The Unlockr

What The Unlockr does

The Unlockr (legally Expound Media, LLC) is a single-founder consumer-technology media brand launched in 2009 by David Cogen in New York City. The company publishes editorial content — how-to guides, device reviews, "Real-World Test" videos (full-day camera, battery, and performance testing against competing devices in a single day), and a "Decodr" explainer series that translates complex technologies (5G, HDR, WiFi 6E, ARM, LTPO, Thunderbolt 4, machine learning) into accessible explanations — primarily through a WordPress-hosted blog (theunlockr.com) and a companion YouTube channel (youtube.com/theunlockr). The audience is US-based general consumers seeking trustworthy hands-on guidance across smartphones, laptops, wearables, earbuds, TVs, and adjacent consumer technology. The brand has been featured on NPR, Fox Business News, Bloomberg, CNBC, and Digital Trends, and David Cogen has contributed bylines to Tom's Hardware and LaptopMag.

The business operates six distinct revenue streams layered on the editorial core: (1) display and behavioral advertising served by third-party vendors, (2) sponsored branded-content deals with major tech vendors (Google #teampixel, OnePlus, Samsung, Intel, Qualcomm, Micron, GE Profile, John Deere, Oppo, Microsoft), (3) affiliate referral commissions via tracked unlockr.co short links to partners like Casetify, Spigen, RhinoShield, and Amazon, (4) Shopify-hosted e-commerce selling phone repair parts and accessories at shop.theunlockr.com, (5) a transactional phone-unlock code service at theunlockr.com/unlock-my-phone/, and (6) self-serve online courses at courses.theunlockr.com. The underlying technology stack is built on standard creator-economy infrastructure — WordPress for publishing (with a wp-content CDN at cdn.theunlockr.com), YouTube for video distribution, Shopify for commerce, Mailchimp for newsletters, and Akismet for comment moderation. No proprietary technology, API, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

Go-to-market is community-led content marketing: David Cogen serves as both the on-camera personality and editor-in-chief, building a repeat audience of tech enthusiasts who follow device release cycles. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding, no parent company, no investor disclosures, and operates with a small (1-10 employee) team. An explicit editorial policy prohibits paid reviews while permitting disclosed branded content, which functions as the core brand differentiator versus other influencers.

Name

The Unlockr

Legal name

Expound Media, LLC

Website

https://theunlockr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Unlockr (Expound Media, LLC) is a founder-led consumer-technology media brand founded in 2009 that publishes how-to guides, hands-on device reviews, and tech explainers via a WordPress blog and YouTube channel, monetized through sponsorships, ads, affiliate links, a Shopify repair-parts shop, unlock codes, and online courses, serving US consumers seeking trustworthy tech guidance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Display and behavioral advertising: Site-wide display ads and behavioral advertising via third-party ad vendors; non-intrusive ad units are explicitly endorsed as the economic model that allows free content.
2. Sponsored branded content: Custom branded video/article content sponsored by brands (Google #teampixel, OnePlus, John Deere, GE Profile, Micron, Intel, etc.), labeled as sponsored.
3. Affiliate referral commissions: Affiliate links in posts to retailers like Amazon, Casetify, Spigen, and direct phone-purchase links; commissions earned on resulting purchases.
4. E-commerce (phone repair parts and accessories): Shopify storefront at shop.theunlockr.com selling phone repair parts and accessories, allowing readers to repair their own phones.
5. Phone unlock service: Sells carrier-unlock codes that let buyers use their phone on any carrier.
6. Online courses: Sells online courses via courses.theunlockr.com.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

TheUnlockr publishes free consumer-technology editorial content — how-to guides, hands-on device reviews, real-world test videos, tech explainers, and buying guides — across a WordPress blog, a YouTube channel, an email newsletter, and social platforms. Layered on top of the content are three paid offerings: a Shopify-hosted shop selling phone repair parts and accessories, a phone-unlock code service for carrier freedom, and online courses hosted on a dedicated subdomain.

