It was easier buying a smartphone many years ago. All you needed to do was to visit your carrier branch, and after picking a phone of your choice, you pay some upfront payment and then sign a contract with them. But today, many carriers no longer make use or the contracts and subsidized phone deals.
Today, even if you buy a phone which is locked to a carrier or unlocked there really is no difference.
So if you go to a store and you pick out the phone which you want to buy, let us look at some things you have to consider before selecting a carrier or an unlocked phone.
Ensure that the phone is compatible with your network
These days many new phone devices support all kinds of carrier brands. In the past, Verizon networks were CDMA, and T-Mobile worked on GSM networks. It is important that you are sure that your unlocked phone would be compatible with the network of your choice by looking at the specs it works with under network brands. But with a carrier network that is not a problem because the phones they make use of phones which are compatible with only their network.
Let us take a look at people who an unlocked phone appeals to and those who a carrier phone appeals to.
People who need an unlocked phone
Some people want to have the new device as soon as it hits the market. Such kind of people should go for an unlocked phone. You should be able to pay for it up front, and you do not need any carrier deals to make use of it. Many early adopters do not mind as all they have in mind is having this device before anyone else.
There are many phone makers who provide unlocked phones at a relatively low price. These phones are cheap because such phone makers do not have a need to bargain with carriers. This money which they save can be passed on to the customers, making it cheap for them to buy.
Upgrade lovers
People who buy unlocked phones find it easier to upgrade whenever a new one comes because they can resell their current phone and buy a new one without any stress.
Frequent travelers
An unlocked phone would make you swap your network carrier sim effortlessly as you visit the network of various countries.
People who buy a carrier phone
If you want to pay for a phone in installments.
If you are looking for a deal with a phone brand, it is best to go through a carrier. Many of the carrier providers offer amazing discounts to motivate you to buy from them. Most unlocked phones would ask you to pay fully for the phone rather than in installments which a carrier network prides.
The good part about buying a carrier phone is that after your full payment, you can request that it is unlocked after you have fully paid for it.
What you should do
Research the phone options and availability. You can buy an unlocked phone from a good number of retailers. But if you want a carrier phone, you have to be sure that it is available in the device you want.
Check thoroughly to be sure if your unlocked phone would also work with your carrier plan you are using. Check if it supports 3G or 4G networks or any carriers you would like.
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