Every phone I've ever bought in the past I've bought from Verizon store and the cost is always egregiouy extortionate. I know there is a less expensive way. Please tell me.
How to be sure the second-hand phone is in good shape & functional & legal & not stolen/ resold by criminals etc?
Update: Thanks y'all! I made my selection & purchase through Swappa. You made a girl happy today.
Locked means you can only use it on one specific carrier like only ATT or only T-Mobile. They should specify which network it'll work with. Unlocked means it'll work on any carrier (assuming the phone has the physical antenna for that networks broadcast frequency).
It is possible to unlock a phone, but there's normally a waiting period which can be quite long. The process, fees, and eligibility to unlock will depend on your jurisdiction.
You probably want an unlocked phone.