school me on upgrading phones without going to the at&t store

[mitchafi]

So my family has a family plan and ever since I've had a cell phone I have just been buying cheap phones from the att store and using them until ~2 years passes and I am eligible for an upgrade. Then I switch that one out for a newer cheap phone and that is that. But now I want something that is a little better and with more features (think e-mail, internet, keyboard, etc) and I want to find a good deal online rather than pay out the ass at the store. I also do not want anything that has a contract attached to it since I already have one.

So can I basically just buy any "unlocked" phone on amazon or some other online vendor and put the sim card from my phone into it and be good to go? I am not looking to spend more than $100-150 and I don't want to pay for any extra features. I do want to be able to pick up wifi on the phone though, if that is possible. The phone I currently have is a nokia. If necessary, I can transfer over my numbers manually.

So can anyone recommend something good in this price range and with these features or tell me if what I am trying to do is not possible? Also, I am completely open to getting a refurb.

 

[bigrash]

it's gonna be hard to find an unlocked phone with the features that you're looking for under $150. It'll probably be a lot cheaper if you buy the phone with a renewed contract from at&t

 

[onlyCOpunk]

mobileburn.com for phone reviews.

phonesource-usa.com sells a lot of phones at reasonable prices, or ebay.

Like Bigrash said, a new phone that can do everything you want is going to be hard to find for the budget you are looking at. BUT, if you don't want to sign another 2 year contract, the extra money you pay for the unlocked phone might be worth it. Especially since ATT wont unlock phones for customers.

 

[Phynaz]

Buying a phone on eBay is risky business. If it has been reported missing the wireless company will refuse to activate it.

 

[mitchafi]

What range am I looking at? I really hate Apple, and don't really need any mp3s on my phone, but I do like the interface of the iPhone. Could I perhaps get one at a discounted price right around the time the next gen iphone comes out? I don't need the latest and greatest edition, so that would work fine for me. Also, can I unlock the phone myself? I don't really want to pay a premium for that if it can be done myself. And to clarify, an unlocked iPhone will function on any network? I have ATT, which I think is actually the supported network for Iphone, so would I even need to unlock it, or just swap in my SIM card?

 

[mitchafi]

^