Going prepaid with AT&T and in need of a phone? Check out our favorites.
Sure, you could pick up a prepaid phone straight from , but if you'll always have more choice by bringing your own unlocked device. That's why we've rounded up the best phones you can buy outright to use unlocked on the carrier.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge
A popular pick (and rightfully so) is the Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 edge. All that was awesome about the Galaxy S6 has been enhanced and Samsung keeps giving the people what they want.
The battery life in the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge has been improved and extended considerably; in other words, bring on your busiest day and it will keep up with you. If your day involves rain or possible puddle or pool encounters, worry not; the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are waterproof. Take that, Mother Nature. The fingerprint sensor is conveniently tucked into the Home button and works like such a charm you'll wonder how you've gone without one until now.
If you love photography with your Android phone, these are the phones you need to get your hands on. Photos turn out fabulously in just about any light and the Quad HD SuperAMOLED display on both phones keeps your pictures and streaming videos looking clear and sharp.
Need a little more convincing? Check out our reviews of the and the .
LG G5
For something completely different, have a look at the LG G5. The modular design is a new direction for LG and it makes the phone a unique offering in the world of Android.
You want a great camera? LG's got a great camera – three, in fact. Of course, you have your front-facing camera for those necessary selfies, but you also get two rear-facing cameras: a 16-megapixel main camera (same as the G4) and an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera. The fingerprint sensor is built into the power button on the back of the phone and it boasts impressive accuracy.
The Snapdragon 820 processor will keep you happily multitasking all day and the 5.3-inch Quad HD quantum display keeps your video streaming and app gaming in top form. The feel isn't as premium as the Galaxy S7 series, but that's what you'll trade for the G5's modular capabilities. The "Friends" ecosystem of add-ons includes items like camera that attach to the phone when you remove the base.
Want to know what we think about the LG G5? Check out .
Nexus 6P
The latest Nexus phone has lived up to all the hype, and a long-awaited and well-executed phone from Google could be right up your alley — even as we enter the latter half of the year. You can't buy the Nexus 6P from a carrier, but you purchase it unlocked and bring it to AT&T.
The camera holds up well next to many current Android phones, offering 8 megapixels for the front-facing camera and 12.3 megapixels for the rear-facing one. It works in bright outdoor light or shadowy indoor environments and features laser-assisted autofocus for accurate focusing in the dark.
The 5.7-inch display and aluminum body look and feel modern, industrial, and comfortable in your hands. The fingerprint sensor uses Nexus Imprint and is located on the back of the phone, which is a departure from the way some manufacturers have been doing it, but 6P owners tend to like this feature having its own space away from the home screen or bezels. The nippy 810 Snapdragon processor and strong battery life round out the reasons the Nexus 6P is a good buy.
There's more to learn. Check out of the Nexus 6P to see what we have to say.
HTC 10
HTC is back in a big way with the HTC 10, an outstanding 2016 flagship phone for the company that's been a little quiet lately. Although it's not offered directly from AT&T, the unlocked HTC 10 is compatible with the network and can be purchased from another retailer.
Crazy about music? Say no more: the HTC 10 features BoomSound Hi-Fi that's going to make all of your music sound stellar. The front-facing tweeter and bottom-facing woofer give you more volume than you could possibly need (with some help from Dolby, no less), and there's a dedicated amp in the headphone jack so that you can rock out in crystal clarity. The capacitive fingerprint scanner doubles as the home key; the set up for scanning is straightforward, easy, and secure.
The HTC 10 comes with either 32GB or 64GB of storage that can be expanded upon with a microSD card, which can be used as adoptable storage, so you'll never run out of space for photos or music. The 5.2-inch Quad HD display can be a little hard to see in bright sunlight, but the 10 makes up for this in other areas.
Need to know more? Get all the details on the HTC 10 from .
LG Nexus 5X
For a solid mid-range phone, look no further than the LG Nexus 5X. You'll need to purchase it unlocked from another retailer and opt for the bring-your-own-device prepaid plan.
A smaller and lighter offering compared to other phones, the 5.2-inch display is clear and covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. The Snapdragon 808 Processor and dependable battery give you a full day of work and play without much to worry about in terms of bogging down the phone or searching for an outlet to charge up at. The phone is available in 16GB or 32GB, and for the price, you'll be better investing in the 32GB model.
The camera is one of the phone's best features, offering a 12.3-megapixel sensor for excellent color and detail capture. The phone also features Nexus Imprint fingerprint scanning, which sets up easily with six simple presses to the sensor.
See more on the LG Nexus 5X in .
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus
Yes, this is Android Central, but no, we're not going to leave the iPhone off of the list when we're talking about the best phones to use on AT&T. They have much to offer and are worth considering.
The iPhone 6s has a 4.7-inch Retina HD display and the iPhone 6s Plus tops out at 5.5 inches. Shutterbugs will rejoice at the 12 megapixel camera for still photos and the 4K video capabilities, and they can bring those still shots to life with the Live Photos feature, which animates an image using a second and a half before and after the image was taken. 3D Touch sensors also recognize the pressure your fingertips put on the screen to easily open apps or preview content.
Touch ID keeps your iPhone secure and the storage capacity ranges from the standard 16GB up to as much as 128GB. Not too shabby, iPhone.
Thinking about making the leap to an iPhone? Check out iMore's reviews of the and the .
More, you say?
If you need to see more options before buying, have a look at some of the and see how they stack up.