At T Pay As You Go Phones Best Buy
If you plan to go with AT&T prepaid service, you should consider bringing your own phone, where they provide a SIM card for you to put into a device you already have. You can also check our best cheap Android phones and best Android phone lists for great options that will play nicely with the AT&T network. If you decide to stick with what AT&T prepaid phones are on offer, here are the best options.
at t pay as you go phones best buy
You'll find a great choice of the best cell phone plans from Mobile Virtual Network Operators, (MVNOs for short). Choose which features to pay for each month, get more flexibility and control, and save a ton of money while you're at it. It's one of the many reasons we love smaller carriers.
International calls to Canada and Mexico: You shouldn't have to pay more to keep in touch with loved ones abroad. Alternative carriers offer the best international phone plans. Many come with free calling to Canada and Mexico, and offer affordable add-ons for more countries.
Tethering/hotspot data: Use your set data allowance to get more devices online. Most low-cost carriers will allow you to use your phone as a hotspot as no additional cost. Browse some of the best mobile hotspot plans.
Unlimited plans: Looking for unlimited talk text and data? Alternative carriers have got you covered. Data-hungry users looking for unlimited data can save serious money by switching to one of the best unlimited data plans. Not sure how much data you need? Check out our data usage calculator.
Family plans: Need four lines or more? Many MVNOs offer group plans. Compare the best family phone plans so you can pick and choose what each family member needs or check out our review of the best phone plans for two people.
I'm that 5G guy. I've actually been here for every "G." I've reviewed well over a thousand products during 18 years working full-time at PCMag.com, including every generation of the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S. I also write a weekly newsletter, Fully Mobilized, where I obsess about phones and networks.
Everyone needs to be connected. Seniors, who might be isolated from their families or have specific health needs, shouldn't be left out. The smartphone industry, by and large, isn't thinking about the particular needs of the senior market, but, if you pay attention, you can find carriers and phones that offer a streamlined and accommodating phone experience.
Being in what phone manufacturers think of as the "senior market" isn't about chronological age so much as faculties, preferences, and lifestyle. Many of these phones accommodate reduced eyesight and hearing, plus are affordable. Others have high-end features that streamline aspects of your life.
Our list includes some voice phones and some general-purpose smartphones. Most of the phones on this list are available unlocked, which means you can pair them with any compatible carrier; the others are typically available only in carrier-specific versions.
We regularly get emails from readers who are frustrated because they don't feel like there are enough simple, high-quality voice phones. They look at the current lineup of voice phones and see them as a step back, not a step up.
They're right. The hardware demands of 4G LTE voice calling mean inexpensive voice phones are slower and less reliable than in the past. We tested several, and the one we most recommend, the Sunbeam F1, costs $195. Other high-quality voice phones from Sonim and Kyocera tend to be in the $200 to $300 range. The Nokia 2780 Flip, a cheaper option, is small, reliable, and costs only $89.99.
There are a bunch of flip phones kicking around the cell phone aisle at Walgreens and Walmart from carrier brands like Tracfone and Net10. We don't review them, but some appear to be older, decent-quality LG models. If your budget is tight, try one of those. Avoid phones where the carrier appears to be the phone maker; those are typically rebadged phones from low-rent manufacturers.
Finally, if you depend on a tech-savvy person for smartphone tech support, you might want to get the same type of phone they have (either one that runs Android or iOS). The two main phone operating systems are very different, and someone who is used to one might not be able to answer questions about the other. There are a lot of iPhones out there; here's how to choose the best iPhone. We also have a roundup of the top Android phones.
On the other hand, we recommend Consumer Cellular highly. Consumer Cellular has a marketing arrangement with AARP and doesn't offer specialized services, but it received high marks from our readers in the past for customer service. It sells several phones from our list.
Many seniors are more comfortable with older phones, but some might no longer work. You must ensure your phone supports 4G LTE networks, which will remain active until at least 2030. All three major carriers have turned off their 3G already. That means you need to go with a voice phone that supports voice over 4G LTE, also known as VoLTE.
