# How to buy a cell phone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 16, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-buy-a-cell-phone/650550 "2013-02-16T22:15:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-buy-a-cell-phone/650550/1 "2013-02-16T22:15:45Z")
I want to buy a Samsung Galaxy SIII. I have to pay for it outright (on a T-Mobile no-contract plan), so it makes sense to shop around and see prices. But what am I looking for? Am I stuck taking T-Mobile’s $600 price? Can I go with an unlocked phone? If so, how do I transfer my number/data? Basically, before I just plunk down a bunch of cash at a T-Mobile store, can someone point me to the ins and outs of buying a phone from a third party? What to look for, what to look out for, what key terms mean… ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-buy-a-cell-phone/650550/2 "2013-02-16T22:23:37Z")
Check eBay for a T-Mobile S3 - you never know. It’s been out just long enough that you might find some bargains from resellers or former owners. You definitely want an unlocked, fully-accessible phone that meets T-Mobile’s standards (I don’t know offhand what those are.) (Fantastic phone, though. I had one as soon as Sprint released them, then had to give up on Sprint because their coverage in our area was dismal. So I got to upgrade to a Note II, which is great because I used the S3 as a tablet anyway. My wife has an S3 now, her first real superphone.)