SIM Free means you are buying a phone without any SIM. Thus you will then need to make separate arrangements to acquire a SIM and thus telephone service.
Unlocked means that the phone will take any SIM. Typically a phone supplied by a network operator (Vodafone, O2, Telefonica, etc, etc) will be locked to that vendor. So, for example, a Vodafone supplied phone will only accept a Vodafone SIM.
A pone supplied by a phone manufacturer (Huawei, Xiaomi, Motorola etc. ) or an independent retailer (Amazon, Carphone Warehouse etc) will usually, probably always, be unlocked.
A new phone supplied SIM Free will be almost certainly unlocked unless you are buying it from a network operator.
With second hand phones one can get caught out by the SIM Locked since one does not know where it originally came from.
In some instances phones are also country locked, but that is increasingly unusual.
Usually a phone bought from a non-Network Operator will be both unlocked and SIM free.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sat 13 Nov 21 at 13:37
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