The BlackBerry Curve is a line of entry-level smartphones by Research In Motion, originally released in 2007. There have been three major upgrades to the line’s initial 8300 series: the 8500 series (in 2009), the 8900 series (in 2009), and the 9300 series (in 2011).

One thing they didn’t change with the upgrade, however, is that the phone remains SIM locked, so that you cannot use the phone with carriers other than the one which sold the phone to you, even though the phone is capable of working with any GSM network. You have to unlock the BlackBerry cell phone before you can have a choice of GSM networks.

Phone unlocking is perfectly legal. The cell phone is manufactured unlocked, and Research In Motion added a SIM lock at the request of the carriers. By using manufacturer unlock codes to unlock the cell phone you are merely restoring it to factory settings. It does not void your warranty, and the phone will remain unlocked even if Research In Motion rolls out new software to your phone. Unlocked phones also have higher resale values than ones that are still SIM locked.

To unlock a mobile phone for free, simply ask your carrier for the necessary codes for your IMEI number. Note that you’ll need to be a customer in good standing, and to have owned your mobile phone for a minimum number of months depending on the terms of your contract before they will give you the codes. Because the process to unlock a BlackBerry cell phone is somewhat complex, you may wish to stop into your carrier’s local store and have them perform the phone unlocking for you.

If you don’t meet the criteria to be able to unlock the mobile phone for free, you can always purchase a SIM card from a different phone carrier, available inexpensively at any cell phone store, and buy the phone unlock codes from a third party vendor online.

You can unlock your Curve by following these steps.

1. Power on your phone, and go to the home screen.

2. Go to Manage Connections.

3. Select Turn All Connections Off.

4. Go to Options.

5. Select Advanced Options. (If you do not see an Advanced Options selection, select Device and then Advanced Settings.)

6. Select SIM Card.

7. Type the letters MEPD.

8. The phone shows that network locking is active.

9. Type the letters MEP2.

10. Enter the unlock code that you were given.

11. Press Enter.

12. Power off your phone, remove battery, reinstall battery, and then power it back on.

13. Go to Manage Connections.

14. Select Restore Connections.

That’s all there is to unlocking your Curve! Now you’ll have no problem using your BlackBerry Curve with any GSM network.

Unlock Codes for a BlackBerry Curve