A:Answer An unlocked cell phone usually have more cell phone companies you can use as your network phone/phone service like, at&t, sprint...., but a locked phone means whatever network/cell phone company that is sponsoring that phone, or if it's locked in that network cell phone company, you can on use that cell phone company to cut on your cell phone, but unlocked phones allows you to pick which cell phone company you yourself chooses to be your cell phone network.