Skip to main content

Before you switch carriers, make sure you have what you need

Switch to the right carrier with as little pain as possible.

Changing your phone carrier can be stressful. There are a lot of reasons to change your carrier whether you're looking to find better coverage or just save some money on your plan. Shopping around and seeing so many different choices and prices can be overwhelming but once you know what to look out for, it can be a smooth process. If you're ready to move on to a new carrier, here are five things you need to know.

Switching carriers Coverage, coverage, coverage

Any time we talk about carriers and their service, coverage gets mentioned. That's because it is the single most important thing you need to consider before you sign or buy anything. There is no value in paying for a service that doesn't work for you.

Start by looking at online coverage maps. These are never 100% accurate (the providers even acknowledge this) but can be a good starting point. If you're shown in an area of full coverage and not on the fringe of service, that's a good sign. Also, be sure to use the selection tools of the map to check both voice and data coverage, with LTE or 5G if you plan on getting a 5G phone soon.

There's a lot to look at with LTE coverage and 5G coverage alike so take some time to make sure you're getting the kind of coverage you expect. Just because you're covered on the map doesn't mean you will have the kind of connection you're looking for.

If you are considering an MVNO or prepaid carrier, check its specific coverage map since it may not have access to all of the networks a customer of one of the big four may have. For example, many carriers have roaming agreements, often called Extended LTE, that fill in coverage gaps. MVNOs won't have access to these. Sometimes carriers such as Visible won't have support for 3G, further restricting coverage.

Switching carriers Will your phone work?

If you're not ready to upgrade to one of the best new Android phones, there's still a good chance you'll be able to bring your current one to a new carrier. Some phones, like a newer Samsung Galaxy or a Google Pixel, will work on any U.S. carrier. Others, especially models that are a few years old, only work on specific networks.

If your phone was made specifically for a network, you may have a little homework to do. While phone designers strive to make phones as compatible as possible, there will be a few phones that don't support all of what a carrier has to offer.

5G compatibility is rather simple. Do keep in mind that the charts below only indicate hardware compatibility and some carriers may have specific software that creates greater chances of incompatibility.

For 5G, look for support on these bands.

Carrier Bands
AT&T n5 (850MHz)
n260 (39GHz)
T-Mobile n71 (600MHz)
n41 (2.5GHz) from Sprint
n260 (39GHz)
n261 (28GHz)
Verizon n5 (DSS for sub-6)
n261 (28GHz)
U.S. Cellular n71 (600MHz)

You'll find the information about what frequencies and LTE bands your phone uses in the user manual, at the manufacturer's website, or other online resources. The best way to be sure is to just check with each carrier before signing up.

Carriers will also have a lookup tool on their website or can check compatibility with the IMEI number found in your phone's settings.

One last option is to just call the carrier and ask if your phone will work. You might be put on hold for a few minutes, but they can figure it out for you.

Switching carriers SIM unlocking

If you're going to use your current phone with your new carrier, you have to get it unlocked if it isn't already. SIM locking is a carrier's way of making sure a phone you buy through the carrier stays on the carrier.

Buying your phone unlocked is a way around this though you might miss out on some promotions from the carrier. This is because carriers make way more money on your monthly service than on retail sales. Still, if you've paid your phone off in full, and you've fulfilled any minimum activation periods with the carrier, you should be able to unlock it to use on another carrier.

To unlock your phone, call your carrier before you cancel your service. Once your account is closed, it becomes way more difficult to do.

The best way to make sure your phone is unlocked is through the customer support of the carrier you bought it from. If you're not able to get it done through the carrier, there are some third-party options available but these services should be your last option.

Once your phone is fully unlocked, activating a new service on it should be as easy as popping in a new SIM card or registering an eSIM.

Switching carriers What plan should you buy?

There are a lot of different service plans available to fit almost every user. If you already know how much data you use, you can jump straight into it. If you're not sure, look at your last phone bill to see how much you used. You can also look at data usage in your phone's settings. Choose a plan that offers more than you need without getting too excessive.

Most new plans come with unlimited domestic talk and text while mainly focusing on data. There are plenty of great prepaid carriers to save some money over AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon. You can also find something that's a better fit for your phone such as getting the best 5G plan possible. It comes down to your individual needs which plan makes the most sense.

Most people don't need an unlimited plan. When you're shopping for plans that offer a fixed amount of data each month, you have a lot of choices. Luckily, most carriers like Mint Mobile allow you to upgrade your plan mid-cycle or even just add some extra data if your data is higher than normal one month. It's also nice that many of these carriers have dropped overage charges in favor of slowing down your connection.

Still, the simplicity of one of the best prepaid unlimited plans can be appealing, and if you want one, there are more options than ever. All of the big carriers also offer unlimited plans with varying degrees of extras thrown in. Some prepaid options like Visible are also offering a cheaper unlimited option.

