Buying an unlocked phone can put you at a huge advantage if you want to switch carriers or use your phone in another country. Though unlocked phones are not compatible with all phone carriers and plans, they do provide you with more options than buying your phone through a specific carrier.

Buying pre-owned unlocked iPhones can also be a great option if you want to find the best iPhone deals. Look at the features each model offers and think about what kind of storage capacity you want. If you frequently use your phone for taking videos, you probably want an unlocked iPhone with 64 or more GB of storage. If choosing a cell phone for a senior, consider the screen size and visibility when selecting a model. Additionally, you may want to filter your options by carrier compatibility since there are two network standards that carriers can use.

Whether you’ve purchased a new or used unlocked iPhone from Best Buy, activating it is a simple process. You will start by choosing a compatible phone plan. Thanks to the two cellphone network standards, carrier requirements for internal hardware fall into two groups in terms of compatibility. Once you’ve identified your compatible group of carriers, you can choose a plan. If you want to avoid a contract, you can also look into choosing a prepaid phone plan.

The next step to activate your used or new unlocked iPhone is to insert the new carrier’s SIM card into the unlocked Apple phone and follow the activation directions. Then, you can sign in with your Apple ID, where you can restore older preferences or manually set up completely new ones. Depending on your level of comfort, you can also choose to have your iPhone unlocked by a professional.

After you have researched and purchased an unlocked phone, it will prove itself to be handy in many situations. You can stay in touch with family and friends and use all of the added features that come along with a smartphone. You can take some nice photos and videos with unlocked iPhones with front and rear cameras, easily find your way around with GPS enabled models or even navigate boating trips with water resistant unlocked iPhones without worrying about damaging your device. Regardless of what you choose to do, it all starts with buying and activating your unlocked iPhone with Best Buy.