Best unlocked phones

Carrier deals may be enticing, but they're good for a reason — the best carrier promotions usually come with restrictions, like contracts or a locked device. On the contrary, when you buy an unlocked phone, you can switch between carriers as you please and ensure you get the best deals. These phones also eliminate multi-year installment plans, which can cause major headaches if you'd like to upgrade early.

The great news is that many of the best Android phones are available unlocked, giving you the most freedom. Our favorite unlocked devices support 5G coverage and compatibility with all the major cell networks, plus standard perks like great cameras and lengthy software support windows. These features will help you use your smartphone unrestricted for years to come, well beyond the length a standard carrier contract.

We love the Google Pixel 10, as it provides seven years of software support, 5G connectivity, and more. There are plenty of other options that'll meet your individual needs, including the OnePlus 13 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Let's review them all to help you find your perfect unlocked Android phone.

Patrick Farmer

Patrick is a no-nonsense deal hunter with over 10 years of experience in the eCommerce space. Whether you’re interested in a new wireless carrier, smart home device, or Android phone, Patrick combines hands-on research with practical shopping advice to get you the answers you need.

At a glance

Best overall

The Google Pixel 10 is one of the newest and best Android phones currently available in the market, and it's even more attractive unlocked. The Pixel 10 replaces the Pixel 9 as our top pick, and the latest model adds even more features while keeping the price exactly the same. It's the closest we've ever seen the base-model Pixel to its "Pro" counterparts.

Featuring a refined, squared-off design with a fully flat frame, the Pixel 10 looks gorgeous. Up front, you get a 6.3-inch OLED screen that can now reach up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness and comes with a 120Hz refresh rate. The display — just like the back panel — is shielded with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and there's an IP68 rating included in the mix too. Unlike the Pro models, the Pixel 10 has a glossy back finish with matte aluminum side rails.

Under the hood is Google's latest Tensor G5 processor, which is the first to be built using TSMC's 3nm processor. In daily use, that means your Pixel 10 will be faster in key areas, like on-device AI processing and gaming. That's paired with 12GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of onboard storage. The software is Android 16, complete with Material 3 Expressive design and a guarantee of up to seven years of OS and security updates.

Talking about cameras, the Google Pixel 10 sports a triple-lens primary camera setup for the first time. You get a 48MP primary sensor and a 13MP ultrawide lens, plus the new 10.8MP telephoto lens capable of delivering up to 5x optical zoom. Since this is a Pixel we're talking about, you can expect class-leading photos and incredible videos in all kinds of lighting conditions with little to no effort.

To top it off, there's full support for MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging — no case required. The battery is now 4,970mAh and there's fast charging support up to 30W with a cable.

Best premium option

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra succeeds the S24 Ultra with a fresh design and a few under-the-hood improvements. It's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, packs four rear cameras including an upgraded ultrawide lens, and retains the S Pen.

With a starting price of around $1,300, the unlocked Galaxy S25 Ultra is certainly expensive, but we feel you get what you pay for in terms of reliability and premium features. You get seven years of software and security updates making it on par with the Pixel 10 series, while the Gorilla Glass Armor for the display ensures the toughest protection against falls and other kinds of damage. It's also bringing along the best anti-glare coating offered by a glass flagship.

Samsung is heavily pushing Galaxy AI with the S25 series, which allows you do things like instant slow-motion with any video, get edit suggestions for photos, live translate calls, and lots more. This year, the Now Bar and Brief highlight the AI features, plus everything you get from Google AI and Gemini.

Like its predecessor, the Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with an S Pen stored securely inside the phone, which means you can quickly jot down notes or sketch your ideas as they come to you, and then just slip it into its silo when you’re done.

As we mentioned in our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra camera review, this phone still has one of the best camera arrays out there (except for when it comes to taking motion shots). Samsung once again picked a lens to upgrade for this generation; this time, the ultrawide camera is upgraded to use a 50MP sensor.

