I don't have specific Android advice, but we did just purchase unlocked iPhones. It's worth researching which antennas are included with the phone you want to buy. For example, with the iPhone 7, if you buy an AT&T phone, you won't have the antennas in your phone to switch to Verizon. The unlocked phone (and the Verizon phone) happen to have all antennas. Don't know if that is true for all phone models. We also managed to avoid an activation fee that Verizon wanted to charge us, and I'm not sure what else (I think there was another fee - but DH did the research). Other than the antenna issue, it depends on how much the apps annoy you. Thankfully, that doesn't really happen on iOS. I can't think of a downside to an unlocked phone (other than the cost). Does Verizon automatically *stop* charging you after 2 years, or do you have to remember to tell them? DH got different answers on that.