What kind of phone is needed for FreeUp?

Telecom
21

Best Buy is offering an ATT flip phone for $1.99 with free shipping. I bought one hoping to give it to my father as he is electronically challenged. It may also make a great glove compartment phone.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/at-t-prepaid-alcatel-cingular-flip-2-with-4gb-memory-prepaid-cell-phone-dark-gray/6265817.p?skuId=6265817

22

Thanks for that, just got one for $1.99. I hope it won't be cheaper on Black Friday.

23

Isamorph, are you planning to use it on FreeUp? Or on some other carrier?

And someone please talk me out of buying a flip phone! Please!

24

Yes, my FU free plan for now, but maybe later for an elderly woman I know who will be happy using a 4G LTE flip-phone. I just hope this new AT&T phone will work on MVNO now.

You can almost get yourself a Starbucks coffee for $2 if you would prefer it to a 4G phone.:dry:

25

Free freeup plan + $2 flip phone = no brainer BUY NOW think later.

26

Does it support VoLTE?

I'm kidding! I'm kidding!

I should buy it unactivated if I'll use it with FreeUp (or another ATT MVNO), right?

27

Oh Crap:

"AT&T Prepaid - Alcatel Cingular Flip 2 with 4GB Memory Prepaid Cell Phone - Dark Gray is no longer available for shipping.
Sorry about that! You still might be able to get it if you check nearby stores for availability."
...
"Store pickup is not available within 250 miles."

Oh well...

28

Is this OK for use with ATT MVNOs? It's $2.49:

Cricket Wireless - Alcatel QUICKFLIP 4G LTE with 4GB Memory Cell Phone - Silver

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cricket-wireless-alcatel-quickflip-4g-lte-with-4gb-memory-cell-phone-silver/6215355.p?skuId=6215355

29

It does have HD voice. I bought mine unactivated and I'm assuming it's not locked to AT&T for any time period so that it can be used on GSM MVNOs.

30

Same deal:

"Cricket Wireless - Alcatel QUICKFLIP 4G LTE with 4GB Memory Cell Phone - Silver is no longer available for shipping.
Sorry about that! You still might be able to get it if you check nearby stores for availability."
...
"Store pickup is not available within 250 miles."

It's not my night!

31

Not just you. Mine is not available for 2000 miles. Lol

32

Cricket phones are locked to Cricket, and need to be used on Cricket for some number of months (?) before they can be officially unlocked. Last I looked, some were still capable of being unlocked via 3rd-party vendors on Ebay, but search by model name/number.

33

Thanks! And I thought 'hey, they look the same, they share the same specs, they must be the same'.

34

Just like the store down the str ...country! :slight_smile:

35

Thanks for this report-- now I don't feel so bad about having to drive 285 miles to buy my $1.99 phone. :wink:

36

And you don't need a passport! :slight_smile:

37

Just in case these $2 AT&T phones need to be unlocked to work on AT&T MVNOs or T-mobile, the following info may be of help.

"We can help you unlock your device whether you have our wireless service or not. As long as you have an eligible device that works on our network, you’re covered."

https://www.att.com/devicehowto/tutorial.html#!/stepbystep/id/stepbystep_KM1008728?make=ATT&model=ATT4044O

38

I got my $2 phone today and can confirm it does work fine with my FreeUp free plan sim. It's definitely a burner quality phone, but as long as it can make calls it's worth every penny I paid for it. I read on an SD thread today that it will supposedly work with T Mobile MVNOs, too. It took me a while to type in my wifi password with the dinosaur quirky qwerty keyboard.

39

I'm wondering if there is something wrong with the FreeUp SIM card I got on eBay. Or if I didn't get the correct SIM card.

I go to freeupmobile.com, I click Activate, I enter the 7-digit Activation code from the back of the card, log in as asked, and then I'm asked for a "Refill Card PIN". I don't think I have that. I tried a 20-digit number from the back of the card and that failed. The only option left now is the 'Continue to Plans' button. I click that and then click the 'Get Free Plan' button. At this point I see the contents of my cart and a Checkout button. It has 3 things: 1. "SIM Activation Code: xxxxxxx", 2. "FreeUP SIM Card: $10.00", 3. "Free Plan: $0.00/mo".

Am I asked to buy a new SIM card because something is wrong with mine? This is the SIM card I got: https://www.ebay.com/itm/174100239390 . Is this the proper SIM card?

40

It's been a long time since I activated mine, and much could have changed.

I wonder if it works by creating a login/account first, and then activating after logging in?