Can I bring my sprint phone to T-Mobile?
By
HuutiMoney
This blog post will answer the question “Can I bring my sprint phone to T-Mobile?”. It covers the topics like steps to bring the Sprint phone to T-Mobile, eligibility criteria to unlock the Sprint phone, and compatibility checking. It will also provide you with the most commonly used T-Mobile phone plans.
Can I bring my sprint phone to T-Mobile?
Yes, it is possible to bring your sprint phone to T-Mobile. T mobile uses GSM technology and Sprint uses CDMA technology. Most of the new cell phones support both CDMA and GSM services.
Is Sprint T-Mobile now?
Yes, the Sprint brand has officially been discontinued and is successfully acquired by T-Mobile. If you have network-capable phones then it can take advantage of both CDMA and GSM services. This is possible because of the roaming agreements between T -mobile and Sprint.
If you have an older Sprint phone which supports only CDMA networks then it will not work properly with T-Mobile’s GSM services. In this case, you need to upgrade the phone device.
Network carrier used
There are two network carriers, namely GSM and CDMA.
T-mobile is a GSM network carrier and Sprint is a CDMA network carrier. GSM is second-generation cellular technology used for mobile voice and data services. CDMA is code division multiple access.
What is GSM?
GSM is second-generation digital cellular technology initially developed by “European Technical Standards Institute (ETSI)”. To create a common European mobile standard, a standardization group was established in 1982, named GMS.
What is CDMA?
CDMA stands for code discussion multiple access. In the CDMA technology, many users share the same carrier frequency. In CDMA, a share of bandwidth, as well as time, is achieved.
CDMA users have their pseudo-random codeword, which is orthogonal to other keywords. The signal detection is more difficult in CDMA compared to GSM. This is because CDMA has inbuilt encryption.
Steps to bring the Sprint phone to T-Mobile
Use the following steps to bring your phone from Sprint to T-Mobile.
- Unlock your phone.
- Check the compatibility of your phone using the IMEI number.
- Purchase a new T-Mobile SIM card.
- Select a T-Mobile phone plan.
- Finally, Insert a new SIM card into your phone.
Eligibility criteria to unlock Sprint phone
One can unlock Sprint phone devices, provided that the following criteria are satisfied.
- You must have purchased the cellular phone from Sprint.
- The cell phone should not be reported as blocked or lost.
- An account concerned with the Device must be active for a minimum of 40 days.
- Any associated service agreement must be fulfilled. For example installation billing agreement, lease agreement, etc.
- Depending upon prepaid or postpaid plans, the Device should satisfy all necessary unlock requirements.
- The device must have SIM unlock capability.
What are unlock instructions?
If you get a notification that your phone is eligible for unlocking then use the following steps.
- If in the notification, unlock code is mentioned then contact Sprint customer support to get the unlocking code.
- Select the “devices page” and then click on “security” to get a device to unlock steps.
- Click on “permanent unlock *.
- Restart your phone.
For Samsung phones
- Go to the” settings “.
- Click on” connections “.
- Select ” more settings “.
- Finally, click on” network unlock “.
- Restart your phone.
For one plus phone
- Go to” Settings “.
- Select” WiFi and internet “.
- Click on” SIM and network “.
- Finally, click on” network unlock “.
- Restart your phone.
How to check the compatibility of your phone?
Even if you have an unlocked phone, you need to check the compatibility of your device on the T-Mobile network. Use the IMEI number to check whether your device is compatible with T-Mobile or not.
How to check IMEI?
To check the IMEI number of your device following steps are used.
- From the Home screen, select Main Menu.
- Scroll to and select Settings.
- Scroll to and select Phone Settings.
- Scroll to and select Phone info.
- Scroll to and select Version info.
- Scroll to and view the IMEI.
You can find the number in your phone’s settings. Here’s
- Android
Go to” Settings “then click on “ About Phone”, then select” Status.” - Windows phone
Go to Settings > About, then More information. - iPhone
Go to Settings > General, then About.
Or
On the dial pad screen, press *#06#, and you will see the IMEI. Some phones require you to press the send key after the code.
Once you have the IMEI number you can directly go to https://imei.net/carrier/t-mobile-imei-check/ enter your IMEI number there and click on check.
How does IMEI help service providers?
GSM uses subscriber identity module cards to store subscribers’ information. Customers can easily switch the SIM card from one device to another and start making calls without any problem. It helps operators identify valid customers and disable the devices from their end if reported lost or stolen.
IMEI is a hardcoded lock-in by the manufacturer; it helps the carrier understand the capabilities of the device; it helps the provider to get the device to a nearby tower for connection.
If you lose your phone or if it gets stolen, IMEI will help you make sure the person who stole it and that person won’t be able to use your device. The device can be denied service to any cellular network even if the SIM is changed.
