
What's The Difference Between A Locked And Unlocked iPhone? | Back Market
Find out the difference between a locked vs unlocked iPhone here. Learn what a locked phone is, how to unlock an iPhone, and any disadvantages of buying an unlocked phone.
Unlocked smartphones that you can activate with any compatible carrier......
61,471 verified reviews in the last 24 months.
Gregory D.
Purchased on June 20, 2025
Verified purchaseI purchased an iPhone 13 128 GB in Excellent condition for my wife. When it arrived it was indeed in "Excellent" condition, with not a mark on it and in perfect working order. I downloaded an Apple app that allowed me to transfer settings, data, and similar installed apps from her old Pixel 5 Android phone, making setting up her "new" (to her) iPhone work much like her old Android phone did - Easy Peasy! This is my second iPhone 13 purchase in almost exactly a year! (The one from June 2024 was the same model for my use). It's great to have like-new phones in our possession, and having them be Apple brand is really great! I had apple phones years ago but shied away from purchasing later models due to the price. Finding Back Market with their excellent phones at very reasonable prices has made me a fan of refurbished devices. I am also happy to be helping keep unnecessary electronics out of landfills. Thanks, Back Market - You have a continued convert. . . .
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2025
iPhone 13 128GB - Midnight - UnlockedKishorkumar S.
Purchased on June 13, 2025
Verified purchaseAmazing Experience with OnePlus – Worth Every Penny! I recently bought a OnePlus 8T refurbished mobile, and I must say, it has exceeded my expectations in every way. From sleek design to top-notch performance, this phone delivers a premium experience at a great price. The phone is much better than I expected.
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2025
OnePlus 8T 256GB - Green - UnlockedSam M.
Purchased on May 15, 2025
Verified purchaseI got a great deal on getting a Google pixel 7. Though sometimes the touch screen is unresponsive, I don't know if that's a typical issue for Google pixels or if it's an issue from an improper refurbishment. I'm thinking about filing for a return/repair/replace. Otherwise I'm satisfied
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2025
Google Pixel 7 128GB - Black - UnlockedFrankie C.
Purchased on May 12, 2025
Verified purchaseHonestly, first time using Backmarket. Already out the box; this phone was in better quality then amazons “premium” refurbished phone. I received a iPhone 12 Pro pacific blue. With dents on the front and a non original screen. The phone I got from back market is absolutely beautiful and better than the Amazon one I received. Although; 2 things to note. That the battery was definitely worse. The one I got from backmarket is at 81% while the one I got from amazing was at 92% One side thing I did notice even though I bought this phone at excellent quality the screen has some minor scratches which I’m not too particularly pleased about. Although, it does have Apple OEM parts. So I can’t really be too worried about it. Been using it for a few days and it’s been solid.
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2025
iPhone 12 Pro 128GB - Pacific Blue - UnlockedMatt P.
Purchased on April 12, 2025
Verified purchaseI was looking for the best deal on an iPhone 15 Pro with 256GB of storage and was so happy to find Back Market! I got the unlocked fully refurbished version and its in really good condition. Really couldn't be happier with the purchase and happy to have picked up what seems like the last great iPhone apple made.
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2025
iPhone 15 Pro 256GB - Black Titanium - UnlockedSteve W.
Purchased on June 12, 2025
Verified purchaseI received my refurbished iPhone 14 a few weeks ago. Once the phone was set up it has operated flawlessly. I am pleased with my purchase and significant savings that I got from Back Market. I would highly recommend this approach looking for anyone in the market for a replacement phone. My only concern is the extended warranty plan that I purchased with the phone looks like it may be complicated to navigate. This is just an opinion as I have not tried to use this service and hopefully will not need to use.
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2025
iPhone 14 128GB - Midnight - UnlockedMaura C.
Purchased on May 23, 2025
Verified purchaseThe refurbished iPhone 13 is great so far! The setup process was pretty easy, and everything’s working as expected. One small thing—this won’t affect my rating, but it’s worth mentioning: the mail-in kit for sending back my old phone for trade-in took a long time to arrive. I was getting close to the trade-in deadline, so I ended up using the packaging from the new phone instead. Aside from that, everything went smoothly.
