7 Reasons Why Your Next Phone Should be Unlocked

The same hardware but with more possibilities

By IGN STUDIOS

Partner Content by Best Buy

All cellphones start life the same way: Unlocked. Phones of a same model come down the line with identical specs and looks, and able to talk to a wide array of carriers. Provided the QA service is working well, the phones are totally indistinguishable from one another. At least to a point. Because further down the line, some phones get designated to be sold through this service provider or that. These phones trade away their ability to talk get locked to a single service.

But if a phone didn’t have to trade its freedom to one service provider in order to be sold, then that phone could work with more carriers on their broadcast spectrum. It would still be identical to others in its line, except it could be available anywhere from online, to your nearest Best Buy, to Bermuda. And best of all, it would be unlocked.

Same hardware, more possibilities

Unlocked phones are identical to those you’d get through a service provider, but with added freedom.

It’s that freedom that makes the difference because it means customers get the same specs, the same features, the same style, but with much more freedom to decide how and where to use their hardware.

That’s why manufacturers like Samsung, Sony, and Motorola are offering some of their most popular models unlocked. And when they come in GSM and CDMA variants, they can go anywhere on almost any service. The only question is: which one do you want?

The phone you want, the coverage you need

Once you find the phone you want, you can check coverage maps of your area, either by going online or checking out a super store (pick someplace that offers multiple providers). If you’ve got questions, your nearest unlocked phone is no further away than your local Best Buy. You can pick the coverage that works the best for your home, school, or work without worrying about how it will impact hardware.

Save money

Locked contracts tend to cost more than unlocked contracts. Especially since shopping unlocked means you can pick only the services and service levels that work for you rather than being stuck with a bundle deal. So even though an unlocked phone might cost a little more up front, you can save a lot down the road.

Any carrier, anywhere

How mobile is your mobile phone?

Because not only are unlocked phones able to talk to almost any service provider in their spectrum, you can update that service virtually any time you need.

So, if work starts sending you upstate or you start seeing someone in another time zone, all you need to do is figure out which provider works better in that area. Since your phone is unlocked, all you need is to sign up with the service and swap SIM cards and make your coverage map multiple choice.

Easy and versatile

And multiple SIM cards mean multiple numbers on a single phone.

Some unlocked phones allow you to have up to two SIM cards in at any one time. Meaning one phone can have two numbers, on two different carries. Home phone and work phone? Personal line and help desk? It’s up to you.

Even if your phone takes a single SIM card, it’s an easy 5-step process:
1. Turn off your phone
2. Pop out your old SIM card
3. Put in your new SIM card
4. Put your old SIM card somewhere safe
5. Turn on your phone

And best of all, everything described works internationally, out of the box.

And that’s important because travel is on the rise in the US, with business travel budgets up over a decade, study abroad up for two decades, and all international travel up 8% in the last year. All those flights can only mean one thing: international roaming data charges.

You don’t want to travel so far only to come back to phone bill as long as your plane flight.

But with an unlocked phone, there’s a way out! Instead of faking your own death, just head down to the nearest provider, sign up for service and a SIM card, and save a bunch of money by paying the local rate.

Available everywhere, replace anywhere

Unlocked phones are available globally and work globally. That means you can buy one in Georgia and use it in Guangzhou. It also means that if you somehow managed to burn your phone in a Jamaican beach accident, you can buy a replacement there and still use it back home in Koln. Or you can use it domestically and get all the benefits with none of the travel pillow burn.

Best Buy has a special offer on the New Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note8

The brand new Note8 has an edge-to-edge screen, incredible camera, the ability to run apps side-by-side, and all the benefits of being unlocked.

But Best Buy is making it just a little bit better.

For a limited time, they’re offering 24-Month Financing* on new Samsung Galaxy Note8 when you use your My Best Buy® Credit Card*

Plus get a FREE Samsung 128 GB Memory Card and Wireless Charger or Gear 360.

There are three ways to get an unlocked phone today:

1. Visit the manufacturer’s site
2. Stop by an e-commerce partners
3. Go into a store such as Best Buy

* Terms and conditions apply.

This is a special advertising section. Read more about IGN’s policies in our Standards and Practices.

Let's block ads! (Why?)