help you free your device from the restrictions brought by your carrier. However, you have to make sure that you are getting the right service. Enter: UnlockBase.

UnlockBase is a reputable Web unlocking service that is capable of unlocking every mobile unit of any brand. Through time, it has collected various smartphones and built a database that you can scan through to see which devices are compatible with our service. Additionally, the service provides a convenient, fast, and safe transaction via Device Unlock APP which will only require you to request and apply for the service in the comfort of your device. No manual codes required!

Looking for more details? Contact us here.