The advantages of buying an unlocked smartphone are clear. You get the freedom of not being tied to a specific carrier or contract. Plus, choice: you can pick between nearly any model for your next smartphone. Finding an affordable unlocked smartphone, however, isn’t as simple as you might think. After some quick searching, you might find a great deal that won’t end up working with your carrier. Bummer. Compatibility with your SIM aside, you should also consider performance price. Sound like a handful? Don’t worry.
Which Phone Will Work with Your Plan?
First, you need to understand the difference between GSM and CDMA — the technologies a smarphone uses to connect to a specific carrier. GSM (Global Systems for Mobile Communication) smartphones are set up to work mainly in Europe (and with select U.S. carriers), while CDMA smartphones are more widely accepted in the U.S. There are exceptions to these standards. You can find more info on the differences here, but for simplicity’s sake, the two options can be broken down like this:
CDMA: works mainly with Verizon, Sprint, and US Cellular
GSM: works mainly with AT&T, T-Mobile, and MetroPCS
Some sites, like Amazon, will provide a table indicating whether the phone will work with your carrier or not. Be sure to check the fine print for every device you’re considering. If you’re still not sure, oftentimes the comments or reviews will have others’ experiences around carrier compatibility.
What Specs Should You Care About?
For a smartphone to perform well today, it probably needs to have 2GB to 4GB of RAM, at least 32GB of storage and a decent 10+MP camera . When searching on Amazon, Best Buy or eBay, you’ll likely see a lot of smartphones with comparable processors, but the RAM, storage and camera will be the biggest differentiators. These devices won’t have the same level of functionality as the latest smartphones from Apple, Samsung and Google, but for the price, you really can’t beat them.
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