The Best Unlocked Phones for 2020
What's the Difference Between Locked and Unlocked Smartphones
In the US, many phones are sold locked to a wireless carrier through a software lock that prevents you from using the phone on other carriers, through a payment plan that doesn't permit you to leave that carrier, coque samsung a20 missdu or through hardware coque iphone 5s nyan cat frequency restrictions that exclude other carriers' transmission bands. bijoux personnalise Unlocked phones, paid for upfront, are different. iphone 11 case The day you buy an unlocked spigen coque iphone 5s phone, you can use any carrier it's coque iphone 6 disney fee clochette compatible with, and switch carriers at will.
This list gives you the best unlocked phones available in the US at a range of price points. collier argent We've tried to offer something here for budgets from $250 to $1100, running Android and iOS.
We coque a20e samsung ado have no 5G phones in this roundup, because right now there are no unlocked, multi carrier 5G phones. coque huawei While it's possible to run 5G phones on carriers they aren't coque samsung galaxy a20e kawaii sold by (and we've coque iphone se livraison rapide done it), it's coque pailette samsung a20e very touch and go, and we've had permissions revoked in the middle of testing. It's better to wait until later in 2020 when the carriers and manufacturers sort out 5G compatibility.
Why Buy Unlocked
With an unlocked device, you can trade up or sell your phone whenever you want, coque iphone xs max marque without waiting for the end of a leasing or equipment installment plan you're not in one. coque huawei You can own multiple handsets and swap your SIM card between them. You can also take advantage of super cheap prepaid plans from virtual operators piggybacking on compatible networks. You can pop in a local, pay as you go card overseas and never pay horrendous international roaming charges. And you don't have to deal with coque samsung a20e liquide carrier installed bloatware.
At the same time, there are a few downsides to going the unlocked route. If you change SIM cards overseas, you won't have coque iphone 4s avec porte carte your US phone number while you're there. iphone 11 case Some unlocked handsets only work on AT and T Mobile, not Sprint or Verizon. On the list above, the Nokia 7.1 and the OnePlus 7 Pro don't work on Sprint, and the Huawei P30 Pro isn't sold in the US. iphone 11 case The other phones work on all four carrier networks.
There's a coque iphone 7 plus karl lagerfeld new technology out there making unlocked phones even more exciting: eSIM. Electronic SIMs coque iphone sword art online mean you can pick your carrier from a menu or by scanning an online QR coque iphone 6 pingouin code, rather than having to go get a physical chip. bijoux pas cher On our list, the Pixel 3a, Pixel 4, and iPhone 11 Pro all support eSIM and dual SIM, which lets you have two coque iphone 6 odell beckham lines attached to one phone. coque huawei That's great for having a work line and a personal line, or housse etui coque iphone 6s a foreign line and a home line.
Where to Buy Unlocked Phones
Shopping for an unlocked handset can be a bit tricky, since carrier stores don't stock them. If you're looking for one, the Apple Store, Amazon, Best Buy Mobile, and manufacturers' online stores are good top des coque iphone 5s bets. iphone case coque huawei In some cases, you can coque iphone 4s marrante even unlock the phone you already own, although the particulars depend on the handset and carrier.
Our coque iphone 5 fermé most recent picks for unlocked devices in each major price category include the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ at the high end; the OnePlus 7 Pro in the midrange; and the Motorola Moto G7 Power for an coque iphone 7 spider man inexpensive option. Unfortunately, we currently do not have an unlocked voice phone pick because the carriers are demanding unique voice phone models for their voice over LTE networks; for a simple voice phone, you need to go with a carrier coque iphone 6 valentino specific option.
Ready to break free Pick up one of these handsets and don't feel tied to your carrier coque iphone 5 s ricard any longer. coque samsung If you're deciding on a carrier, see which coque iphone 7 air jordan one came out on top in our Fastest Mobile Networks tests. He's the head of our Fastest Mobile Networks project, hosts our One Cool Thing daily Web show, and writes opinions on tech and society. Other than his home town of New York, his coque samsung galaxy a20e bleu favorite cities are Barcelona and Hong Kong.