Questions about a new iPhone 5s

[SerialSniper14]

I broke my phone this weekend. I don't care for the iPhone 6 or the 7 for the price tag and features. My last phone was a 5S and it's been very reliable over the last couple of years. I might go for another one since it's a 64-bit platform and still being updated.

Should I just buy an unlocked 5S online? They're running for about $140. Or maybe I should buy one online that is Verizon specific?

Also, I still have an active Verizon plan so could I just pop my old SIM card into an unlocked phone and have it work on Verizon's network?

 

[Barty1884]

Provided it's for your market (appropriate bands/frequencies etc), then an unlocked 5S should be fine and you'll be able to use all of Verizon's functionality.

Providing it's compatible, it should just be a matter of puttng the SIM in, yes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verizon_Wireless#Radio_frequency_summary
For example, carriers in Canada don't necessarily use the same bands/frequencies as their US counterparts (some do, some don't ), same story in Europe. So buying an unlocked 5S that was released for the European market could be problematic for some functionality.

*Standard warning for buying online, make sure the seller is reputable - warranty would be ideal.
iPhone's are pretty commonly stolen and blacklisted/iCloud locked.... so you'll want some recourse if it's used.