5 top smartphones in the 48-hour Amazon Unlocked event

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By Alexandra Laird22 hours ago

For the next 48 hours, Amazon will be hosting a sale event with crazy deals on a number of unlocked smartphones. The key word here: unlocked.
There are several benefits to purchasing an unlocked smartphone. The major one is the flexibility and freedom customers have across carriers and distances. Unlocked phones are not tied to any provider and recognize SIM cards from all networks, which allows for international calling free of roaming charges.

SEE ALSO: Unlocking Your Phone in the U.S. Is About to Get a Lot Easier

Most smartphones today are purchased "locked," meaning they are limited and only work with a specific mobile carrier's SIM card. Plus, locked phones often have complicated payment plans. With unlocked phones, you usually pay the whole cost upfront — meaning that once you pay the Amazon sale price below, there is no need to fork over additional payments in the future (aside from your phone bill, of course).
So which smartphone should you buy? Here are our top five picks.
1. Nextbit Robin $199.00 (Save $100)

Image: BRITTANY HERBERT/MASHABLE

The best thing about the Nextbit Robin is that it uses cloud services and automatically deletes content when it detects you're running low on storage space.
2. LG G5 $479.00 (Save $120)

Image: LG

The LG G5 is a rare breed in that it's a modular phone; in other words, when you hit a button on the side, the whole phone comes apart. Then you can pop on accessories, like bigger batteries, more powerful cameras and speakers.

SEE ALSO: Motorola's Moto Z and Z Force are modular phones done right

3. Zenfone Zoom $299.00 (Save $100)

Image: MICHAEL RATHMAYR/mashable

The Zenfone Zoom by Asus has a long battery life and camera features like macro focusing and enhanced optical zoom.
4. Alcatel Idol3 $99.99 (Save $40)

Image: LUKE LEONARD/MASHABLE

The Alcatel Idol3 has been coined "a Nexus by another name." The Idol3 has great processing ability and the option to be completely reversible when turned upside down. In other words, the screen automatically flips and adjusts depending on how you are holding the phone.
5. Honor 8 by Huawei $395.00 

Image: HUAWEI

The Honor 8's dual cameras, fingerprint scanner, and full HD LCD screen make it one of the best values on the market.

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