Best Unlocked Phones

There's plenty to gain from buying an unlocked phone. In some cases, you can even unlock the phone you already have, although the particulars depend on the handset. Our Editors' Choices for unlocked phones are the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone and the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type feature phone, which are both as good or better than the best subsidized phones you'll find at U.S. carriers.

FEATURED IN THIS ROUNDUP:

Apple iPhone 4

Price: $649 direct
Apple’s iPhone 4 adds a gorgeous screen, a terrific camera, and a faster processor to the already-awesome iPhone app experience, though voice calls still aren’t its forte. The iPhone supports AT&T's 3G bands; on T-Mobile it would be stuck on 2G EDGE.

Editors' Note: We didn't test the unlocked iPhone, but the AT&T version is symbolic of the phone's general performance. The biggest difference between the two models is price: You'll pay $199 for the AT&T-subsidized handset, but it requires a two-year contract. Read the full review ››

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JUST5 J509

Price: $89.99 direct
This is as simple as phones get, with extras that make it especially appealing to seniors, as well as everyday technophobes. As a 2G phone, the J509 works equally well with AT&T and T-Mobile. Read the full review ››

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Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type

Price: $139 street
The Nokia C3-01 is a slim and slick voice phone with an excellent camera, music player, and Web browser, and it’s easier to use than the company’s real (Series 60) Symbian smartphones. The C3-01 works on AT&T's 3G network and T-Mobile's 2G EDGE network. Read the full review ››

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Nokia E5

Price: $179 street
The Nokia E5 is one for the traditional BlackBerry fans; it’s a solid, affordable messaging smartphone, even if it feels a bit obsolete in a world of touch screen devices. The E5 works on AT&T's 3G network and T-Mobile's 2G EDGE network. Read the full review ››

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Nokia E7

Price: $429 street
For die-hard Symbian fans, the Nokia E7 is a high-end, beautiful farewell as the company shifts to Microsoft’s mobile OS, but current Android and iOS devices owners will find the user interface baffling. The E7 works on both AT&T's and T-Mobile's 3G networks. Read the full review ››

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Samsung Galaxy S II

Price: $445.00
The top-of-the-heap unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II delivers in almost every way—that is, if you can afford its high price. It's also one of the few truly high-speed, HSPA+ 21 phones for AT&T's network, although it's stuck in the EDGE slow lane with T-Mobile. Read the full review ››

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Sonim XP3300 Force

Price: $525 direct
The Sonim XP3300 Force is one of the world's toughest, most indestructible phones. As a 2G phone, it works equally well on AT&T and T-Mobile. Read the full review ››