Unlocked mobile phones are great for people needing freedom to use whatever SIM card they want.  Whether it’s traveling abroad or just more flexibility at home if they need to switch carriers, unlocked cell phones are great for many reasons.  While buying a cell phone new is always good, with money being as tight as it is for many people, there are many places where there are unlocked cell phone deals.

The main benefit of buying a discount unlocked cell phone is that you have the option to keep the phone whenever you change mobile phone carriers.  The reason why this is so beneficial is it saves you, the consumer, a lot of money because you don’t have to buy a new phone with your contract.  Plus, you can easily switch from a carrier that requires a two year contract to a carrier that requires absolutely no long term obligation.  This type of flexibility let’s you switch to any carrier, any time, without worrying about penalties and fees (assuming you’re not under contract).  For this reason alone, is it great to choose an unlocked phone.

If you’re a worldwide traveler, having an unlocked cell phone is great way to avoid paying international phone fees.  In a foreign country, with an unlocked wireless phone, you can simply purchase a prepaid SIM card and put it into your phone.  This saves you tons of money (hundreds of dollars usually) because you don’t end up having to by a foreign new phone.  Traveling abroad is the primary reason why unlocking mobile phones became popular originally.  Smart travelers learned that they could save tons of money both at home and away in foreign countries by doing this.

The cost of your unlocked wireless phone is probably the most important thing when making a buying decision.  While there are plenty of “new” cell phones that have been unlocked, the cheapest and most budget friendly way to get a cell phone deal is buying used.  Used unlocked cell phones are by far the cheapest and most reliable way to buy.  And if you’re someone that’s concerned that buying used will only get you phones that are 3 years old or more, you’re wrong!  In fact, most of the used unlocked phones on the market right now are only a year old or newer.  Because of this, there’s really no reason why you should be buying used.  Buying new is only for suckers who like paying full price.  Great places to look for used mobile phones are eBay and cell phone websites.

In the end, there are tons of different reasons why you should be buying an unlocked mobile phone.  You can save tons of money with unlocked cell phone deals (especially with used phones) plus you have a lot more freedom with the carriers you go with.  So, if you want to save tons of money, and be a smart shopper, buy a used unlocked cell phone.

Buying from an auction site like eBay

Websites like eBay stand to give you the best deal possible on a new phone.  Sellers on their site often get their phones for very good deals and can pass those good deals to you.  Many times you can save a few dollars by choosing eBay over some of the other online retailers.  There is a catch to those great deals though, while eBay works hard to prevent this, there is always a chance you can end up purchasing a stolen or defective cellular phone.  While their site has set up ways to get your money back if you get a product like this, the inconvenience of having to wait a few more weeks for the problem to resolve may not be worth the hassle.

Buying from Amazon

Amazon is probably my most trusted site when it comes to finding good deals on electronics like cell phones.  Finding a new GSM unlocked cell phones can be easy and safe with Amazon.  Amazon actively tests and reviews its products (unlike eBay) to assure quality for their customers which I’ve noticed each and every time I order from them.  One complaint about Amazon, however, is that they’re not always the cheapest compared to some of the other guys.  But besides that complaint, I would never have an issue recommending Amazon.

Other Unlocked Cell Phone Sellers

In this group of sellers you’ll find many websites selling unlocked mobile phones.  This websites usually have extremely large inventories and fairly competitive prices.  These websites are typically very reputable and would include Pure Mobile and Cell Hut.  If you like to deal with websites who exclusively sell cell phones and have customer service knowledgeable about their products, purchasing from these sites would be my recommendation.  As with the complaint with Amazon, the only problem with buying from these “big” cell phone websites is their prices aren’t always the cheapest compared to eBay.  However, if you’re not just worried about  getting a cheap unlocked cell phone but would also like good customer service and convenient return policies, I would stick with Amazon or these other websites.