LG and RIM in unlocking surge

Dealers have reported a surge in BlackBerry and LG phones being handed in for unlocking following the release of a new solution.

All BlackBerry and LG phones can now be unlocked in-store in 10 minutes with new dongle or cable solutions.

Unlockers claim the new solutions have increased  footfall.

Phone Shop proprietor Adrian Foot said: “Unlocking has been a big plus for us so far this year, with BlackBerry and LG handsets contributing largely. Unlocking has increased by as much as 30 per cent here recently. It’s now proving to be an even bigger route to market in times where handset sales are very quiet.”

Another unlocker said: “People shopping at Tesco are picking up the LG Viewty cheaply and recently I had as many as four customers in with this same request in the same morning. It’s a big boost for us as everything else is generally very quiet.”