Best Place to Buy Unlocked Cell Phones
If you lot’ve shopped lately for a new telephone, you know how easy information technology is to stop upwardly spending nigh $1,000 to get the latest device — but to be stuck in a contract for a year or more. But
shopping for an unlocked phone online tin can save you hundreds of dollars.
And yous’ll take the freedom to change carriers at any time, potentially saving yous even more money in the long run.
In this article, I’ll compare prices among several major online vendors to discover deals on unlocked jail cell phones. I too got input from our sis site
ClarkDeals.com, which tracks cellphone prices continually, to see where you can get the
best overall deal.
What Is an Unlocked Telephone?
An unlocked phone is
a cell phone that you tin can use on multiple networks. If your phone is unlocked, you’ll be able to switch easily between unlike service providers. That means y’all’ll ever be in control of your telephone bill, and yous’ll exist able to modify carriers at whatsoever time to get a amend deal.
If you lot’re shopping for a new phone and you plan on using one of the big three cell phone providers (or one of their disbelieve brands),
the provider will most likely offer improve deals on phones
than y’all could notice on your own. But if you switch carriers ofttimes, you’re the perfect candidate for an unlocked phone.
“The beauty of an unlocked phone is that you are a costless amanuensis,” says
money proficient Clark Howard. “You tin get anywhere.”
Any unlocked smartphone you buy is going to work on GSM networks such equally
AT&T,
T-Mobile
or smaller carriers that apply the aforementioned towers (MVNOs). However,
if you’re going to utilise an unlocked telephone on a
Verizon
or Verizon reseller network, you’ll have to brand sure that information technology’s CDMA-compatible.
Warranties and return policies will vary on unlocked phones depending on where you lot purchase them and whether they’re new or refurbished. For that reason, it’s important to
read the information provided past the seller before you make your final purchase.
If you discover that a detail telephone won’t be covered past whatever warranty or insurance, that doesn’t automatically make information technology a bad bargain. Just consider paying your phone neb with one of these
credit cards that provide cell phone protection
to ensure you’re covered.
The Tiptop 7 Places To Buy Unlocked Phones
When you’re shopping for an unlocked telephone, it’s important to
decide ahead of fourth dimension
whether you want a new device or one that’south been refurbished.
While you can get a new unlocked telephone for a reasonable price, you’re going to find meliorate prices on used and renewed models.
I researched the online prices for several popular phones — new and used — to meet how major vendors’ prices stacked upwardly against each other as of January 2022.
| Samsung Milky way S20 Fe 5G (128GB) (New) | Moto G Power (64GB) (New) | iPhone X (64GB) (Used) | Google Pixel 6 (128GB) (New) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Buy | $599.99 | $169.99 | $399.99 | $549 |
| Amazon | $599.99 | $217.99 | $299.99 | $599 |
| Walmart | – | $231 | $278.64 | – |
| Swappa (Used) | $410 | $142 | $280 | $530 |
| eBay | $465.99 | $223.99 | $314.99 | $650 |
| Newegg | $599.99 | $199.99 | $309.99 | $749.99 |
| B&H Photograph | – | – | – | $599 |
As you lot tin can see, the prices for unlocked phones tend to stay in the same range across retailers and independent sellers. Still,
you’ll detect enough of a deviation to make information technology worth your time to compare prices
.
For a new Samsung Milky way S20,
eBay
offered the best toll on a new device: $465.99. I also checked the prices at
Swappa, which sells just used phones. They ranged from $410-$460, and then in this example, you lot’re non getting a bad deal buying new.
An unlocked Moto Yard Power was available at
All-time Buy,
Swappa
and
Newegg
for less than $200. These are especially great deals because
Clark recommends the Motorola production line for people who are toll sensitive.
“Motorola seems to have gotten the compromise right betwixt price and quality. A lot of (new) unlocked phones with really good screen sizes are going to be in the $200s,” says Clark. “The big market though for unlocked phones seems to exist used iPhones.”
A used iPhone X was available at
Walmart
for only $264.95 in January 2022. The next best deals were at
Swappa
and
eBay
for effectually $300.
Finally, I found a great deal on a new Google Pixel 6 at
Best Buy. It trounce the side by side best deals at
Amazon
and
B&H Photo Video
by $50.
Swappa
offered the same phone for $20 cheaper than All-time Buy, but keep in mind that this phone volition exist used.
Below, you’ll discover more information on buying unlocked phones from each of these retailers including what brands they comport, the toll of shipping and more than.
i. Best Purchase
Best Purchase
carries more 170 unlocked prison cell phones that you tin browse online.
If you know what phone you’re looking for, yous can apply the search bar to meet if Best Purchase has it in stock. Or y’all can employ the filters on the side of the screen to narrow your search.
While you’re browsing phones online at All-time Buy, note that most of the initial prices you lot’ll see are offered with aforementioned-day activation, even with unlocked devices.
If you plan to activate your phone at a later engagement, you may run into a slightly higher cost
. The prices in the comparison above indicate the higher “activate afterward” prices.
Best Purchase offers free shipping for online purchases over $35, which includes near unlocked smartphones. For faster delivery, choose free same-day pickup at your nearest store.
two. Amazon
Amazon
is another great place to shop for an unlocked phone. You’ll find
new and refurbished devices available directly from manufacturers besides every bit from independent sellers
at expert prices.
Similar All-time Buy’s website, you tin search for the specific device you’re looking for, or browse the available selection by filtering your results with the tools on the left-hand side of the screen.
