3 older Legacy phones/plans-what to do in Jan. 2021

**timdennis** · 12-29-2020, 07:06 PM

Hmm-this happening & caught me off guard was not staying up to date.
Have three older phones from years ago and all are on the Legacy Gold Rewards plan. Use them as emergency/back up phones and just once a year add a prepaid card. Two are flips, one a basic bar phone. They are standard size sim cards-mini.

Don't really want to upgrade to a smartphone as I don't know how that'd work out with the Legacy plan, .10 a minute. Also, I & family already have smartphones.

Two of these I have hundreds of dollar credit, don't want to just abandon that. I've seen some 4GLTE flip phones on Ebay but no bar phones.

I don't know procedure for moving to a phone with a different sim card size.

I have:

Motorola Flip, W490
Sony/Ericcson Flip TH506
Nokia 6030 bar phone.

**zapjb** · 12-29-2020, 07:33 PM

Call T-Mobile customer service. I've found them to be nice, kind & knowledgeable.

**brad15** · 12-30-2020, 03:57 AM

https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_us/nokia-225-4g

I just bought this to replace my old Nokia with a GR SIM.

It does not have 600MHz LTE, but it does have VoLTE and 700MHz LTE for rural areas (more than fine for a basic talk/text device)

$49 delivered, and I can say it works well, and the battery lasts a few days easily (and the voice quality is far better than my old GSM devices)

https://www.ebay.com/p/23028319438

Buy 3 SIM cards, the new devices and just call customer service to swap the SIM cards. It’s a really easy process.

I’d avoid the “flip” phones, as they run a neutered version of Android and the UI is just awful compared to the nokia device.

**cobo** · 12-30-2020, 04:15 PM

Is the Nokia 225 4G the FCC ID: 2AJOTTA-1282?

Could you please run your IMEI through T-Mobile's BYOD check and report what it says?

**brad4cell** · 12-31-2020, 12:41 PM

What is happening Jan 2021?

I have one legacy gold plan with a Samsung bar (dumb) phone and I think it is 3g. I use it as a backup phone and fill it for $10 a year.

**brad15** · 12-31-2020, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by brad4cell

What is happening Jan 2021?

I have one legacy gold plan with a Samsung bar (dumb) phone and I think it is 3g. I use it as a backup phone and fill it for $10 a year.

T-Mobile is doing *some* network adjustment (nobody *actually* knows what it is, as T-Mobile has not actually 100% confirmed). But a lot are assuming it's going to be the end of 2G/3G altogether.

I just grabbed the Nokia myself as the 2G around here is fickle, and when I travel for work the 3G does not always work when I'm in a hotel (I use my GR SIM for on-call work, so they do not have my "real" number to bother me on days off)

**IsLand_BoY** · 01-01-2021, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by brad15

https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_us/nokia-225-4g

I just bought this to replace my old Nokia with a GR SIM.

It does not have 600MHz LTE, but it does have VoLTE and 700MHz LTE for rural areas (more than fine for a basic talk/text device)

$49 delivered, and I can say it works well, and the battery lasts a few days easily (and the voice quality is far better than my old GSM devices)

https://www.ebay.com/p/23028319438

Buy 3 SIM cards, the new devices and just call customer service to swap the SIM cards. It’s a really easy process.

I’d avoid the “flip” phones, as they run a neutered version of Android and the UI is just awful compared to the nokia device.

I was just looking for a bar phone with VoLTE. That Nokia looks neat! One of my favorite phones was my Nokia 3390. May have to pick one of these up. I see it's supposedly dual SIM capable which is even better.

The latest My Flip 3 isn't bad. Battery life is much better than the older versions and it's not as laggy. Not perfect, but the large color external screen is very handy. The prior Alcatel flips were awful, I bought one for an uncle and had to junk it and put him on an older ZTE that still had 4G and VoLTE.

**SnowyWhite** · 01-01-2021, 08:48 PM

I just checked my Lumia 640 with my Legacy Gold Rewards SIM card in it and it's working.

This is an unlocked former AT&T prepaid phone.

I checked my Mom's T-Mobile line that is on my brother's family plan and it is working fine.
Lumia 640 unlocked former AT&T prepaid phone.

I wasn't sure because I haven't been paying attention.

I switch my Legacy Gold Rewards SIM between a Doro flip phone that was a Tracfone but my cell phone mentor told me that it was unlocked for use with real T-Mobile.
It works fine with my Legacy Gold Rewards SIM.

Sent from my Moto Optimo Maxx

**whacker** · 01-02-2021, 10:18 AM

I just checked for my Legacy Gold Rewards SIM to be working, which is in an unlocked Cricket 1st gen Moto E. Still working, and with the cell site serving me, I still get the big 'E' when I switch data on (indicating Edge-level service). This varies around my geographic area, as I do get HSPA+ indications in the larger towns and cities. The audio is always very good.

