- WHISTLE PHONE PLANS COMPARE HOW TO
- WHISTLE PHONE PLANS COMPARE FULL
- WHISTLE PHONE PLANS COMPARE ANDROID
Make sure you buy an unlocked model not tied to a specific carrier, freeing you up to shift from carrier to carrier with ease.Īs I mentioned earlier, some MVNOs will let you pay by the month for a new phone, but check the fine print and do the math. (By law, every carrier must unlock your phone once your contract has expired.)
WHISTLE PHONE PLANS COMPARE HOW TO
You can call your current carrier to find out whether your phone is locked or not, and if it is locked, how to unlock it. You’ll also need to make sure that your phone is unlocked-if you bought your phone through a plan with a big carrier, it may be “locked” to work only with that carrier for a certain amount of time. Carriers will have a form on their website where you enter your IMEI, and the carrier will then check to see whether your phone is compatible.
WHISTLE PHONE PLANS COMPARE ANDROID
On Android, this information will vary by your phone and which version of Android you’re using it’s best to Google your particular model of phone. (Note: This won't work for Verizon iPhones.) You can find it on iOS by going to Settings > General > About and then scrolling down to find your IMEI. To find this unique identifier, look in the phone’s settings menu or dial *#06#.
Generally, if you’re buying a phone made in the past two years, this won’t be an issue.Įvery MVNO listed below lets you check by using your phone’s 15-digit IMEI number on their website. However, starting with the iPhone 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 in 2016, many higher-end phones were able to use both GSM and CDMA networks. Many phones manufactured before 2016 work exclusively on a CDMA network (used by Sprint and Verizon) or a GSM network (used by AT&T and T-Mobile), two different radio networks that were used to carry older cellular signals. Take a moment to confirm that it works on the new carrier’s network, too. If you’re still leasing your phone from your current carrier, you need to pay it off before bolting. I’ve spent more time waiting for a coffee at Starbucks than it took me to switch from Google Fi to Mint Mobile.īefore you make the leap, here are some things to keep in mind. Switching from Google Fi to Mint Mobile was even faster-I just had to replace my SIM card (more on how to do that below) and restart my phone. I was able to sign up for Google Fi in less than 30 minutes, and the entire process, including porting my phone number from AT&T to Google Fi, took less than 2 hours. Switching cell-phone carriers may sound like a hassle, but I swear it’s not. “Being a senior and living on a fixed income, that’s obviously attractive.” And because Consumer Cellular uses T-Mobile’s network, the 71-year-old former IT consultant says he got essentially the same service for less money. That’s the kind of benefit that drew Mike Brockert and his wife from T-Mobile to Consumer Cellular, saving $11 a month. In our 2017 survey, almost half of Consumer Reports members who had switched providers in the previous two years reported saving $20 or more per month on their cell-phone bills.
Still, it’s probably worth it to shift to a new plan.
WHISTLE PHONE PLANS COMPARE FULL
And while many small providers allow you to purchase a new phone with monthly installments, not all do, so be prepared to pay for one in full up front. When a big carrier like AT&T or Verizon experiences network congestion, it slows down the service for an MVNO’s customers before its own, Chang explains. “One of the ways smaller carriers compete is by lowering their prices or offering more perks or more data.” “Because the competition is so high, there are a ton of smaller carriers with some really cheap options,” says Tina Chang, editorial manager at WhistleOut, a website that helps people compare cell-phone plans. In a 2017 survey, customers of Consumer Cellular, Google Fi, and Ting gave those companies high praise-including top marks for customer service-earning them the top three spots in our cell service provider ratings. With the tips below, you can easily shave hundreds of dollars a year off your bill, keep the same cell-phone number, and do it all in the time it takes to watch a baseball game.Ĭonsumer Reports members are big fans of MVNOs. You don’t have to lose your phone to start saving money.
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