Cell Phone Upgrade

How to Get the Best Price on a New Phone

Traditionally, the best deals on cell phones have gone to those who change carriers and subscribe to a new rate plan. This is still the case in many situations. However, there are now some ways to upgrade your phone at a reasonable price while remaining with your current provider. The goal of this page is to help you navigate replacing or upgrading your cell phone at the best possible price.

Upgrade Situation 1

Your contract is up, and you are willing to change carriers

This is still the best way to get new phone(s) at the best possible price, especially if you have a family plan. To compare those options, visit our comparison tool for single or family plans.

Upgrade Situation 2

Your contract is up (or nearly up) and you want to stay with your carrier

Consider a contract extension as a way to get a cell phone upgrade at a decent price. The phone price may be somewhat higher than for a new customer (although sometimes it is the same), but will usually be far less than buying a phone alone.

To qualify for a contract extension cell phone upgrade, you'll usually need to have two or fewer months left in a two-year contract. You'll also need to accept a qualifying current rate plan. To investigate this opportunity, click the logo of your carrier below.

AT&T	Nextel	Sprint	T-Mobile
Verizon	Alltel

Upgrade Situation 3

You just need a new phone with no plan

Unfortunately, an upgrade here will still likely cost you a lot of money. In the two situations above, the cell phone carrier is subsidizing part of the cost of your phone. In this situation, you'll likely be paying full retail to get a new phone. However, there are a few options worth exploring:

An unlocked new phone: If your carrier uses GSM technology (T-Mobile or AT&T), you can purchase a phone independent of your carrier and bring it to them for activation. Click here.
A locked new phone: Select your carrier's logo below to check pricing for a new phone specific to your carrier.

AT&T	Nextel	Sprint	T-Mobile
Verizon	Alltel	U.S. Cellular