Best compact phone

The Samsung Galaxy S25 remains arguably the best Android flagship that you can use comfortably with one hand. In fact, it's the only major compact flagship left. If you detest large and unwieldy smartphones, you're going to love this thing. The front is all about a 6.2-inch LTPO AMOLED panel that looks every bit as stunning as you'd expect it to. The display is surrounded by extremely slim bezels, which definitely help with the device's overall compact physical footprint.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset powers the Galaxy S25, and it's still the best mobile chip on the market for Android. The phone now ships with 12GB of RAM as standard, but storage options are limited to either 128GB or 256GB of space. That's not a ton of storage, though the small amounts help make the Galaxy S25 affordable at a cool $799 price point.

It goes without saying that the smartphone can make quick work of even the most demanding of tasks without breaking a sweat. You get One UI 7 out of the box, as well as the full 'Galaxy AI' suite of AI-based goodies. And thanks to the company's fantastic update policy, this is a smartphone you'll be able to use for years to come. There's also an OTA update already for One UI 8, based on Android 16.

Featuring a triple-lens rear camera system, the Samsung Galaxy S25 packs a 50MP primary module, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 10MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom. The trio is backed by a multitude of shooting modes, and support for 8K video recording. The front-facing camera is a 12MP unit and supports 4K video capture. Among other notable additions are wired/wireless DeX compatibility, NFC, an IP68 certification, and a 4,000mAh battery with wired and wireless charging support.

Best flagship

OnePlus's numbered series-devices have rarely failed to impress us, but there has always been something that they missed out on. Not this time though! The OnePlus 13 is possibly the company's most well-balanced phone yet, to the point that it earned a rare five-star rating from Android Central. That puts the OnePlus 13 ahead of the entire competition, including the pricier Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

It all comes down to keeping things simple, with excellent hardware and cohesive software. The design is similar to the OnePlus 12, but there are enough tweaks like the new shade of leathery blue with silver accents, which help it stand out. The 6.82-inch OLED screen is truly spectacular and can hit astounding levels of peak brightness. There's ample amount of power, RAM, and storage to go about too. OxygenOS 15, based on Android 16, is excellent.

Battery life is one of the 12's strongest suits. The massive 6,000mAh capacity should easily give most users up to two days of runtime on a full charge. There's also 80W wired charging and 50W wireless charging (with the proprietary charger), so you can juice it up in minutes.

There are massive cameras sensors all around the OnePlus 13, and now there's a trio of 50MP shooters for the primary, ultrawide, and telephoto lenses. To top things off, the OnePlus 13's new IP69 certification means it should survive a dishwater run or a lake trip.

Best value

OnePlus brought its "flagship killer" smartphone to the global markets in recent years, shaking up the value phone game, and the OnePlus 13R doesn't disappoint. For only a bit more cash than Google's mid-range phone, the OnePlus 13R gives you the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, up to 16GB of RAM, and excellent battery life. You also get all the OnePlus staples like the smooth and feature-rich OxygenOS 15 software, customizable button, and that fabulous 120Hz AMOLED panel.

As we've noted in our OnePlus 13R review, you can think of it as a OnePlus 13 but fewer features and some compromises, like in terms of cameras and performance. However, you still have an excellent display, an upgraded processor compared to the 12R, and top-notch battery life. And you get all of this for a starting price of just $550, which is simply tremendous value.

OnePlus also addressed some of the key compromises this year, upgrading the telephoto lens to 50MP on the 13R. The ultrawide camera is still lowly at 8MP, but luckily, the main sensor is a pretty-solid 50MP shooter.

The display on the OnePlus 13R is definitely one of its highlight features. The 6.78-inch 120Hz LTPO AMOLED panel produces rich and vibrant colors and can get really bright up to 4,500 nits. The phone comes in two striking colors — Astral Trail and Nebula Noir — and the design and build quality is every bit as premium as you would expect from its more premium sibling.

