Best Unlocked Android Phones and the Networks They Work On

For most people the unlocked Android phone to buy is the Samsung Galaxy A37 5G, $489.99 on Samsung’s US store. On a budget, buy the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G at $269.99.

Both picks are first-hand. Oscar Frank, who runs this site, bought the Galaxy A07, A17, A27, A37 and A57 and used all five, and the A17 and the A37 are the two Oscar would buy. The comparison of this year’s Galaxy A phones has the detail.

For every other phone here, the figures are the maker’s own. When you buy unlocked, one of them matters as much as the price: which networks the maker says the phone works on. Motorola and TCL name them and Google says any major carrier. Samsung’s buy pages name none, and Nothing’s own sheet warns about Verizon.

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What unlocked means

An unlocked phone has no software tying it to one carrier. The US regulator, the FCC, says on its consumer page on unlocking that this lets you move a phone from one network to another compatible network.

That word is the catch. The FCC says an unlocked phone will not work on all networks, because carriers use different frequencies and technologies. A phone can also connect and lose features: its example is one that makes calls on the new network and gets no data.

It also says to presume a phone is locked unless it was sold as unlocked. Carriers lock the phones they sell at a discount or on instalments, and those that signed the industry’s consumer code unlock a phone once it is paid off, at no charge to their customers.

The three big networks set their own conditions on their bring-your-own-phone pages:

• Verizon: the phone must be unlocked, and its hardware and software must be compatible with Verizon’s network. Its checker asks for the device ID, the IMEI.
• AT&T: check compatibility first. The phone must be GSM-compatible, and AT&T keeps a list of phones it has tested and approved on its bring-your-own page.
• T-Mobile: its IMEI checker answers fully compatible, partially compatible or not compatible. T-Mobile adds that it cannot guarantee how a phone it did not sell will perform.

You only have an IMEI once the phone arrives, so run the check inside the return period. Samsung’s is 15 days from delivery. We read the FCC’s and T-Mobile’s pages in the Internet Archive’s saved copies.

Unlocked Android phones compared

Each price is the list price of the unlocked model with the least storage on the maker’s own US store. “Not stated” means the maker’s page gives no figure.

Several were selling below list on the same stores: the A17 5G at $244.99, the A37 5G at $439.99, the Moto G at $249.99, the TCL at $299.99 and the Nothing at $419.

Which networks each maker names

• Motorola is the clearest. Every Moto page above has a carrier table that marks AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon compatible, with 5G, VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling, along with prepaid brands such as Mint Mobile, Visible and Cricket. The same table marks Xfinity and Ting not compatible.
• Google sells each Pixel in an Unlocked version, which it describes as working with any major carrier, beside Verizon, AT&T and Google Fi versions.
• TCL puts a compatibility chart on the NXTPAPER 70 Pro’s page. It ticks AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and the prepaid brands it lists under AT&T and T-Mobile. It crosses out Visible, Red Pocket and several regional carriers.
• Samsung’s buy pages say only that an unlocked phone works on multiple networks in your area. A Samsung US page for business buyers, old enough to mention Sprint, names AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon and adds that features such as Wi-Fi calling and hotspot vary by provider. Samsung’s store also sells Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile versions of the A17 5G, the A37 5G and the S26 FE.
• Nothing links a compatibility sheet from the Phone (4a) Pro’s buy page. It lists AT&T and T-Mobile as supported, though not on every 5G band, and says Wi-Fi calling is not available on AT&T. It calls Verizon compatibility limited: customer support must add the phone to Verizon’s IMEI database before it will activate.

Two names are missing. OnePlus has said it will launch no more products in North America, and its US store lists two phones, the OnePlus 15 and 15R, with neither in stock. HMD’s US web address forwards to its international site, which lists no US store.

Under $300

Buy the Galaxy A17 5G, $269.99. It is Oscar’s budget pick of the five Galaxy A phones. Samsung gives it a 1080p Super AMOLED screen and six years of security updates, and sells it in Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile versions as well. Samsung Galaxy A17 5G unlocked on Amazon

Poor value: the Moto G 2026 at its $299.99 list price. It costs $30 more than the A17 for a 720p LCD screen, and Motorola’s support site ends its security updates in December 2028, about three years sooner than Samsung’s promise for the A17. At the $249.99 Motorola was selling it for, it is a fair second choice if you want your network named in writing.

Below that, Motorola’s Moto G Play 2026 and TCL’s 60 XE NXTPAPER 5G both list at $249.99 and were selling at $199.99. The Moto has a 720p screen and 64GB. The TCL has a 1080p screen and 128GB, and its page names no carrier.

