Should i buy unlocked cell phone

Christine Baker. Lifewire Technology Review Board Member. Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients.

Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design. Article reviewed on Feb 14, Tweet Share Email. Android Switching from iOS. In This Article. Pros and Cons of Unlocked Phones. Carrier-Unlocked Phones. Unlock the Phone Yourself. Using Unlocked Smartphones. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again.

You're in! But, before simply going out and blindly picking up the first handset you encounter, do a bit of homework. Ask yourself a few questions and consider your needs. Answering these might help you to find a phone that you love instead of one you simply like. The first question you should ask yourself is whether the new phone will work with your current wireless provider. This is a big distinction and can make or break your phone experience. Some phone makers will draw attention to the fact that its devices will work with all wireless networks.

This question might not be as important to you at the outset, but it could be a factor in the longer term. Having an unlocked phone can change your perspective as it relates to services. CDMA, on the other hand, is a different animal. Devices with screens larger than six inches are often smaller in physical stature than older models with five inch displays. Bezels are thinner, physical buttons are gone, and aspect ratios have changed to make phones easier to use with one hand.

What feels thin and sleek in the store might be cumbersome and heavy a week or two down the road. At the same time, phone makers have figured out a way to be helpful without getting overly complicated. As we approach summer Android 11 is installed on nearly all new devices with Android 12 due over the coming months. Avoid anything older than Android 9 if you can. Think about what you do with your phone on a daily basis.

Are there any limitations in what you can do or would like to do? How old is that phone? By having you agree to stay on their network, the carrier subsidizes a portion of the cost or bundles it into your monthly subscription rate. Also, locked phones prevent theft. Unlocked phones are more likely to be sold illegally or used overseas with different carriers. Verizon locks its new phones as a security precaution. Users can unlock them; more on that below. Although locked phones remain the most prevalent in the U.

Unlocked phones are often considered a good option for international travelers. Forgoing carrier discounts means you pay full price for an unlocked phone, but you can also sell an older unlocked device to help offset the cost of a new one. The best unlocked phone is one that can switch to any service provider. To combat theft and fraud, Verizon locks all prepaid and postpaid devices for 60 days check out the full Device Unlocking Policies. Unlocked phone users have no restrictions, contracts, or ties to any company.

They can shop around with no restrictions. Whether they want T-Mobile deals, Verizon quality, or the lowest prices the market can offer , they are free to come and go from carrier to carrier as they please. There is a catch, though! Your phone needs to be compatible with the network more on that in the cons section. Dual-SIM unlocked phones make it possible to use two networks at once. Maybe you travel often and want to have a SIM card from another country.

This is all possible with a dual-SIM unlocked phone. Here: These are the best dual-SIM phones you can find. Carriers offer phones on monthly payments, which is very convenient, but makes your bills pricier. Device payments keep you in debt with the carrier and make it harder to leave the network if you ever chose to. Carriers are businesses and obviously want to earn as much money as possible.

Their smartphone prices are not always fair, and they are only ever cheaper if they can hook you into staying with them for a more extended time. Carriers often have deals that drive down their device prices, but they always want you to get these on device payments or take on a contract. This only means they will get the money back from you eventually, and then some. See the device above? Any sane non-rich person would think twice or three times before forking out nearly two grand for a phone.

Buying unlocked will not only get you lower prices on devices, but it will also help you avoid overspending when not considering the total cost of a phone. Very few people take full advantage of what high-end phones have to offer, but you see people using them every day. Maybe if we had to pay for our devices outright, we would think twice about getting the latest and greatest smartphone the industry has to offer! After all, most people would do just fine without a high-end handset.

Carriers have a limited selection of devices. They all tend to have the most popular phones, but you might prefer other options out there. When buying unlocked, you can choose from many manufacturers worldwide, and there are many excellent phones with limited or no availability from US carriers. American carriers love throwing unnecessary apps on their phones.