When did buying a smartphone become so hard? We know! Ever since hundreds of models are released by hundreds of different brands and manufacturers vying for customer’s attention and dough.
These days, you just go to the mall and pick up the latest brand or sign up with a carrier offering it through a monthly plan where you pick out a phone and pay a cheap and subsidized up-front price and signing a contract.
In any case, carriers have since moved away from contracts along with the subsidized phones that came with them.
Currently, there’s no big price variance when purchasing a phone locked to a specific carrier and getting that same device unlocked that you can use on any network, though big carriers let you pay off that device in installments.
This means you don’t need to go to a local store to get your next device, although if you need a unit immediately, it’s still a good option.
Things to consider
After zeroing on the phone, you like, the next step is to consider whether to get on with a carrier-locked phone or go for the unlocked route.Once you’ve picked the phone you want to buy, here’s some of the factors you need to consider before deciding on a carrier or going the unlocked route.
Ensure that the unlocked phone will work on your preferred network since this can cause a big issue when unlocked phones work solely on a network.
Why you should buy an unlocked phone
Unlocked phones let you switch carriers quickly: Would you really like to change from carrier to carrier every time? These days, carriers are avoiding contracts for device payment plans. In the case of unlocked phones, you are locked to no one. If you’re going to a different country, then jump to that location’s carriers. No lock-in and additional purchases will hinder you.
There’s a lot of plans that use unlocked phones: Most major carriers and many of the cheaper ones sell their own phones. However, if you’re keen on saving money with an obscure carrier, you’ll need to bring an unlocked phone.
Unlocked phones have better upgrades and security: Carriers are reportedly delaying updates to Android software and this includes crucial security upgrades. While you’re still at the mercy of your unit’s phone manufacturer, purchasing an unlocked phone will give you the best chance to get the latest plus more secure software updates.
You get less bloatware through unlocked phones: It’s a nasty habit of carriers to add unnecessary applications on every smartphone they sell. These apps take up precious internal memory. While some can be uninstalled, some cannot. This is not an issue with factory unlocked phones since they’re not weighed down by carrier apps.
The deal is that getting a new phone comes down to your budget and preferred cell service. If you’re looking for a phone that a carrier that provides then, by all means,that’s a good option as well.
However, if you don’t like being tied to a carrier and have the budget for a flagship phone, then choosing an unlocked phone is the right option. You can check out unlocked Androids and iPhones at Harvey Norman. They also offer a plethora of accessories and GPS devices as well. Assess the models you want, do your research and choose wisely.