$300 to $500

Buy the Galaxy A37 5G, $489.99. Oscar’s pick for almost everybody: a 120Hz Super AMOLED screen, an IP68 rating, 45W charging and six years of updates. Samsung Galaxy A37 5G unlocked on Amazon

For named networks and a tougher body: the Moto G Power 2026, $399.99. Motorola rates it IP68 and IP69, lists a 5,200mAh battery and a microSD slot, and marks all three big networks compatible. The screen is an LCD, and Motorola’s support site ends its security updates in January 2029. Moto G Power 2026 unlocked on Amazon

The Moto G Stylus 2026 at $499.99 adds an AMOLED screen, 68W charging and the stylus, with the same carrier table. The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro at $329.99 has a 6.9-inch matte screen and an IP68 rating, but TCL promises one Android upgrade. The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro has a 144Hz screen and 50W charging, and its own sheet is the reason to pass if you are on Verizon.

Poor value: the Galaxy A27 5G, $379.99. Oscar’s verdict is to skip it. It charges at 25W and is rated IP64, and with the A37 on offer the gap between them was $60.

Our list of phones under $500 from other makers has more on Motorola and TCL.

$500 to $800

Buy the Google Pixel 10a, $599. It is the cheapest phone here with seven years of updates. Google lists a 6.3-inch OLED screen, a 5,100mAh battery, wireless charging and an IP68 rating, and says the unlocked model works with any major carrier. The chip is the older Tensor G4. Google Pixel 10a unlocked on Amazon

For a bigger screen and a zoom camera: the Galaxy S26 FE, $699.99. Samsung gives it a 6.7-inch screen, a 3x telephoto camera and the same seven years. That price buys 128GB. Samsung Galaxy S26 FE unlocked on Amazon

Poor value: the Galaxy A57 5G, $599.99. Oscar rates it the best Galaxy A phone Samsung has made and still poor value. It has the same battery size, 45W charging, IP68 rating and update promise as the A37 for $110 more, and the Pixel 10a at the same money is promised a seventh year.

Motorola’s Edge 2026 lists at $599.99. Motorola gives it two Android upgrades, with security updates ending in the middle of 2029 on its support site.

Flagships

Buy the Google Pixel 11, $899. Google lists 256GB of storage, a 5x telephoto camera, a 4,985mAh battery and seven years of updates. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 costs about $100 more with a 4,300mAh battery and 25W charging. Google says the Pixel 11 is eSIM-only, so confirm that your carrier issues eSIMs. Google Pixel 11 unlocked on Amazon

The one that leaves nothing out: the Galaxy S26 Ultra, $1,399.99. Samsung lists a 6.9-inch screen, a 200MP main camera, two telephoto cameras, a built-in S Pen and 60W charging. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra unlocked on Amazon

Poor value: the Galaxy S26+, $1,199.99. It has the cameras of the $999.99 S26 behind a larger screen, and sits $200 below the Ultra. Our guide to Samsung’s whole range goes through each one.

What buying unlocked changes

• You pay the maker, not the carrier. AT&T’s page says a customer who brings a phone needs no AT&T instalment plan. You also give up the carrier’s discount. On the Google Store the Pixel 10a is $75 less when financed with Verizon or AT&T. The unlocked one is $599, or $16.64 a month for 36 months on Google’s own financing. Samsung’s store advertises carrier deals in the same way.
• You have to pick the right version. Samsung’s buy pages have a Connectivity choice: Unlocked, Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile. The unlocked phone’s name ends in “(Unlocked)”, and its model number is SM-A376U1 for the A37 5G, against SM-A376U for the carrier versions. Google’s store asks you to choose a carrier, with Unlocked as one of the options.
• SIMs. Motorola and TCL list one physical SIM plus an eSIM on the phones above, as Google does on the Pixel 10a. Samsung’s US support page lists the A17 5G, the A27 5G, the A57 5G and the S26 series among phones that pair a physical SIM with an eSIM. The A37 5G is not on that list. TCL’s chart confirms eSIM only on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.
• Warranty and software. The warranty is the maker’s: one year on Google’s and TCL’s pages, and Samsung’s standard US limited warranty. Samsung says its US unlocked phones carry no preloaded carrier apps, and that unlocked Samsung phones made for other countries do not get that warranty. Buy the US model.

Quick answers

What does an unlocked phone mean?

It is not tied to one carrier by software. The FCC says that lets you move it to another compatible network, not to every network.

Do all unlocked phones work with Verizon?

No. Verizon says the hardware and software must also be compatible with its network. Motorola and TCL name Verizon for the phones here, and Nothing says its Phone (4a) Pro has limited Verizon compatibility.

Will an unlocked Samsung phone work with Verizon?

Samsung’s buy pages do not name networks. Its page for business buyers lists Verizon, and Samsung sells Verizon versions of several of the same phones. Check the IMEI with Verizon inside the return period.

What is the best unlocked Android phone under $300?

The Samsung Galaxy A17 5G at $269.99, for its AMOLED screen and six years of updates.

What is the best unlocked Android phone under $500?

The Samsung Galaxy A37 5G at $489.99. If you want the maker to name your network, the Moto G Power 2026 at $399.99.

Prices move, so confirm on the maker’s store before you pay.