Amazon carries all the major cell telephone brands, and many of the phones are eligible for
free 2-day shipping if you lot’re a Prime member
.
three. Walmart
Y’all’ll detect more than than 1,000 unlocked phones online at
Walmart.
com
. The retailer carries phones made past Apple tree, Samsung, LG, BLU, Motorola, Google and more. In addition to searching for a specific telephone and browsing by brand, you can also narrow your search results past condition, screen size, price and carrier compatibility among other filters.
When I compared the prices of refurbished iPhone 10 devices, Walmart offered the lowest toll I could find online
. It fifty-fifty beat Swappa’s all-time offer for a used iPhone 10 in good status! Because of this, I recommend checking out the prices on unlocked phones at
Walmart.com
before deciding where to make your purchase.
Phones sold direct from Walmart are eligible for
free pickup in-shop, and many devices qualify for free aircraft
.
4. Swappa
For some of the best prices available on pre-owned and refurbished unlocked phones, exist sure to check out
Swappa
. The online market place allows you to buy phones direct from contained sellers.
Every listing on Swappa is
reviewed and approved
by a moderation team that checks verification photos, serial numbers, criteria compliance and seller history. You can browse the approved listings for phones in off-white, adept and mint conditions.
When yous’re looking at phones on Swappa, know that the price y’all see is the price yous’ll pay.
You won’t run into any additional
shipping charges
unless you lot want limited shipping
.
5. eBay
You lot’ll observe great prices on unlocked smartphones online at
eBay. In fact,
Team Clark has found the well-nigh deals on unlocked phones at eBay
over the past 5 years.
The market place includes listings for several brands, but this is an peculiarly good place to shop for an iPhone.
“There’southward an extremely active market for unlocked iPhones,” says Clark.
“If you proceed eBay, you’ll meet a huge number of sellers that offering reconditions iPhones unlocked at very good prices; it’southward a very affordable mode to buy them!”
Of course, be certain to check a seller’due south rating and take the time to read customer reviews. Also, familiarize yourself with shipping and return information earlier making your purchase as those policies vary by seller.
six. Newegg
At
Newegg
, you’ll find unlocked phones beginning equally low as $67.50. The website stocks devices fabricated by Apple, Samsung, Google, ZTE, LG Motorola and more.
Newegg’south offerings range from refurbished devices to the newest releases.
To find some of the best available deals on the site, bank check out the
Open Box Auction
tab.
When I compared prices on a refurbished unlocked Moto G Power, Newegg offered the 2nd lowest price on a new phone behind Best Buy. This beat the prices at Amazon, eBay and Walmart at the time of writing.
Most of the unlocked phones you’ll run into on Newegg are eligible for free shipping
, which means you won’t take to worry most any additional charges.
vii. B&H Photo
Lastly, be sure to
check the prices on unlocked phones at
B&H Photo
unless you’re shopping for an Apple iPhone
. Currently, they’re unavailable from B&H Photo. But you’ll notice a selection of more than than 300 other unlocked phones.
You’ll detect the biggest choice of Samsung phones, but the retailer too carries devices fabricated by BLU, Google, LG, Motorola and more than.
Most orders over $49 authorize for
gratuitous expedited shipping
.
If you aren’t sure which phone yous’re interested in purchasing,
y’all can cull upwardly to four devices online at B&H Photograph to compare
. You lot’ll run into the prices and all of the technical specifications side-past-side for the selected phones, which makes it like shooting fish in a barrel to decide.
Where To Find the Best Deals on Unlocked Phones
If y’all’re non in a hurry to brand your purchase,
taking the fourth dimension to wait for a good deal is a neat way to save big
. At
ClarkDeals.com
, the team has been searching for the best deals available online for the past five years. In that time, more than than 90 great deals have turned up for unlocked phones.
I looked back at each of those deals to see where nosotros’ve found the best prices over fourth dimension.
Equally you can see,
we’ve found most of our deals on unlocked phones online at
eBay
. With so many contained sellers and new deals every day, eBay is a great identify to shop for an unlocked phone. This is particularly true if y’all’re looking for a refurbished iPhone!
Amazon
has also offered bang-up deals on unlocked phones in the past. Specifically, we’ve seen a lot of great prices on
Motorola
phones from this online retailer. Meanwhile,
B&H Photo
is a great place to find deals on Samsung and Google phones.
Woot, which is Amazon’s clearance site, also periodically sells unlocked phones commencement as depression as $80. Notation that these deals are typically available simply for one mean solar day, which means you’ll have to check the site regularly to take hold of them before they sell out.
Yous tin can also await to see great deals throughout the yr on unlocked phones at
Best Buy,
Motorola
and
Newegg.
Terminal Thoughts
If you plan on using ane of the major cell phone providers (or a discount brand that uses the same towers) y’all will nearly probable get an unbeatable deal on a new prison cell phone in exchange for signing a contract. But if yous plan on switching carriers oftentimes, being a “gratuitous agent” with an unlocked phone is the road for y’all.
To get the best price on an unlocked phone, you’ll accept to accept the time to compare prices before you make your purchase. Be certain to
check out the selections at Best Buy, Amazon and Walmart initially
.
If you’re open up to ownership a pre-owned phone, visit Swappa and eBay for reputable listings on used phones in good condition. Finally, Newegg and B&H Photograph will as well probable accept competitive prices on unlocked phones.
If yous aren’t in a hurry to make your purchase, effort to look for a good deal from eBay, Amazon, B&H Photo, Woot or Best Buy. If you aren’t certain whether or not yous’re looking at a good deal, use a tool like
Google Shopping
to price compare or use
Camelcamelcamel
to see the price history of a product on Amazon.
When you practise detect a expert deal on an unlocked smartphone, don’t hesitate to grab it before it sells out!
Where have y’all seen the all-time deals on cell phones? Let u.s. know in the comments beneath!
