Check that model has a good warranty (international phones may not have a valid warranty in the U.S., for example) and that it’s compatible with your network. If you have a carrier-locked phone, you can unlock it on your carrier’s website or at a brick-and-mortar store, albeit with some stipulations. 13. ... Samsung Galaxy S9+ G965U 64GB Unlocked GSM 4G LTE Phone w/ Dual 12MP Camera - (Refurbished) Details. Amazon. Sites like Swappa allow you to buy someone’s used phone, while retailers like Amazon and Back Market offer refurbished devices in like-new state — all for a huge discount. If you have a carrier-locked phone, you can unlock it on your carrier’s website or at a brick-and-mortar store, albeit with some stipulations. If you’re on AT&T, you can still use the phone (without 5G service) — but you just have to buy it from OnePlus or Amazon. And doing so comes with a lot of advantages. Here are the advantages of buying an unlocked phone and the best ones to buy, including iPhone, Samsung, Google and more. Some of the best phones aren’t even available at carrier stores — you can only purchase them from the manufacturer or from third-party retailers. If it doesn’t suit your needs, or if they jack up their prices unexpectedly, you can then hop on over to a new one with no fuss. It has the same processor as the iPhone 11 (albeit clocked to slightly slower speeds), eschewing the edge-to-edge screen and multi-camera setup to pass on significant savings. Some carriers do offer pre-owned devices but the selection isn’t nearly as wide as at those other sites. Unlocked smartphones are more cost-effective and flexible, argues one tech expert. You can also buy an unlocked edition of the recently released and budget-friendly Pixel 4a on Amazon and Best Buy, too. Starting at $400, Apple’s iPhone SE is an incredible phone for the price. Many allow you to bring any compatible phone you want, meaning you can just pop in a new SIM card, try out a carrier and move along with your life. You can just walk into the local AT&T store for help instead of dealing with LG’s online chat—but the quality of service can vary greatly from store to store. This is an easy, straightforward way to buy a phone. These shouldn’t be huge roadblocks for most people but it’s a lot easier to just buy your phone unlocked to begin with — then take it to whatever carrier you want. Some phones, like the aforementioned OnePlus 8, may require the carrier versions for 5G compatibility, though you can still buy these refurbished and unlocked. 1-24 of 483 results for Cell Phones & Accessories: Cell Phones: Unlocked Cell Phones: Renewed. If I haven’t convinced you yet, here’s the biggest reason I don’t like buying phones from carriers: Buying a new phone is almost never a good value proposition. Finally, some carriers may only offer certain features on phones they sell — Cricket Wireless, my current carrier of choice, offers Wi-Fi calling on any iPhone, but Android users are stuck with the phones they sell in-store. You're likely better off buying an unlocked refurbished phone elsewhere. Buy unlocked cell phones from the best brands, including Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy. Gold $234.99 $ 234. Last year’s Samsung Galaxy S10e has everything I wanted in a phone: a big screen in a more manageable form factor, a great camera and (gasp) a headphone jack. It still keeps up with all the latest apps and, thanks to market forces in the world of Android phones, I was able to grab it for hundreds of dollars less than list price. Unlocked devices can generally be used on any compatible cellular network, On Swappa, our unlocked device categories are for factory unlocked devices that are not and were 95 £129.99 £129.99. Unlocked cell phones generally work for most carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. rather than being restricted to one specific cellular provider. There's a problem loading this menu right now. But it’s not always the best way. If you’re looking to avoid being tied down by lengthy contracts and renewal feels for brand new phones, give our refurbished unlocked cell phones a look and avoid losing out on your portable freedom. 99. Unlocked Smartphones. They’re currently selling refurbished versions of last year’s iPhone XS for a few hundred bucks off the list price, which is a great deal. Get 5% in rewards with Club O! 69. Unlocked Cell Phones : Free Shipping on Everything* at Overstock - Your Online Unlocked Cell Phones Store! It’s not as steep a discount as you’d see on Android phones since iPhones hold their value better, but a worthy discount nonetheless. Time is fleeting. Apple iPhone 8, 64GB, Gold - Fully Unlocked (Renewed) 4.3 out of 5 stars 11,811. Our editors independently selected these items because we think you will enjoy them and might like them at these prices. 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The best for less. While any given phone has the same list price at a carrier as it would on Amazon, most carriers offer financing plans that let you pay off that phone over the course of two years. