RIM currently has a handful of different BlackBerry smartphone models available with a myriad of carriers worldwide.

Here in the U.S., the BlackBerry Bold 9650 will be locked to a CDMA carrier when purchased from either Sprint or Verizon, but what if you want to try out T-mobile or AT&T or use a local SIM card while roaming in another country?

We show you step by step how you can unlock your BlackBerry Bold 9650 for use with any GSM-based carrier, in the U.S. or abroad, in a few easy steps.

Note that you will need to obtain an unlock code prior to unlocking your BlackBerry smartphone. Unlock codes are available for purchase from a variety of sources -- we recommend Cellunlock.net -- or they can sometimes be requested from your carrier's customer service department. In order to obtain an unlock code from a carrier, typically your account must be out of contract and in good standing.

Step by Step:

• Go to Settings or Click on Options (depending on your folder structure) (figure 1)

• Click on Advanced Options (figure 2)

• Click on SIM Card (figure 3)

• Type mepd -- you will not see what you are typing and thus you must make sure you are typing the code correctly
• Type mep2 -- again, you will not see what you are typing so just type mep, press the alt key, then press the 2 key (e on keyboard)
• Enter the UNLOCK code you purchased/received

Note: The commands in the final two steps above are case-sensitive and therefore must be typed in lowercase

You are now free to insert a SIM card from any GSM-based cellular provider in the U.S. or overseas.

Click here for more BlackBerry Bold 9650 guides

Click here for our full BlackBerry Bold 9650 review