When you have a good handle on how much you need, you can be a wise shopper and get exactly what you need.

Switching carriers Your number goes with you

Once you've settled on what type of service you're going to buy and who you're going to buy it from, there's one last thing to remember: you can take your phone number with you no matter which company you get service from.

Don't let a company tell you that you can't keep your number. By law, you can.

This is called porting your number, and in almost every case (some numbers created by VoIP services can't be ported) it belongs to you. Moving your phone number to a new carrier is simple and can be done in just a few minutes in many situations. Keep in mind that sometimes it will take longer, up to a couple of days, when transferring a landline number to mobile.

Every company does things a little differently, but you'll need to know your phone number, your account number from your current carrier, and any PIN or password you use to access it. They may also need to see your ID. Your new carrier will ask for this information (yes, giving anyone a PIN or password is scary, but that's how it works) and they will handle the rest.

While your number is being ported, you won't be able to use it. Generally, this will be done the same day but sometimes it can take longer. Your new carrier will be able to advise you and let you know how the number port is going if it takes longer than a few hours. Still, you will typically get a number to use in the meantime and with so many of us using chat services to stay connected, it's not too bad.

When the number porting is done, your new service will use the same phone number you and everyone else is used to. This makes it easier to switch for everyone. The number is assigned to your new SIM card, but it's still yours and you can move it to another carrier anytime you like. Of course, you can always just get a new number if you like.

Great compatibility

Samsung Galaxy S21

$700 at Amazon $700 at Best Buy $700 at B&H

Great carrier support with all the right bands

The Galaxy S21 series from Samsung represents some of the best Android hardware you can get with great network support, a great display, and solid battery life.



Source: androidcentral

Popular posts from this blog

The hidden cost of food delivery

Noah Lichtenstein Contributor Share on Twitter Noah Lichtenstein is the founder and managing partner of Crossover , a diversified private technology fund backed by institutional investors, technology execs and professional athletes and entertainers. More posts by this contributor What Studying Students Teaches Us About Great Apps I’ll admit it: When it comes to food, I’m lazy. There are dozens of great dining options within a few blocks of my home, yet I still end up ordering food through delivery apps four or five times per week. With the growing coronavirus pandemic closing restaurants and consumers self-isolating, it is likely we will see a spike in food delivery much like the 20% jump China reported during the peak of its crisis. With the food delivery sector rocketing toward a projected $365 billion by the end of the decade, I’m clearly not the only one turning to delivery apps even before the pandemic hit. Thanks to technology (and VC funding) we can get a ri

Cyber Monday Canada: Last-minute deals for everyone on your list

Best Cyber Monday Canada deals: Smart Home Audio Phones, Tablets & Accessories Wearables Laptops & PC Components Amazon products Gaming Televisions Cameras Lifestyle & Kitchen Toys & Kids Cyber Monday Canada is here, and retailers are rolling out the red carpet for customers who want to shop for everything from tech to kitchenware to games and everything in between. Unlike years past, Cyber Monday Canada deals look a bit different than normal. Instead of retailers trying to pack their stores with as many shoppers as possible, we're seeing tons of online deals that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your home. We've rounded up our favorites below, so feel free to browse through the best of what Canada Cyber Monday has to offer! This list is being updated with new Cyber Monday deals all the time, so check back often. Spotlight deals It's a Switch Nintendo Switch Fortnite Edition bundle $399.95 at Amazon It's a Switch.

Slack’s new integration deal with AWS could also be about tweaking Microsoft

Slack and Amazon announced a big integration late yesterday afternoon. As part of the deal, Slack will use Amazon Chime for its call feature, while reiterating its commitment to use AWS as its preferred cloud provider to run its infrastructure. At the same time, AWS has agreed to use Slack for internal communications. Make no mistake, this is a big deal as the SaaS communications tool increases its ties with AWS, but this agreement could also be about slighting Microsoft and its rival Teams product by making a deal with a cloud rival. In the past Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield has had choice words for Microsoft saying the Redmond technology giant sees his company as an “existential threat.” Whether that’s true or not — Teams is but one piece of a huge technology company — it’s impossible not to look at the deal in this context. Aligning more deeply with AWS sends a message to Microsoft, whose Azure infrastructure services compete with AWS. Butterfield didn’t say that of course

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 50+ Differences Compared

The iPhone 15 Pro brings over 50 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, which was released two years prior. This buyer's guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations and helps you to decide whether it's worth upgrading. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro debuted in 2021, introducing a brighter display with ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, Macro photography and photographic styles, Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field, ProRes video recording, a 1TB storage option, and five hours of additional battery life. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro was discontinued upon the announcement of the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, but it is still possible to get hold of it second-hand. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you and serves as a way to c