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Without a carrier payment plan, the best unlocked Android phones are the best options to the iPhone. When you buy an unlocked phone, you don’t have to choose a specific company or plan. You can choose any phone you want. And a lot of the best Android phones are unlocked, so you have a lot of options.
Most of the time, these Android phones are sold by the companies that make them or by online stores like Amazon and Best Buy. And once you’ve decided, you can start looking for the best cell phone plan from the phone company you chose. If you want to buy an unlocked phone, you’ll have to pay more up front.
However, you’ll have full control over your carrier, contract time, cost, and more. So, what are the best Android phones that aren’t locked? And which one will fit your budget best right now? Here are the ones we like right now.
Best Unlocked Android Phones Comparison Table
| Model | Operating System | Display (inches) | Resolution | Processor | RAM (GB) | Storage (GB) | Rear Camera (MP) | Front Camera (MP) | Battery (mAh) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel 6a | Android 12 | 6.2 | 1080 x 2340 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G | 6 | 128 | 50 + 12 | 8 | 4,700 | $449 |
| OnePlus Nord N20 5G | Android 11 | 6.49 | 1080 x 2400 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 | 4 | 64 | 48 + 8 + 2 | 16 | 4,500 | $239 |
| Google Pixel 7 | Android 12 | 6.2 | 1080 x 2340 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G | 6 | 128 | 12.2 + 16 | 8 | 3,140 | $699 |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | Android 13 | 6.8 | 1440 x 3200 | Exynos 2200 | 12 | 256 | 200 + 12 + 12 | 10 | 5,000 | $1,199 |
| OnePlus Nord N200 | Android 11 | 6.49 | 1080 x 2400 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 | 4 | 64 | 13 + 2 + 2 | 16 | 5,000 | $239 |
| Sony Xperia 10 IV | Android 11 | 6.0 | 1080 x 2520 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 | 6 | 128 | 12 + 8 | 8 | 4,500 | $499 |
Google Pixel 6a
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.2-inch OLED display |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G |
| RAM | 6 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| Rear Camera | 12.2 MP (main) + 16 MP (ultra-wide) |
| Front Camera | 8 MP |
| Battery | 4,700 mAh |
The Google Pixel 6a is almost a great phone for less than $500. It uses the same Tensor engine as the Pixel 6 to work. That means that this phone, which costs less than $500, has the same AI-powered features as the more expensive one. And Google ups the ante even more by adding new features to its already great Magic Erase picture editing tool.
In terms of photos, the Pixel 6a is just like all of Google’s other low-cost phones in that it takes great shots. The Pixel 6a’s camera hardware doesn’t really stand out because it’s not all that new. However, Google’s skill with computational photography means that the pictures you take with this phone will be better than those taken with other phones in the same price range. You might even get photos that are on par with what a more expensive phone can do.
The Good
- Strong computer chip
- Camera of good quality
- Large OLED display
The Bad
- There is no way to store more.
- No jack for headphones
OnePlus Nord N20 5G
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.49-inch Full HD+ display |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G |
| RAM | 6 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| Rear Camera | 48 MP (main) + 8 MP (ultra-wide) + 2 MP (macro) |
| Front Camera | 16 MP |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh |
No longer do phones that work with 5G networks have to be close to $1,000. There are now cheaper 5G phones on the market, and the OnePlus Nord N20 5G brings the price down even more. Even though the camera isn’t very good, which proves that this is a cheap phone, the OnePlus Nord N20 5G has some high-end features, like a professional look, an in-screen fingerprint reader, and good performance.
We also like how long the battery lasts. Even with the faster update rate turned on, it lasts longer than the average smartphone. The OnePlus Nord N20 5G can now be bought unlocked at Amazon, Best Buy, and OnePlus’s online shop.
The Good
- Affordable price point
- 5G capable
- Good camera equipment
- Large amount of space
The Bad
- No charging without wires
- The refresh rate of the screen is only 90Hz.
Google Pixel 7
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.4-inch OLED display |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 898 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Rear Camera | 50 MP (main) + 16 MP (ultra-wide) + 12 MP (telephoto) |
| Front Camera | 12 MP |
| Battery | 4,800 mAh |
Google’s Pixel 7 costs $599, which puts it between the $449 Pixel 6a and the $899 Pixel 7 Pro in the company’s lineup. This is the sweet spot in the budgets of many smartphone buyers, and it also makes it one of the most affordable phones with a lot of features.