Product overview

The Unlockr is a single unified consumer-technology media brand operated by Expound Media, LLC and built around one core product, theunlockr.com, which publishes editorial content (How To's, Latest Tech reviews, Tech 101/Decodr explainers, and Best Tech guides) by founder David Cogen. Layered on top of that core site are several sub-products that extend the same brand into commerce and learning: the Shopify-powered Repair Your Phone shop (shop.theunlockr.com) for self-repair parts, the Unlock Your Phone service (theunlockr.com/unlock-my-phone/) for carrier unlock codes, and the standalone Online Courses property (courses.theunlockr.com). The brand is further distributed through a companion YouTube channel (youtube.com/theunlockr), a Mailchimp-hosted email newsletter, and active Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, and Snapchat accounts — together forming a multi-channel content-and-commerce offering rather than a software platform with modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Decodr: The site's named tech-explainer video series (under the 'Tech Explained' / 'Decodr' content line) that breaks down how technologies work.
• TheUnlockr Shop
• TheUnlockr Courses

Products and services

• TheUnlockr.com Editorial Site Main content property and brand hub operated by Expound Media, LLC; publishes tech how-to guides ('How To's'), latest-tech reviews, 'Tech Explained' explainers (including the Decodr series), and curated 'Best Tech' buying guides covering smartphones, laptops, wearables, earbuds, TVs, Wi-Fi, and related consumer technology.
• TheUnlockr YouTube Channel Companion YouTube channel featuring tutorials, Real-World Test reviews, Decodr explainer videos, and other video content tied to the site's editorial output; the flagship long-form video distribution surface for the brand.
• Repair Your Phone Shop Online Shopify-hosted store where readers can buy parts and tools to repair their own phones, framed as a DIY phone-repair offering for cost-conscious consumers.
• Unlock Your Phone Service Service offering where users can purchase unlock codes to free their phone from a specific carrier and use it on any carrier of their choice.
• TheUnlockr Online Courses Standalone online-courses platform linked from the main site's navigation that delivers instructional content associated with TheUnlockr brand to self-enrolled learners.
• TheUnlockr Email Newsletter Weekly email newsletter hosted on Mailchimp that delivers the latest tutorials, videos, and tech deals to subscribers; promoted as a low-noise audience-engagement channel.