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. Get it Wednesday, Oct 14. Samsung Galaxy A10s A107M - 32GB, 6.2" HD+ Infinity-V Display, 13MP+2MP Dual Rear +8MP Front … You can buy unlocked phones that are used or refurbished — and save. But if you’re used to buying phones from your carrier, be sure to shop around next time—you might find some great phones for killer prices that you wouldn’t have otherwise seen. Product Title Refurbished Apple iPhone XR 64GB Factory Unlocked Smartphone 4G LTE iOS Smartphone Average Rating: ( 4.1 ) out of 5 stars 210 ratings , based on 210 reviews Current Price $368.49 $ 368 . While you can buy it from carrier stores like Verizon, it’ll be locked to that carrier for at least 60 days, depending on your agreement. A phone can be factory unlocked, meaning it’s originally sold as unlocked. Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links to other sites. These devices come with a range of different screen sizes that … In other cases, they may only be available from certain carriers even if they’re compatible with other networks. We’ve made it easier to discover products with sustainability certifications, as part of our commitment to help preserve the natural world. That said, financing plans are fine if you feel the need to use one. Amazon's refurbished smartphone section is full of … FREE Delivery by Amazon. If the phone you want isn’t available from Apple, third-party refurbishers on sites like Back Market can also provide hardware in great condition. FREE Shipping. I can’t say the same about early upgrade plans, which allow you to pay a monthly fee to regularly trade in your phone for the latest model. Samsung Galaxy S9, 64GB, Midnight Black - Fully Unlocked (Renewed) 4.3 out of 5 stars 7,013. Catch up on the latest from NBC News Shopping guides and recommendations and download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. Google offers some of the best Android phones you can buy today, with a clean interface free of pre-installed bloatware. You can also buy phones directly from the manufacturer, from a third-party retailer like Amazon, or through a used or refurbished marketplace. Forget promotions, forget Black Friday: The best deals in the land will almost always be on used or refurbished devices. With a few minutes of research, you can likely buy with confidence. Backed by our professional refurbishing guarantees, worry not … Apple iPhone 11 128GB Fully Unlocked (Verizon + Sprint + GSM Unlocked… £99.95 £ 99. But I’d be remiss not to mention that it does have a few advantages, particularly when it comes to the money you spend upfront. If you have even less to spend, you’d be surprised what you can get for under $250. Price may vary by color. Whitson Gordon is a freelance technology writer with bylines in the New York Times, Popular Science Magazine, PC Magazine and more. These are generally not cost-effective and you’d save more money by buying each phone outright and selling it on eBay when you’re ready to upgrade. It’s a bit slower than flagship Android phones but should still be perfectly adequate for most people. These unlocked smartphones provide you with the means of pairing the phone with your preferred carrier or contract. Motorola’s Moto G Power not only comes with an edge-to-edge display and three cameras, it has insane battery life compared to its competitors, thanks to a 5000mAh battery. In the end, choice is a good thing. Paying $83 a month is much more enticing to some than paying $1,000 on day one, though I’d argue if you’re that strapped for cash, you might want to consider a less expensive phone instead — midrange devices are better than most people realize. When you buy a phone from your carrier, it’s locked to that carrier — that is, if you decide to switch carriers, you have to jump through a hoop or two first. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Apple iPhone 8 Plus, 64GB, Gold - Fully Unlocked (Renewed), Apple iPhone 8, 64GB, Space Gray - Fully Unlocked (Renewed), Samsung Galaxy S9, 64GB, Midnight Black - Fully Unlocked (Renewed). When it’s time to buy a new phone, many people head down to their local Verizon, T-Mobile or AT&T store — or their respective booths at Best Buy — to see what’s on the shelves. 85. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. OnePlus may not be a household name like Samsung and Apple, but it’s become a darling among Android fans for highly-specced phones at more affordable prices. Apple has some of the most stringent refurbishing standards in the business, so when you buy a refurb device from them, you can know it’s going to actually arrive in like-new condition. Carriers may offer better tech support than a manufacturer would, too. 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,713. The best place to buy refurbished. For cheap unlocked cell phones, refurbished is always a smart consumer choice. We may receive commissions for purchases made through these links.