What is CID unlocking?

[taffy-nay]

Please be kind, I'm really new to all this stuff.

Could someone explain to me exactly what CID unlocking is and maybe even why phones are (CID) locked in the first place.

This is mostly for my curiosity than anything else.


cheers

[levenum]

Welcome to the forum!
First thing you must do is read the WiKi! (http://wiki.xda-developers.com)
It should answer all of your questions and if not, then come back and ask - but be sure to search the forum first!
Like this (http://www.google.com/search?q=site:forum.xda-developers.com+CID+lock&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enIL224IL225).

Unlocking CID allows you to install different ROMs on your device, such as cooked ROMs or ROMs for different brand.
Example:
i-mate Jamin and Qtek S200 are the same device, but you can not install Qtek ROM on i-mate phone unless you CID unlock.