It's a seldom used line, but I'm looking for something like a used or refurbed LG Aristo 2 Plus to change to (which will have VoLTE and Band 71). Curious about obtaining a SIM (old phone uses micro and anything newer likely a nano). That will cost me, I think. But I think T-Mo will do the account change to new SIM online, which is good.

**trackVW** · 01-02-2021, 01:16 PM

I have a "Gold" plan sim that has my "cell" number for the last 15 years ,

its in a Moto E5 play now ,

but if I put it back in a my Alcatel flip will Tmobile upgrade me to a "modern" phone

probably not but I have to ask

**blistex** · 01-02-2021, 11:50 PM

Originally Posted by SnowyWhite

I just checked my Lumia 640 with my Legacy Gold Rewards SIM card in it and it's working.

This is an unlocked former AT&T prepaid phone.

I checked my Mom's T-Mobile line that is on my brother's family plan and it is working fine.
Lumia 640 unlocked former AT&T prepaid phone.

Lumia 640 is a 4g phone. The phone should show T-mobile LTE in the upper left. You can go to settings > cellular+SIM and change Highest Connection Speed to 4G. The phone should now show T-mobile 4G. It's a useful phone that has gps to get around and can go 18 days between charges even after 5 years. I will be replacing mine with a Pixel or iphone se when battery life starts going bad.

**whacker** · 01-03-2021, 10:28 AM

The Lumia model SnowyWhite mentions undoubtedly does have LTE capabilities for data, but pretty sure the concern is whether it has VoLTE for voice service, which T-Mobile is starting to (and has announced intentions of) transition(ing) over to. They haven't "switched off" the legacy/existing service over 2G/3G just yet (possibly based on region), but we're headed that way. The changeover may be more prevalent in larger metro areas.

**SnowyWhite** · 01-06-2021, 02:06 AM

Made my routine 1 hour 15 minute call using the Lumia 640 and everything worked great.
Sound quality was excellent on speaker.
No noise in the background.

Gradually getting this ridiculous balance down on my Legacy Gold Rewards line.

I doubt that I will be able to get it down sufficiently this yearly cycle that needs to be topped up in April.

Hoping that T-Mobile will still have the year roll over when I add $10 in April.

I'd love to just be done with it really.
Nothing against T-Mobile, just a little concerned that they may eventually get rid of the Legacy Gold Rewards plan since the merger with Sprint.

I've not heard anything about it but it's just at the back of my mind. So far they have Grandfathered the plan but you never know if it will go on for much longer.
If they decide one day to do away with the plan how will they deal with the customers who are still on this plan?
I doubt that they would offer to pay us what is on the balance.

I've had the Legacy Gold Rewards line since February 2007.

Enough with my 2am rambling.

Originally Posted by whacker

The Lumia model SnowyWhite mentions undoubtedly does have LTE capabilities for data, but pretty sure the concern is whether it has VoLTE for voice service, which T-Mobile is starting to (and has announced intentions of) transition(ing) over to. They haven't "switched off" the legacy/existing service over 2G/3G just yet (possibly based on region), but we're headed that way. The changeover may be more prevalent in larger metro areas.

Sent from my Magnificent Moto e7 2020

**brad15** · 01-06-2021, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by SnowyWhite

Made my routine 1 hour 15 minute call using the Lumia 640 and everything worked great.
Sound quality was excellent on speaker.
No noise in the background.

Gradually getting this ridiculous balance down on my Legacy Gold Rewards line.

I doubt that I will be able to get it down sufficiently this yearly cycle that needs to be topped up in April.

Hoping that T-Mobile will still have the year roll over when I add $10 in April.

I'd love to just be done with it really.
Nothing against T-Mobile, just a little concerned that they may eventually get rid of the Legacy Gold Rewards plan since the merger with Sprint.

I've not heard anything about it but it's just at the back of my mind. So far they have Grandfathered the plan but you never know if it will go on for much longer.
If they decide one day to do away with the plan how will they deal with the customers who are still on this plan?
I doubt that they would offer to pay us what is on the balance.

I've had the Legacy Gold Rewards line since February 2007.

Enough with my 2am rambling.

Sent from my Magnificent Moto e7 2020

I doubt they're ever gonna get rid of the program.. but if you ever want to get rid of it, let me know.. I know someone who can put it to use for an on call work phone haha

**SnowyWhite** · 01-07-2021, 10:05 AM

It's got $430ish on the balance at the moment.

Originally Posted by brad15

I doubt they're ever gonna get rid of the program.. but if you ever want to get rid of it, let me know.. I know someone who can put it to use for an on call work phone haha

Sent from my Powerfully Majestic Moto G Power