What are the benefits of having an unlocked device?

[greendude33]

I want the Samsung Focus S 4G but I don't want to wait until my upgrade date (Dec. 4). I was thinking I should just buy it unlocked and pop my iPhone 3GS sim card into it but I have a few questions.

Will updates come faster because its unlocked, or will I have to wait for the regular upgrade date?

Will my iPhone 3GS sim card work with the 4G HSPA+ speeds?

And is there anything else I should know?

 

[jdevenberg]

SIM should work I believe. If you buy it unlocked from ATT your are tied to their update schedule. If you buy it from HTC and it doesn't say "ATT" anywhere on it, they may be faster. The benefits are that you won't be under contract so if you decide you hate ATT all of the sudden, you just sell your phone and leave. No early termination fee. Or you can even just take your phone to another GSM Carrier.

 

[aubreyq]

Freedom from contracts.