Quantifiable outcome

• 452+ pages of indexed long-form tech content since 2009
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Google (Made by Google / #teampixel)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle sponsored the "6 New Features from the Latest Pixel Feature Drop" video on TheUnlockr, with David explicitly noting "This post was sponsored by Google. Thanks to the Made By Google team for letting me help them make this video!"
• OnePluscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOnePlus collaborated on the LTPO explainer ("I went and researched it with the help of OnePlus"), and sent devices including the OnePlus 9 Pro, OnePlus 8T, OnePlus Nord N10 5G, and OnePlus Watch for real-world test videos.
• GE ProfilemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGE Profile sponsored the induction-cooking explainer and invited David to their Kentucky innovation studio for the "How Appliances are Getting as Smart as Your Phone" video.
• John DeeremajorGTM or Marketing PartnerJohn Deere hosted David on a sponsored trip to Iowa covering the John Deere Classic and a $1,000,000 combine, producing the "I drove a $1,000,000 tractor (my first proper vlog)" video.
• MicroncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMicron sponsored the "Why You Should Pay Attention to the RAM in Your Next Phone" Decodr episode, linking to micron.com/solutions/mobile.
• IntelcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIntel helped David produce the "What Is Intel Xe (& Is It Their Answer to the Apple M1?)" explainer after he tested an Intel Xe laptop.
• QualcommcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerQualcomm is the subject of the explainer "The Real Reason Qualcomm Launched a Phone," which discusses the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders co-developed with Asus.
• SamsungcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSamsung consistently supplies Galaxy S, Note, Z, A, Watch, and Galaxy Book devices for real-world test coverage, and David attended the Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco.
• RazermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRazer sent a pre-production Razer Book 13 and a pre-production Razer Tomahawk modular PC for real-world testing and feature coverage.
• ApplemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApple is the most-covered vendor on the site, with full coverage of every iPhone generation, the iPhone SE, MacBook M1 line, AirPods Max, and Apple Vision Pro.
• OppomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOppo invited David to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to demonstrate their AI roadmap, producing the "How Oppo is Using AI in All of Their Devices" explainer, plus real-world tests of the Oppo Find X3 Pro, Find N, and Find X7 Ultra.
• SonymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSony provided the LinkBuds, WF-1000XM4, and Xperia Pro-I for real-world test videos.
• DJIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDJI Mini 2 was provided for a real-world test review.
• Lenovo / LegionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 supplied for a real-world test video.
• Microsoft / SurfacemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMicrosoft Surface Duo 2 used in a co-produced video with Michael Fisher (MrMobile), plus Surface Laptop Studio real-world test coverage.
• CasetifyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCasetify is promoted through a co-branded landing page (casetify.com/theunlockr) and discount-linked call-to-actions inside iPhone real-world test articles.
• SpigenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpigen MagSafe accessories and chargers promoted via tracked unlockr.co affiliate links in iPhone 13 Pro Max coverage.
• RhinoShieldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRhinoShield offered discount code UNLOCKR7PRO (20% off in the first week, 10% after) inside Pixel 7 Pro coverage.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationShopify hosts the e-commerce platform used by Expound Media, LLC for shop.theunlockr.com (Terms of Service: "Our store is hosted on Shopify Inc.").
• MailchimpcoreTechnology or IntegrationMailchimp powers the email newsletter signup (mailchi.mp/theunlockr/emailnewslettersignuptheunlockrsite).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Digital Trends: Consumer-tech editorial site with reviews, real-world tests, and CES/MWC coverage — already collaborates with David Cogen as a guest expert, and competes for the same sponsor and audience pool.
• The Verge: Major consumer-tech editorial site covering phones, laptops, and emerging tech with video and written reviews — competes for the same Google, Samsung, and Apple review placements and SEO 'best phone' traffic.
• 9to5Google: Google- and Pixel-focused news and review site with deep device coverage — overlaps heavily with TheUnlockr on Pixel/Google content and the same Made-by-Google sponsor ecosystem.
• Android Authority: Android-focused review and explainer site with deep phone coverage, including real-world testing — directly comparable editorial format and sponsor targets (Samsung, Google, OnePlus, Oppo).
• Tom's Guide: Consumer-tech review and how-to site focused on phones, laptops, and home tech; overlaps with TheUnlockr on buying guides, sponsored content, and SEO for tech-intent queries.
• MKBHD (Marques Brownlee): Largest independent tech-YouTube creator covering smartphones, real-world device tests, and tech explainers — the closest direct competitor for flagship launch sponsorships, YouTube audience share, and tech-reviewer brand equity.
• CNET: Large consumer-tech editorial outlet covering phones, laptops, and home tech with reviews, best-of lists, and video — directly comparable content categories and sponsor base.
• Engadget: Long-running consumer-tech media outlet with reviews, how-tos, and buying guides — directly comparable content categories and ad/sponsorship business model to TheUnlockr.
• MrMobile (Michael Fisher): Independent creator-led mobile-tech video brand with long-form reviews and explainers — closest peer in terms of solo-creator-led format and editorial voice; has even co-produced videos with TheUnlockr.
• iJustine: Long-running independent tech creator with YouTube channel focused on Apple devices, reviews, and lifestyle tech — directly comparable as a solo-founder creator-led tech media brand monetized through ads, sponsorships, and e-commerce.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theunlockr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/theunlockr
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheUnlockr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/dcogen
• Instagraminstagram.com/theunlockr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Unlockr