There are other benefits to 4G as well. 4G LTE basic phones support HD Voice; that means you can conduct high-quality voice calls with anyone else that has an HD Voice-capable mobile phone. Those higher-quality calls can be easier on old ears. As for 5G, you won't need to worry about it for years.
We wouldn't recommend getting the RADIANT Core, even though AT&T is giving it away for free. It will likely be a massive downgrade for almost everyone affected by the 3G shutdown. It probably won't last you very long either, so you'll end up purchasing a new phone regardless. AT&T itself offers several other devices that cost around $100-$150 and offer VoLTE support. Alternatively, you can check out our list of the best cheap Android phones to pick a device that would better suit your needs.
AT&T customers who still rely on the carrier's soon-to-be-dead 3G network have been getting free upgrades to new devices that are compliant with the carrier's 4G LTE network. Flip phone users were getting newer flip phones, iPhone users were getting second-gen iPhone SE units, and Android users were getting the RADIANT Core. The RADIANT Core is a terrible device, though, and thankfully, it looks like AT&T is done giving them out.
According to AndroidPolice, the carrier has started to send out much better-specced Samsung phones as part of its process to get users off its 3G network. Some of the phones that people have been getting include the Galaxy Note 9, the Galaxy Note 10, the Galaxy S9, and the Galaxy A11s. All of these phones are better than the RADIANT Core, though some users are luckier than users. The reason that users are getting a variety of phones is due to inventory constraints, according to an AT&T spokesperson:
Getting started with AT&T PREPAID is easy! Visit att.com/prepaid to shop and sign up online. If you sign up online, there is no activation fee. You can also visit any AT&T Store to shop for phones and sign up for a monthly service plan.
Yes, there are still many prepaid phones (as well as tablets and hotspots). A number of devices in an AT&T retail store can be a prepaid device, including phones, tablets, and hotspots from the most popular brands. With AT&T PREPAID, you can get the device you want at an affordable price. You can also bring a new device or one you already have to AT&T PREPAID simply by purchasing a SIM card.
AT&T PREPAID phones work like any other phones. They connect you to the same great network that you get with any AT&T wireless plan. You get the same great coverage that customers have come to expect from AT&T. The only difference is that with an AT&T PREPAID plan, you pay in advance for service rather than by a monthly bill.
In terms of phones, T-Mobile offers a wide range of devices with their network, ranging from easy-to-use flip phones to the most recent devices from Apple and Samsung. Devices can either be purchased upfront or paid off over time with affordable financing. Alternatively, T-Mobile offers free SIM cards that can be used with your existing phone.
In terms of devices, Lively offers two different phones: the Jitterbug Flip and the Jitterbug Smart. The Flip is a simple flip phone for seniors, and the Smart is an intuitively designed smartphone that is surprisingly easy to use.
Both phones from RAZ cost a one-time $309, and to use these phones, you must also purchase a plan from a compatible network such as T-Mobile, AT&T, or Mint Mobile. Currently, the purchase of a RAZ phone gives you three months of free service with Mint.
Verizon Wireless makes our list simply because they offer so much variety in the way of plan options, cell phones, and accessories all in one place. Their plans are more expensive than some of the others we have covered, so if budget is a concern, they may not be the right option for you. Still, for heavy users of data or mobile hotspots, Verizon has one of the best options out there.
T-Mobile, one of the leading carriers in the USA, offers a number of great prepaid SIM cards for USA travel. The best type of offer that we found is this T-Mobile PrePaid SIM Card with Unlimited Data in the USA.
The T-Mobile Prepaid SIM with unlimited data is undoubtedly one of the best options for USA travel available on the market today, particularly if you are a heavy data user and also want the ability to make calls while in the USA.
The data is valid for 30 days after activating the card and you can only recharge if you have a UK credit card so this SIM card is also best for travellers that are only going to be in the USA for a short trip. It is also worth noting that you are not able to use this SIM card as a mobile hotspot. 041b061a72