This is harder than calling Verizon to request a network unlock. Because this unlock requires you to face the silence. There is a specific kind of paralysis that happens when you have an unblocked, fully functional iPhone.

Let’s talk about the three layers of unblocking: The technical, the psychological, and the digital. Let’s get the obvious out of the way. If your iPhone is "locked," it means Apple and your carrier have a secret handshake that says, “You cannot leave us.” You bought a subsidized phone, or you’re on a payment plan, so the software is rigged to reject any competitor’s network.

You pick it up to check the weather. But you see a news alert. You read the news, then swipe to Twitter to verify it. On Twitter, you see a video of a recipe. You open YouTube to find that recipe. Thirty minutes later, you are watching a documentary about Soviet submarine technology.

But when I held it in my hand, I realized it didn't feel any different. The SIM was free. I was not.