This is a question we get more and more these days. It’s nice to have a brand new $1,000 phone, but there are only going to be so many times you can spring for that. Sure, there are installment contracts and great deals, but you end up paying in the end. On the other hand, you might know a power user who does want to change phones every 6 months and you might be lucky enough to be gifted with their hand-me-downs. (At least my friends tell me they’re lucky when I gift them…)
So the question is whether or not you can activate that old phone. The answer isn’t the same as it used to be, so it’s worth knowing what the answers are today. So here goes.
Yes, you can, within reason.
In 2022, most major carriers switched off their 3G networks, so this changes the answer a lot. It used to be that you could activate pretty much any phone made since about 2003. But, without the 3G network, you’re limited to phones that can support LTE for data as well as Voice over LTE. That limits you to most phones made since about 2014. That’s still not that bad. Chances are that any phone older than that has a permanently dead battery, and you have to wonder if it’s worth it to pay an expert to replace that battery. The battery may not even be available for a very old phone. That’s just the world we live in.
Thinking ahead
If you think you’re going to use a phone in the future, it’s worth getting it “unlocked.” Unlocking involves changing the phone’s software so it could work with any network that its chips and radios can support. This will open up a lot of options. Most of the time, if you buy a higher-end phone, such as the latest iPhone or Galaxy, it will be unlocked for you. Other phones can be unlocked by the carrier. Generally there is a small fee to do this and some cell phone repair places will do it.
Even if a phone is not unlocked, you can generally reactivate it easily. With AT&T and other carriers that use SIM cards, it’s really just a matter of a new card. Pretty much any phone that supports LTE will have a SIM card, even if it’s an electronic eSIM.
So, keep that old phone or sell it to someone else who wants it… it’s still going to be good.
On the other hand…
If you do need a new phone, don’t forget that Solid Signal is an AT&T dealer. We can give you the same deals that the neighborhood phone store can, just without the long lines. We can send a pre-activated phone to you, ready to use. Want to know more? Just call us at 888-233-7563. We’re here during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, just fill out the form below. We’ll get right back to you, as soon as we can!