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2025
iPhone 13 128GB - Blue - UnlockedEmily P.
Purchased on May 27, 2025
Verified purchaseI was nervous because I didn’t think buying a refurbished used phone was going to be worth it. This is a lot of money we are talking about. I got the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and sadly got the last color available for this price. It has 1000 GB of storage and some reviews talk about the battery life not being 100%. I got mine and that was the first thing I checked after looking at the exterior (the outside of the phone isn’t cracked, it’s perfect. There’s a little bit of dirt in the speakers but the phone is used what do I expect) anyways the battery life is at 100% thankfully. Everything works good, sometimes my phone is laggy but it might be because it carries so much storage and data. I’ve had it for a week, but I’m so happy with my purchase. I think I got very lucky. I got the excellent quality one and it was worth the extra money.
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2025
iPhone 13 Pro Max 1000GB - Graphite - UnlockedKristalyn L.
Purchased on June 4, 2025
Verified purchaseAt first I was skeptical and nervous about my purchase because.. well its a refurbished phone but ohhhh my god Im so glad I got It. My new IPhone 15 came completely untouched! It looks wonderful. It runs smoothly. Very happy with my purchase.
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2025
iPhone 15 512GB - Black - UnlockedAnand S.
Purchased on March 4, 2025
Verified purchaseI recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy A05 from Back Market, and I couldn’t be happier with my experience. The device arrived in great condition, looking clean and well-maintained. Despite being a refurbished phone, it feels just like new no noticeable scratches or defects. I was particularly impressed with Back Market's service the phone was well-packaged, arrived on time, and worked flawlessly right out of the box.
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2025
Galaxy A05 64GB - Black - UnlockedSearches so popular you can't sit with them
An unlocked phone is any mobile phone that is not tied to a specific carrier or network provider. These carrier-free phones can be used with any compatible carrier or network provider, as opposed to locked phones that can only be used with a specific carrier network like Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile.
Opting for a fully unlocked smartphone, whether it's an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel or any other model, gives you more flexibility to choose any phone service that gives you the best coverage or saves you the most money. It's also a great option when you need a temporary network provider while travelling internationally.
Locked vs Unlocked iPhone
At Back Market, we offer both fully unlocked cell phones and GSM unlocked phones on our marketplace at prices that save our customers 30-70% on average. We take the time to make sure that the sellers on our site have properly refurbished these phones to a like-new condition. They've been repaired, cleaned, inspected and thoroughly tested to make sure you're receiving a quality device that you can use with any compatible carrier.
All purchases also come with free standard shipping, a 1-year warranty and 30 days to change your mind. We're also here to help you through the process of activating any unlocked smartphones that you've purchased, which we know can be intimidating, but is actually a very simple process. If you want to do it yourself, make sure to check out this article on activating your unlocked phone.
Shop Unlocked iPhones
If you came here looking for a phone that's GSM unlocked, you might be wondering how that's different from an unlocked cell phone. While unlocked phones can connect to any carrier, a GSM unlocked phone is only compatible with carriers that use GSM (Global System for Mobiles) networks. As such, an unlocked GSM phone may not work on CDMA carriers like Verizon or Spectrum. Popular GSM carriers in the US include AT&T, T-Mobile, MetroPCS, Cricket, Tracfone and Simple Mobile. You can also find GSM carriers abroad, in case you're interested in temporarily activating a SIM card while you're travelling outside the US.
SIM-free phones are simply phones that are sold without a network SIM-card, which is an identity chip that ties your smartphone to a network. These phones can either be locked, meaning you'll need to get a specific carrier's SIM card to activate it, or unlocked meaning you can activate your phone using a SIM card from any compatible network.
The biggest disadvantage is that some carriers will not fully support it. That means if you run into any technical or network issues, there's a chance that your carrier can't help you. Generally, phones that are locked to a specific carrier will perform better and sometimes even offer more network features like Wi-Fi calling. Don't let this completely deter you, if you've already found an unlocked mobile phone that you like - your carrier will still let you use their network, so you'll still be able to make calls and send texts.