General > General Technical Chat
Pay as you go cell phone plans with unlocked phone -- USA.
raptor1956:
I've never had an unlocked phone before but after 5.6 years with my current phone, the Samsung Note 4, I've decided to get a new phone -- the Samsung S20+. Presently I'm on Verizon but I'm thinking about going with T-Mobile as they already have 5G, well more like 4G LTE+, here in the Salt Lake City area and when the other carriers roll out true 5G with mmWave I can jump ship as I wish. Now here's the thing ... I've never owned an unlocked phone before and never had a pay-as-you-go plan so perhaps someone with experience here can help me avoid any mistakes and, significantly, any tricks by the carriers when signing up for a plan.
My first thought was that I'd wind up with ATT when they roll out mmWave 5G in the next few months, but it may well be more like a year before they have there act together and the same goes for Verizon etc. So, starting with T-Mobile, even with the reduced performance 5G they now offer, would tide me over until real 5G comes out and with an unlocked phone like the S20+ I should be able to go anywhere I want.
As I understand it and correct me if I'm wrong, I should be able to swap the SIM card from my 5.6 year old Note 4 into the S20+ and be good to go -- no need to inform Verizon.
I should pick up the S20+ tomorrow.
Brian
mark03:
The one thing I would say is that depending on your usage you should also consider MVNOs ("towerless" wireless companies which buy resources wholesale and then offer their own retail plans). These tend to be pay-as-you-go, although most of the big mobile companies have their own pay-as-you-go plans/divisions too.
As a general rule of thumb, MVNO plans are probably better for light users, while the majors' plans are better for heavy users, but it still pays to comparison shop.
Otherwise, yeah, you just put the SIM card in and go, pretty much, just like the rest of the world has operated for a long time. SIM cards do come in multiple sizes, though, so this depends on yours being the right size for your new phone.
cdev:
Make sure you get a phone thats compatible with the maximum number of carriers. A phone that works (or which came from) one of the big carriers, even if its unlocked, may not work with others.
NiHaoMike:
Except for essential workers who can't work from home, you don't even need a plan to use the phone on Wifi. Get the plan once you know you'll actually be using it.
themadhippy:
One thing to watch if your a light user is how long your credit lasts,some providers in the uk offer what appears to be a cheap price on the call cost or cheaper data charges,but the credit loaded on the phone only lasts for 30 days.
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