New Smartphones news and reviews

Summary: Enthusiasts have purchased unlocked smartphones for years, but more mainstream consumers are picking them with falling prices and the allure of no contract service.

Nokia Lumia 520/521 can't be beat for less than $70

Most people in the US purchase their phones directly from their carrier and look to pay the least amount upfront as possible. This usually means signing a long-term contract and picking up a heavily subsidized phone where the cost of the phone is hidden in the contract fees.

Times are changing though, thanks in large part to T-Mobile acting like a European carrier. Consumers are starting to understand that buying unlocked smartphones may work better for them.

There are a few reasons you may want to consider an unlocked smartphone, including the following:

Flexibility to change carriers. You can go with T-Mobile or AT&T from the top four or choose another smaller GSM service provider. Limited or no carrier bloatware on the phone. AT&T loads up their phones with a ridiculous amount of apps and services, most of which cannot be removed on Android devices. Larger selection of phones, including very low cost phones. Ability to use the phone overseas with low cost foreign SIM cards. Option to pay carriers just for service and not for the phone subsidy that is rolled in forever.

So now let's look at the best unlocked smartphones available today, in order from lowest price to highest. I tried to find the best under $500, but also included a couple Google Play Editions at the end that exceed this level.

The Nokia Lumia 520/521 are crazy deals for a phone that performs very well, has a number of Nokia Lumia services, and has no carrier limits.

Some may also be asking about the newest iPhone devices. For your information, the lowest cost unlocked iPhone 5s is $649 (16GB only) with the lowest cost iPhone 5c priced at $549.