I'm not clear about how network carriers make smartphones locked to one carrier..Also, I need to know if I buy a carrier locked device, Can I use it on public Wi-Fi or other Wi-Fi without unlocking it?

Yes, WiFi is an independent function from the carrier network. A locked phone in this context just means you can not switch mobile service providers easily. A US example would be switching from Verizon to AT&T.

You can connect to any public or private Wifi access point by selecting its name using the wifi setting of your phone.

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part two fo your questions.

YES

Virgin phones are the only phones I've found that lock the user into there little domain even on wifi. stay away of them, not Verizon, Virgin Phones, if you have them there.

The others, wifi can be used without having an account with the service provider attached to that phone. I do not see why it should be any different in other countries other than communist North Korea, and other communist countries.

some phones can be unlocked via a rooted phone. US has laws about unlocking. they keep changing so I am not up on the latest "what you can or cannot do to your phone" law on locked phones. Yes the US too has a sort of dictatorship here.

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I think the software on the phone is modified (to work only with the specified carrier). But as it was already mentioned it is not related to wifi at all.

In Canada phones must now be unlocked and previously locked phones can be unlocked by the original provider free of charge. Just did it on an old Q10.

The term "locked" refers to a devices being SIM locked What this means is that the phone locked to that specific carrier and all the settings are optimized for that carrier. If you put another carriers SIM into the phone then it will not work until you get the phone unlocked by the carrier who supplied it.

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