in order to transfer my info from old phone to new iphone do i need to have the new phone already activated with new carrier?

iPhone to iPhone, there are three ways,

1. Quick Transfer --> Use QuickStart to transfer data to a new iPhone, iPad or iPod ...
2. Restore from iCloud Backup --> Restore or set up your device from an iCloud backup - Apple ...
3. Restore from iTunes backup --> Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch in iTunes on PC ...

noah2021 wrote:

do i need to have my new iphone activated with new carrier

Not necessary at all.

No, you can activate the new phone as part of the transfer process.