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Everything You Need to Know About Unlocked Cell Phones

September 2, 2016 By Leticia

Everything You Need to Know About Unlocked Cell Phones on TechSavvyMama.com

This is a sponsored post

If you’re shopping for your child’s first cell phone, chances are you went to your local store to see what models your carrier had available that fit your budget. Whether you’re thinking flip phones or a smart phone, you don’t necessarily need to restrict yourself to what your mobile carrier offers. Consider an unlocked device instead.

About Unlocked Phones

When you purchased your most recent phone from your mobile carrier, chances are that you needed to wait until your current term was up before you could upgrade and paid a subsidized rate for a new phone and signed a contract locking you into a service contract for a specified amount of time.

An unlocked phone is not tied to a specific carrier or contract. It’s completely independent.

4 Reasons to Get an Unlocked Cell Phone on TechSavvyMama.com

4 Reasons to Get an Unlocked Cell Phone

Unlocked phones are becoming increasingly popular in the United States because they are a way to save money on devices and monthly service fees. They also:

  1. Give families give the freedom to shop for the latest phones and plans because they are not tied to a certain carrier or contract
  2. Provide a larger selection of phones and features to choose from regardless if you’re looking for a basic model cell phone or the hottest new device on the market
  3. Allow you to use any plan with an unlocked phone whether it’s a pay-as-you-go SIM card (that uses other carrier’s towers for service) or a legacy plan that your current mobile carrier no longer offers to new customers
  4. Make international travel with a cell phone easy. Just pop out your SIM with one purchased where you’re traveling for the ability to make calls, send texts, and connect to email easily

Our Experience with an Unlocked Phone 

Last summer when we decided it was time for Emily to have a smartphone before middle school, we opted for an unlocked Huawei (wah-way) Honor device. This sleek phone has a screen that’s just as large as my Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Note 5, has a slim profile, a great battery life, and features that any Android device would have.

We bought an unlocked Huawei Honor for the freedom from contracts and because it was affordably priced even though we paid for the cost of the phone up front. Not being tied to a contract allowed us to decide if we wanted to add Emily to our current plan or shop around for something else.

We thought about how she would be using her phone and the number of minutes, amount of data, and number of texts she might be using each month. She didn’t need unlimited data, texting, and calling like we have on our phones that we rely on for work but also come with a $80+/month fee. Instead, we opted to buy her a separate plan and pay about $25/month. Even though we paid the cost of the phone up front, it was a smart financial decision to shop around for plans that best met Emily’s needs to help us save money on the monthly cost of our tween’s phone.

Where to Buy Unlocked Phones

One of the best places to shop for unlocked phones is Best Buy. Mobile carriers do sell unlocked phones but for full price and even then, some have complained that their phones haven’t been truly unlocked. If you’re looking for freedom, get freedom from carriers and contracts at Best Buy with devices like the new Honor 8, Huawei’s newest addition to their unlocked smartphone line that comes in an exclusive Sapphire Blue color only available in-store or online at Best Buy.

About the Huawei Honor 8 Unlocked Phone

HONOR_BLUE_FRONT_20160703

Just because your purchasing an unlocked Honor 8 and saving money on the device and monthly service doesn’t mean you’ll be compromising any must-have features. The Honor 8 features:

  • Bionic 12MP dual lenses that allow you to capture crisper in daylight or at night
  • Slick body made with dual glass on the front and back
  • Smart Power 4.0 that guarantees a long-lasting battery life
  • Fast-charging technology able to charge to 47% power in just 30 minutes
  • 3D Fingerprint Sonsor with Smart Key
  • The ability to support US carriers’ GSM/UMTS/4G LTE networks

And more!

When you purchase the Huawei Honor 8 unlocked smartphone at Best Buy, you can also get a free $50 Best Buy Gift Card.

To shop for Huawei’s Honor 8, visit the Best Buy website. Learn more about unlocked phones on Best Buy’s unlocked phone page.

I was compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Related

Filed Under: Parenting, Technology Tagged With: Best Buy, Huawei Honor 8, no contract phones, phones for kids, shopping for cell phones, unlocked cell phones, unlocked phones

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Comments

  1. Lavues says

    September 2, 2016 at 11:37 pm

    Well, there are surely pros and cons of every thing, but this post is written really good 🙂

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