Best cheap

Want a feature-packed Android smartphone that doesn't cost a fortune? Look no further than the Google Pixel 9a. It's now a bit more expensive, with a starting price of $499, but it's at the top of the mountain as far as cheap Android phones are concerned. Compared to the last-gen model, the Pixel 9a finds its identity, becoming a no-nonsense budget phone with a flat design and long battery life.

The Pixel 9a features a 6.3-inch OLED panel that supports a 120Hz refresh rate and is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Overall fit and finish are more-than-decent, and there's no camera bar. Instead, the back of the Pixel 9a is mostly flat, with only a small piece of domed glass covering the two rear cameras.

It's powered by Google's Tensor G5 chipset and comes with 8GB of RAM, along with 128GB/256GB of onboard storage. Running Android 15 out of the box, the Pixel 9a is covered by the same industry-best software update policy that its pricier siblings come with. Of course, you also get access to all of Google's AI-enhanced goodies, including Gemini.

In terms of cameras, there's a new dual-lens rear camera setup with a 48MP primary sensor and a 13MP ultrawide module. The reworked setup has a lower megapixel count than its predecessor, but our camera review revealed the Pixel 9a actually takes better than the Pixel 8a.

As you'd expect from a Pixel, image and video continue to be simply awesome. Although the Pixel 9a doesn't have a 3.5mm audio port like some of the other affordable Android phones, it does come with a pair of stereo speakers, NFC, and an IP68 rating. Rounding off the spec sheet is a 5,100mAh battery — the biggest ever in an A-series Pixel — which supports both wired and wireless charging.

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How to choose

There you have it—the best unlocked Android phones you can buy in 2025. There's a wide range of great unlocked Android phones available, depending on your needs. In fact, the vast majority of the best Android phones can be purchased unlocked.

When it comes to picking just one, our testing confirms that the Google Pixel 10 ticks nearly every box there is to tick. It has a higher price than last year, but its improved performance and best-in-class cameras still make it a strong pick. You also get a refreshed design, seven years of updates directly from Google, and more AI features than you can count.

Alternatively, you can take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra if you want a top-of-the-line Android smartphone that has every feature under the sun. It comes with a built-in stylus, has an immersive anti-reflective display, and is a one-of-a-kind when it comes to productivity. You also get a laundry list of 'Galaxy AI' features, years of OS and security updates, and more.

Then there's the Samsung Galaxy S25, which stands out as the most powerful compact Android phone currently in the market. Ideal for one-handed use, it includes an awesome triple-lens rear camera system, an amazing design, and all the connectivity features you could possibly want.

Is it best to buy an unlocked phone?

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Carriers have all but eliminated contracts but, in their places, they've come up with something that can be even worse if you're not sure what you're signing up for. AT&T, Verizon, and even US Cellular have moved to 36-month payment plans for their phones with T-Mobile offering some 24-month and some 36-month plans. These carriers will pull in customers with the promise of free phones, but these customers end up stuck with the carrier or need to pay off the full amount.

This is even worse if you've signed up for a buy one, get one free program as the free phone is made so with monthly payments for 36 months. That means if you want to switch carriers, you could be on the hook for hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get your phones unlocked. Buying these phones on a payment plan can make them seem cheaper than they are. The truth of the matter is that most people don't need a $1,500 phone with so many solid budget options available.

If you buy your phone unlocked, you can bring it with you to a new carrier with a simple SIM swap or eSIM download. That means you can take advantage of new customer promotions with some of the best MVNO carriers for example. That also means if you sign up on a carrier that isn't giving you the coverage you need, you can switch when your month is up instead of waiting for 36 months of payment credits.

Another thing to consider is that you don't have to give up payment plans entirely to buy unlocked. Phones are expensive and not everyone can reasonably cut a multi-hundred dollar check when they need a new phone. If you buy from Samsung's web store, for example, you can choose between a one-time payment, four bi-weekly payments, a 24-month payment plan, or a 36-month payment plan. And with this option, you can take your phone to any carrier you want without paying it off.

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