Can you keep the current phone number and select the phone plan?
Yes, you can keep your old phone number when you transfer to T-Mobile. The next step will be to select a suitable phone plan.
T-Mobile phone plans
Under this category, we will consider the following significant plans
- Unlimited plans
- Family plans
- Prepaid plans
Unlimited plans
It is a plan which gives unlimited text and voice for the entire month. It also includes unlimited data. But after reaching a specific data limit, the data speed is affected, and it is reduced.
Technically, these plans are unlimited, but the fact is that speed gets reduced as you go on using premium data.
What’s an unlimited plan?
It is a plan which gives unlimited text and voice for the entire month. It also includes unlimited data. But after reaching a specific data limit, the data speed is affected, and it is reduced. Comparing unlimited plans of both the network providers, T- mobile has an edge, some unlimited plans from T mobile are cheap, and you get more premium data.
What do you mean by premium data?
It is internet data that runs over 4G LTE and 5G networks. It provides data speed from 30 to 100 Mbps.
T-Mobile provides three unlimited data plans:
- Essential unlimited plan
- magenta unlimited plan
- magenta plus unlimited plan.
| Plan | Price per line | Unlimited text and talk | Premium data | Mobile hotspot data | Unlimited Video streaming | |
| Essential | $60 | Applicable | 50GB | Unlimited at 3GB speed | Sd streaming | |
| Magenta | $70 | Applicable | 100GB | 5GB high-speed data | Sd streaming | |
| Magenta plus | $85 | Applicable | Unlimited | 40GB high-speed data | Up to 4k UHD streaming |
Family plans.
T-Mobile network providers give reasonable offers for family plans. If you add lines, then the cost per line will get reduced. For the magenta max family plan, if you add one line, the cost per line will be reduced by $15. If you add more lines, you can bring the cost down to $40 per line. It’s a perfect offer for totally unlimited and high-speed data. Speed up to 30 Mbps or even more can be obtained.
Prepaid plans
T-Mobile offers its prepaid plans. The range of prepaid plans is from $45 to $75 per month. You can avail 4GB of LTE data for $45 and 10GB of data for $50. At the higher end, T-mobile offers unlimited data plans for $75.
How to activate SIM with T-Mobile?
To activate your SIM card, use the following steps.
- Log in to your T-Mobile account.
- Provide the security verification details.
- Select the option either SIM or eSIM.
- Enter the EID number of your phone. It is a serial number related to your device.
Below are other Sprint articles you may be interested in:
Should I switch from AT&T to Sprint?
Conclusion:
This blog explains to you all the ways by which you can bring the Sprint phone to T-Mobile. This blog gives you details about unlocking the phone, checking compatibility with the T-Mobile network, and steps to activate your phone with the T-Mobile network.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs): Can I bring my sprint phone to T-Mobile?
Can you put a sprint SIM card in an unlocked phone?
Yes, you can use a Sprint SIM card for a domestically unlocked phone. On the official Sprint website there is a list of all the devices which are compatible with Sprint SIM cards, once unlocked.
What is stored on Sprint SIM?
The Sprint SIM card can store contacts, a few text messages, and some other carrier-related information. Other media files and documents are not stored.
Can I use a Sprint SIM card in T-Mobile phones?
If the device is unlocked, you can use your sprint SIM card with T-Mobile phones.
Is Sprint T-Mobile now?
Yes, the Sprint brand has officially been discontinued and is successfully acquired by T-Mobile as of August 3, 2020.
How to check IMEI?
To check the IMEI number of your device following steps are used.
- From the Home screen, select Main Menu.
- Scroll to and select Settings.
- Scroll to and select Phone Settings.
- Scroll to and select Phone info.
- Scroll to and select Version info.
- Scroll to and view the IMEI.
You can find the number in your phone’s settings. Here’s
- Android
Go to Settings > About Phone, then Status. - Windows phone
Go to Settings > About, then More information. - iPhone
Go to Settings > General, then About.
Or
On the dial pad screen, press *#06#, and you will see the IMEI. Some phones require you to press the send key after the code.
References:
What the T-Mobile and Sprint Merger Means for You
JULIAN CHOKKATTUGEAR08.31.2020
Can Sprint Customers Switch To Tmobile
Query https://howtodiscuss.com/t/can-sprint-customers-switch-to-tmobile/82179?amp=1
Data Doctors: How can I tell if my Sprint phone will work on the T-Mobile network?
Ken Colburn | kenc@datadoctors.com
July 11, 2020,
Here’s how T-Mobile will make you switch from Sprint: free 5G phones and plan discounts
By Daniel Petrov Aug 18, 2021.
How to switch carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
By, SAMUEL CONTRERAS and OLIVIA LIPSKI 30 Dec 2021