Which phone will work with my carrier?

I’m still shopping for a phone

1. Filter listings by carrier

What’s the difference between a locked and unlocked phone?

Unlocked phones can work with any carrier, while locked phones can only work with specific carriers. To get optimal service from your carrier, it’s best to get a device model that is totally compatible with your carrier. Devices from a specific carrier may work with other carriers, but service won’t be optimal. For example, an AT&T-specific Galaxy S10e may work with a customer’s T-Mobile plan, but they won’t be able to send MMS.

If you were a customer with Sprint or one of its MVNOs, we encourage you to purchase an unlocked device. We do not guarantee that Sprint-compatible devices will work on T-Mobile.

Using a different carrier?

In the USA, the three major carriers are AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile (and Sprint). They own and control all of the wireless network infrastructure needed to get wireless service to our devices.

All other carriers are Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO). Through contracts and business agreements they use the wireless network infrastructure of the three carriers. They don’t own any of the wireless network infrastructure and, in a way, are ‘renting space’ from the three carriers.

There are some great pros to using an MVNO: it’s budget-friendly and doesn’t have complicated contracts. But on the flipside, it can have its cons: coverage can be limited and service can be subject to data throttling.
Which network does my MVNO carrier use?

2. Check the listing for carrier compatibility

Once you’ve found the phone you want, you can always verify the carrier(s) that the phone works with and whether it’s unlocked on listing: