We recommend unlocked phones in this guide. When a phone is sold as "unlocked," it means the phone can be used on multiple wireless carriers/networks. When you buy a phone directly from your wireless carrier, usually on a payment plan, it often comes locked to that network. Carriers are legally required to unlock a phone upon request so you can switch networks, but that's a big hassle. Try to pay full price for your phone, or make sure it specifically says it's unlocked. If you feel it's too expensive to buy outright, that's a good sign you should find a cheaper model, buy it from the manufacturer directly, or investigate your carrier's policies for unlocking phones if they're bought on a payment plan that locks you onto their network.

Verizon tips: Buying an unlocked phone is smart (it is!), but even if you do the smart thing, networks like Verizon will put up hoops for you to jump through. If you insert your SIM card but still have trouble receiving text messages or something else, contact customer service and have them enable "CDMA-Less roaming." This OnePlus 6T guide may help. The steps should be similar for other phones.

Why we don't care about 5G: You'll see lots of ads encouraging you to upgrade to a 5G plan and buy a 5G phone. Yes, you do need a new phone that supports 5G to make use of a 5G network (we have a guide that explains it all), but at the moment 5G coverage is still sparse. It's available only in certain areas of a handful of cities in the US, and it's often not even all that much faster than standard service. Our advice? Think about 5G for the phone you buy next time, in two years (or more). For now, you don't need it.