Is there a way to buy a cheap cell phone and have it work on tmobile?

) August 22nd, 2010

My teenage daughter lost her phone- our plan is new and so are the phones, we went to tmobile and the replacements are hella expensive! I am wondering if I bought a cheapie at target and then asked tmobile for a new sim card? we didn’t buy the phone insurance. I need for her to have a phone for safety reasons. Any ideas?

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3 Answers

Ensure that the phone is not locked to a network (ie advertised as ‘unlocked’) and it will work with any SIM card.

Mephistopheles (484

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Most phones are only cheap since they are subsidized by the carrier, and they expect to recoup the cost (and then some) with service fees and airtime charges. The phone I got for free would be $150–200 to replace, and the one I am looking at upgrading to is closer to $600 ($200 with 2-year contract)

Unlocked phones are generally not subsidized and therefore pretty pricey.

Insurance is cheap. I recommend adding it in case this happens again.

jerv (31076

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I would go to TMobile and talk to them about maybe working out some kind of deal! Maybe they will be able to give a used phone or something?! I just don’t know, but I agree with @jerv get the insurance!

ShanEnri (4424

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