Take your own shot with an unlocked Google phone
Looking for Boxing Day deals on Google Pixel phones? Check our options and get your deal.
What does it mean when a Google phone is unlocked?
With an unlocked Google smartphone, its network status isn’t necessarily tied to a term contract or specific carrier. Google had always sold its Pixel devices unlocked, though carriers would also offer them locked to their own network and services when customers purchased them on contract.
Under those terms, a locked Google Pixel could only work with that carrier’s SIM cards. Those coming from other carriers, regardless if they were in Canada or abroad, wouldn’t be compatible. As of Dec. 1, 2017, carriers were mandated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to offer all devices unlocked, though any Google Pixel could still come with a contract, or purchased outright.
The rules affirm that a Google phone must come unlocked out of the box, meaning you can use it with any carrier you choose to subscribe with. You must own the device outright to do that within Canada, and since they support Google’s various phones, there are plenty of models to select from.
Does anything change in how an unlocked Google phone works?
There is a significant difference between an unlocked and “rooted” phone as it relates to any Android smartphone, including those from Google. These two terminologies do not mean the same thing. When rooting a Google phone, you are using unauthorized third-party tools to bypass media and app restrictions that would normally be in place. It can technically remove network locks, but it isn’t the same as simply unlocking from a carrier’s network. Rooting a Google phone may also void the device’s warranty, so beware the risks in doing it.
An unlocked Google Pixel works like any other smartphone would when free to work with any carrier. This is especially convenient when travelling, where you can use a local carrier’s SIM card, or take the phone with you in case you plan to live in a foreign country. Depending on the part of the world, network compatibility may differ. That may be less of an issue with major carriers, whereas regional ones could be more restrictive.
With a Google phone, you can roam while using major carrier networks in Canada who offer roaming rates at fixed daily rates. This could also include nationwide calling within the country if your monthly has that.
What types of Google phones are available unlocked?
It’s easy to find a Google phone unlocked because they have always been available that way. Since Google has sold them outright, free of any network restrictions, they are among the easiest Android phones to find unlocked, no matter if it’s a current or older model. If, for whatever reason, it is locked to a Canadian carrier, they must unlock it free of charge upon request.
That includes the latest Pixel phones, like the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, both of which are ready to work on the next-generation 5G networks. When carriers launch and expand on their 5G services, these phones will be ready to connect at speeds faster than ever
Take your own shot with an unlocked Google phone
Looking for Boxing Day deals on Google Pixel phones? Check our options and get your deal.
What does it mean when a Google phone is unlocked?
With an unlocked Google smartphone, its network status isn’t necessarily tied to a term contract or specific carrier. Google had always sold its Pixel devices unlocked, though carriers would also offer them locked to their own network and services when customers purchased them on contract.
Under those terms, a locked Google Pixel could only work with that carrier’s SIM cards. Those coming from other carriers, regardless if they were in Canada or abroad, wouldn’t be compatible. As of Dec. 1, 2017, carriers were mandated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to offer all devices unlocked, though any Google Pixel could still come with a contract, or purchased outright.
The rules affirm that a Google phone must come unlocked out of the box, meaning you can use it with any carrier you choose to subscribe with. You must own the device outright to do that within Canada, and since they support Google’s various phones, there are plenty of models to select from.
Does anything change in how an unlocked Google phone works?
There is a significant difference between an unlocked and “rooted” phone as it relates to any Android smartphone, including those from Google. These two terminologies do not mean the same thing. When rooting a Google phone, you are using unauthorized third-party tools to bypass media and app restrictions that would normally be in place. It can technically remove network locks, but it isn’t the same as simply unlocking from a carrier’s network. Rooting a Google phone may also void the device’s warranty, so beware the risks in doing it.
An unlocked Google Pixel works like any other smartphone would when free to work with any carrier. This is especially convenient when travelling, where you can use a local carrier’s SIM card, or take the phone with you in case you plan to live in a foreign country. Depending on the part of the world, network compatibility may differ. That may be less of an issue with major carriers, whereas regional ones could be more restrictive.
With a Google phone, you can roam while using major carrier networks in Canada who offer roaming rates at fixed daily rates. This could also include nationwide calling within the country if your monthly has that.
What types of Google phones are available unlocked?
It’s easy to find a Google phone unlocked because they have always been available that way. Since Google has sold them outright, free of any network restrictions, they are among the easiest Android phones to find unlocked, no matter if it’s a current or older model. If, for whatever reason, it is locked to a Canadian carrier, they must unlock it free of charge upon request.
That includes the latest Pixel phones, like the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, both of which are ready to work on the next-generation 5G networks. When carriers launch and expand on their 5G services, these phones will be ready to connect at speeds faster than ever