The Chronic Consumer

So my husband is thinking about buying a new cell phone soon, and is currently shopping around for a handset that he likes. He’s found a couple that look good and have the features he wants, but isn’t too happy about the service provider that is offering the phones. My question is, how easy is it to purchase one of those unlocked cell phones that we see advertised everywhere and then sign up with the provider of our choice?

We’ve never gone this route with our cell phones before, so we don’t have any idea what to look for in terms of potential problems or complications with this process. Have any of you ever done this? If so, were you satisfied with the results? Or would you recommend getting a phone the traditional way?

The last thing we want to do is spend several hundred dollars on a phone and then not be able to get a good deal on service!