Truphone: Alcatel 4052R (AT&T) SMARTFLIP my only option?

[zapjb]

I want a AT&T network new inexpensive glovebox flip feature phone on Truphone. Will the Alcatel 4052R (AT&T) work ootb if I just drop in a Truphone SIM? How future proof is the Alcatel 4052R for voice on the AT&T network? Is it my only option for an AT&T network new inexpensive glovebox flip feature phone on Truphone? Or is there another, hopefully dumber phone with longer battery life?

[bobdevnul]

I want a AT&T network new inexpensive glovebox flip feature phone on Truphone. Will the Alcatel 4052R (AT&T) work ootb if I just drop in a Truphone SIM? How future proof is the Alcatel 4052R for voice on the AT&T network? Is it my only option for an AT&T network new inexpensive glovebox flip feature phone on Truphone? Or is there another, hopefully dumber phone with longer battery life?

Truphone requires a phone that is carrier unlocked. Since they mostly use AT&T in the US, the phone needs to be compatible with AT&T frequencies/bands.

Otherwise, I know very little about feature phones anymore.

My current glovebox phone is an unlocked AT&T Prepaid Maven 3 smartphone with Truphone service. The phone is basically an 8 GB storage POS, but the battery holds a charge to 90%, powered off, when I check and recharge it monthly.

The Maven 3 was the Best Buy Black-Friday special a few years ago for $8. Between what it cost, and it being an 8 GB storage POS, I don't care much about how it survives being left in the car. I have experience from several previous phones that they last for years.

Call me weird, but I like having a fully functional smartphone with service as my glovebox phone.

As of now, Truphone does not do VoLTE (or MMS). That may change in some months to years as AT&T goes all VoLTE.

[Haas_Dave]

>Truphone requires a phone that is carrier unlocked.

I thought AT&T-locked phones can be used on any AT&T MVNO? Not true for Tru? Hahahah...

Truphone's SIM is not an AT&T SIM, in fact it is not a US SIM at all. The ICCIDs start with 8944, which is a UK ICCID prefix.

Sent from my HD1905 using Tapatalk

[zapjb]

>Truphone requires a phone that is carrier unlocked.

I thought AT&T-locked phones can be used on any AT&T MVNO? Not true for Tru?...

Yeah so an AT&T branded network locked to AT&T won't work on Truphone?

[Haas_Dave]

Yeah so an AT&T branded network locked to AT&T won't work on Truphone?

You'll need an unlocked device. It might be good for it to be an AT&T-compatible one [currently], but there is no guarantee that Truphone will always use AT&T.

Sent from my HD1905 using Tapatalk

[minij]

Short answer: No US locked phone will work on TruPhone.

Long answer/explanation:
They actually used to use BOTH ATT and TMO. Now they use ATT for their prepaid and TMO for their business/esim side.

Their website even states “we use whatever company is best for that country.”

Since they’re a UK company running a World SIM (which is what their sim actually is), the phone MUST be GSM unlocked (so that you can use it anywhere in the world).

Theoretically, a new GSM company “could” spring up in the US that isn’t TMo or ATT. If that happened and Tru switched to them (or if they switched exclusively to TMo), your locked phone wouldn’t work (even if you do find a way to get it to work on ATT), but an unlocked one (with the right bands) would.

Hope that helps. I love my TruPhone as a backup in the states and primary when I go on trips to the UK. I pay an extra $8 for the couple weeks I’m in the UK for a UK number, that way my family in the US can call me for free and businesses like hotels can also call me free.

EDIT TO ADD:

I have an old Alcatel One Touch that I got on a trip to the UK before I discovered truphone. It's branded to Virgin Media. TruSim did NOT work in it. (idk if it's locked or not, but I assume it is.)

So just because something can work on a given network phone, doesn't mean it will.
_______________________________
iPhone 6 on Mint Mobile (primary)
BLU V5 on TruPhone (backup) and FreedomPop (for data)
iPad 4 on T-Mobile free data

[zapjb]

@minij TY excellent answer.

[minij]

@minij TY excellent answer.

Thanks. I love Tru. I used it as my only mobile service for several years until cable broadband got too expensive and I switched to using LTE data for home internet. (Tru's data is way too expensive for that.). I'd still use it as my primary but for the data.

Next time my Mint is up, I might port the number to Tru and go back to using it exclusively for calls, getting cheap data Sims on eBay as needed. (Especially now that I have a dual SIM phone.)

iPhone 6 on Mint Mobile (primary)

BLU V5 on TruPhone (backup) and FreedomPop (for data)

iPad 4 on T-Mobile free data

[djphilosophy]

You want a phone on this list to guarantee you'll still have service after February 2022 (when AT&T shuts off 3G).

The Alcatel QuickFlip 4044C looks like a cheaper option at $40 unlocked on Amazon. Or the Cingular Flip 2. Just make sure you get one that's unlocked.

[WheelieBoot]

I paid 39.99 for the AT&T Smartflip at BestBuy.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/at-t-pr...?skuId=6368542



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[djphilosophy]

I paid 39.99 for the AT&T Smartflip at BestBuy.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/at-t-pr...?skuId=6368542

Unless it came unlocked that's worthless to the OP.

[zapjb]

I ended up getting a unlocked Alcatel SmartFlip(4052R).

[WheelieBoot]

Unless it came unlocked that's worthless to the OP.

I was able to get AT&T phones unlocked as a non customer. The phones weren't active at the time, the Alcatel Ideal had only been used a few months not six months on prepaid AT&T, and one (ZTE z222 3g flip) had only been activated on H20, but not when I requested unlock.



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[WheelieBoot]

At&t unlock request portal.

https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/

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[WheelieBoot]

I just requested unlock as a non customer on my BestBuy AT&T Smartflip 4052R and they said they'd let me know in 48 hours. I'll let you know if it's successful. It's never been activated on any carrier, not even SIM swapped.

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