The Pixel 7 is much better than most phones in its price range and gives Samsung’s $799 Galaxy S22 a run for its money in terms of speed and camera quality. Even though the Pixel 7’s small changes to its style and small improvements to its specs may seem like small steps from year to year, you won’t find a better Android phone for $600 than the Pixel 7. This makes it our winner for affordable flagships.
The Good
- Setup with a good camera
- Large OLED screen, lots of storage space
- Strong computer chip
The Bad
- Thought to be very expensive
- No jack for headphones
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED display |
| Processor | Exynos 2200 |
| RAM | 12 GB |
| Storage | 512 GB |
| Rear Camera | 108 MP (main) + 16 MP (ultra-wide) + 12 MP (telephoto) |
| Front Camera | 40 MP |
| Battery | 5,500 mAh |
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra might be the most powerful Android phone ever made. It has high-end tech all over, from the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor to the impressive 200MP rear camera.
The unlocked Galaxy S23 Ultra starts at around $1,200, which is not cheap. However, the phone has been made to give you your money’s worth in terms of stability and high-end features. You’ll get software updates and security patches for five years, until 2028. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 build means you won’t have to buy a new phone the first time it falls over.
The Good
- Very powerful computer chip
- Incredible camera setup
- A lot of space to store
- A big, high-quality screen
The Bad
- Expected to cost a lot of money
- No jack for headphones
OnePlus Nord N200
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.49-inch Full HD+ display |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Storage | 64 GB |
| Rear Camera | 13 MP (main) + 2 MP (macro) + 2 MP (monochrome) |
| Front Camera | 16 MP |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh |
Don’t get me wrong, the OnePlus Nord N200 is a cheap phone, but not everyone needs to spend a lot on the newest tech to get a phone that works well and is fast. When we tried the Nord N200 5G, we found that it keeps things in perspective with a Snapdragon 480, 4GB of RAM, and 5G support, including T-Mobile’s mid-band 5G. When you put this rather boring CPU together with a huge 5,000mAh battery, you can easily get through the whole day on a single charge.
On top of Android 11, Oxygen OS 11 is used on this phone. This software looks a lot like Google’s, so if you’ve used another Android phone, you shouldn’t have too much trouble learning how to use this one. Even though it isn’t done yet, OnePlus promises to update this phone to Android 12 at some point in the future.
The Good
- Affordable price point
- 5G capable
- Large amount of battery
- Good camera on the front
The Bad
- RAM and storage space are limited
- The back camera setup is simple.
Sony Xperia 10 IV
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.0-inch Full HD+ display |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 5G |
| RAM | 6 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| Rear Camera | 12 MP (main) + 8 MP (ultra-wide) + 8 MP (telephoto) |
| Front Camera | 8 MP |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh |
The focus of Sony’s current line of smartphones is first and foremost on making and watching media and the Best Unlocked Android Phones. The range has 4K resolution, OLED screens with a 21:9 aspect ratio, and HDR support. The 3.5mm headphone port is also still alive and well. But what happens when you have to start taking away features to make these kinds of gadgets easier for more people to use?
The Xperia 10 IV, which won the What Hi-Fi Award, is the answer to this question. It has fewer features, a lower-quality screen, and a plastic body, which bring the price down by a lot. But even though this low-end Xperia takes some shortcuts, it still does what Sony is trying to do: it gives you a movie experience that fits in your pocket.
The Good
- Good camera equipment
- 5G capable
- Plenty of storage space and RAM Small enough to use with one hand
The Bad
- Typical battery life
- No charging without wires
FAQs
A: An unlocked phone is one that is not tied to a specific service or network. This means that you can use it with any network provider that works with it.
A: If you buy an unlocked Android phone, you can choose the carrier and plan that work best for you, instead of being bound to what one carrier has to offer.
A: It varies on the phone and the service provider. Some carrier-specific phones may be subsidized by the carrier and seem cheaper at first, but an unlocked phone may be cheaper in the long run because you can choose the provider and plan that works best for you.