What to compare beyond the spec sheet
- How long the maker promises software and security updates.
- Battery life as tested, not the capacity.
- The screen: panel type, brightness outdoors and refresh rate.
- The camera you will actually use, judged on sample photos in your kind of light.
- What owners report going wrong after a few months.
- The warranty and who repairs it in your city.
Buying a phone in the USA
Phones in the USA are bought from Best Buy, Micro Center, Amazon and the makers' own stores, and often from the carriers. What differs there:
- Carrier-locked and unlocked phones are different products: an unlocked phone works on any network, while a locked one is tied to the carrier until it is paid off.
- Trade-in credits make the headline price misleading. Compare the price with no trade-in and no promotion first.
- The big three networks differ by area, so check coverage where you live and work before choosing a phone plan around a phone deal.
Compare in one step
Type two to six phones into compare⁄io, say how you use a phone and your budget in dollars, and it researches each with a live web search, fills a sourced table, and gives the problems owners report a card of their own. For more on what matters, see how to compare two phones side by side.
Phone comparisons already researched
Questions people ask
What is the best website to compare phones in the USA?
For raw specification sheets, a spec database such as GSMArena. For which phone to buy given your budget and how you use it, with sources and follow-up questions, compare⁄io. Many people use both.
Can I compare more than two phones?
Yes. compare⁄io compares up to three at once on the free plan and six on Pro.
Does it use prices in the USA?
Name the model as it is sold there and mention the USA in the box under the items. The search is a live web search, so it looks for local information, but check the shop's price before you pay.