You're probably not buying the best smartphone that you actually want

If you're living in the United States, chances are good that you're buying your smartphone from your carrier.

Indeed, 90% of Americans buy their mobile devices directly from their carrier, according to telecommunications giant Huawei.

If that figure is accurate, it means that 90% of Americans aren't getting the full choice of fantastic smartphones out there. I just visited a carrier store selling phones and carrier plans, and was met with an appallingly limited selection of devices that its customers had to choose from. Some locations have better selections than others, but almost no single store carries every single phone available.

Sure, I saw the most popular smartphones like the latest iPhones and Samsung devices at the store I visited, and there were some LG, HTC, and Motorola phones there, too. And those are really great smartphones.

But there's a lot more choice out there that you should consider before paying several hundreds of dollars for a new device. You might not be buying the best phone overall - a phone you can't buy at your carrier's store might better fit your needs.

I bring this up because I personally recommend a lot of phones that you won't find in carrier stores. It's a shame that potentially 90% of you aren't exposed to a wider selection of truly great devices. Not everyone who buys a smartphone follows the minutae of the tech industry to find the exact right device for them.

Check out some of the smartphones - some available today, some coming soon- you should consider buying that you won't find at your carrier's store: