About getting a new unlocked phone but keeping the same carrier

Help Me
1

OK, Im probably have to get a new phone but want to keep same carrier. So many questions :face_with_spiral_eyes: thanks in advance to those that have been here and figured it out.

  1. Do I need to check out a phone like at Best Buy to get the IMEI to see if it’s compatible with my phone carrier first ,before I buy it? Like, is it printed on the box. Don’t know any other way prior to buying.
  2. My current phone is a Motorola G Power 2020, XT2041-4. So, if I just swap the sim to a new unlocked phone, I’m figuring it can’t get the 5G, right? So would I need a new chip from the carrier anyway?
  3. Would there be a problem in doing this switch, would the sim not work with a new phone at all since it’s so old, and would that mean I should just plan on buying a locked phone from my carrier. If I do that, I’m hoping my RW to Boost usage agreement would remain as long as I paid for the phone in full.
  4. My old G power phone persists in only taking calls and texts in safe mode, even after I’ve deleted so many apps. It must then be a corrupted system thing.
1 Like
2

I’m afraid I can’t recall what the RW to Boost user agreement was, or which carriers were still being used at the time Republic Wireless disappeared as a brand. Were they still using both AT&T and T-Mobile? I just can’t recall. Ideally you could just buy a factory unlocked phone and move your old SIM card into it, but AT&T is a little finicky on which unlocked phones you can bring to them. You should probably just ask Boost, but they aren’t known for having well trained customer service agents.

2 Likes
3

Hmmm. I could take an IMEI to the ATT website and see if they have a checker? I did with a Samsung A36 IMEI on Boost’s checker and the checker said it’s good (was checking out that phone and it is one they sell at boost too, but I’d buy outside and unlocked). But you are referring to the actual sim I have I think. Are you saying that my sim from that time may not work in a new phone due to how it was configured back then?

What is weird about my current phone Motorola G, now that just about any third party app has been uninstalled by me, the problem persists. Just about every remaining app seems to be one that is integrated and that shouldn’t be removed. It works fine on safe mode sans anything other than Motorola/android apps. I can call and text and use the google apps. So my guess is that the chip should be good???

1 Like
4

Your SIM card should be fine to move to a new phone. You could always try factory resetting the old phone to see if it resolves the issues you are having.

2 Likes
5

I see it’s accessing T Mobile network and my area per your recent post, is heavy in both networks coverage. So there is age - it’s a 2020 and it’s gonna go soon. I do see 2021s are still sought after for being great, but ‘20s don’t exist. Another reason I did not factory reset is that if I kill it by trying to factory reset, I no longer have a way to receive an authorization code from Boost if I need one in the process of doing anything. That code is everything to them for communication, and they will not email it. That’s the crazy about Boost. It literally stops everything.

The Samsung is dual SIM, but I did see a thread from a guy who couldn’t use his new phone that only had eSIM. There is a reddit post about all he had to do to resolve it. The problem was particular to RW people. FWI for everyone. I posted the link on his thread from 2023.

1 Like
6

iPhone 14 and up do not have a physical SIM card slot, and are eSIM-only phones. Since you’re on the T-Mobile network, picking out a phone is not much of an ordeal. You’ll want a phone designed to be used in North America that works with most of their network frequencies.

2 Likes
7

I’m gonna BestBuy instead of Amazon. I’ve been reading of phones that aren’t US being sold as US. I know that might not happen too often, but this stuff is exhausting… If I do the Samsung A36 it’s got physical SIM and eSIM. So as long as my physical SIM works I should be good. I’ve already removed and replaced to my G Power as a first check when things went wrong with the phone last week, and at least that part seems fine. They say there is a movement to stop using physical SIM and so the eSIM thing for RW people who haven’t moved away from Boost, might still be an issue unless you follow the Reddit instructions.

1 Like
8

My creaky old OnePlus 7 Pro is an Amazon purchase. I can’t remember if the term World Phone is still in use, but in theory a phone so labeled should work anywhere. Mine has been good for the US and Canada, and that’s all I need.

1 Like