At long last, preorders have opened for unlocked version of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in the United States. The international versions of the unlocked phones have been available on Amazon since launch, but this is the first time that US consumers will be able to buy the appropriate models of the unlocked phones from Samsung or Best Buy, while saving nearly $100 in the process.
As with most unlocked phones, the unlocked Galaxy S8 and S8+ will work with a majority of the mobile carriers in the US, as long as you’re willing to pay an activation fee, sign up for service and switch out your SIM card. Buying an unlocked model means you won’t have to deal with bloatware though.
Starting today, you can place preorders for unlocked Galaxy S8 and S8+ models on Samsung.com as well as BestBuy.com. Prices start at $724.99 for the unlocked 64GB Galaxy S8 and $824.99 for the unlocked 64GB Galaxy S8+. Both phones will be available in the Midnight Black color scheme.
While there are certainly benefits to owning an unlocked version of a flagship device, ZDNet points out that Samsung doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to releasing software updates in a timely fashion for its unlocked devices. If you prefer to have the latest version of Android and the most recent security updates on your phone, you might want to hold off and see how Samsung performs.
The unlocked Galaxy S8 and S8+ are expected to begin shipping at the end of May.
