iPhone 12 Mini add/activation questions

[malet]

If I can get a chat going (button popped up briefly this morning, clicking it did nothing and it disappeared) I'm going to add my new Mini to my account to get the AAL points before activating. Few questions for those who have activated iPhones recently.

(1) Which IMEI should I use, and does that depend on whether I'm going to use the physical SIM or an eSIM?

(2) Any experiences with eSIM and TF?

(3) I'm planning to use the $19.99 basic 90 day plan. Any issues with that?

(4) Best Buy has that plan with email delivery. Any reason not to do that vs. going to a store and finding a card?

Thanks for any information you can share, or suggestions.

[tomseys]

I've never activated a new phone using the eSim. Are eSims eligibile for AAL?

If not you use the physical sim IMEI. If this is a branded phone they likely know this.

I do have an iPhone SE 2020 that has a physical TF/V sim and working T-mobile eSim (3 month free thing) and it seems to work fine.

I have activated a byop 12 mini in the past on TF/V and it worked fine in terms of service. I think I activated it with a smartphone plan.

I've used the best buy $19.99 plan before to add time to lines.

Maybe others can give more info.

Note: use the chat for AAL activations.

[kaZZoo]

Don’t know about and empty physical sim slot and using e-sim, you can only try,

Tell chat you want to add a e-sim device to activate later, you will use IMEI2, they will ask for the number.

If they tell you you have to do it on the website tell them its not possible to add and activate later, if they insist, end the chat try another rep, it took me 3 reps to get to the right one.
Make sure you see the AAL points pop up.
And you’ll see a whole bunch of numbers for your device.
There’s no way to add without activation on the web.

If you have a Target card, they have the same 19.99 plan, save a couple of pennies.

[malet]

Thanks for the replies. Definitely doing the chat to add and verify points before activating. I think I'll stick to the physical sim to be on the safe side, both for the AAL points and for unlocking. No need to needlessly complicate things.

[tomseys]

Thanks for the replies. Definitely doing the chat to add and verify points before activating. I think I'll stick to the physical sim to be on the safe side, both for the AAL points and for unlocking. No need to needlessly complicate things.

Yeah you can always play with the eSim in the future (I guess after unlock/AAL vests?).

You likely don't need to mention the eSim at all in the chat. Just a regular TF phone activation (add first, check for AAL, activate as desired).

[kaZZoo]

With the physical sim, stress that you want to activate later, to make sure you get the AAL points.

On e-sim the rep can’t do the activation.

[kaZZoo]

And, get another 90 day card and add the esim
Tomorrow for another 10.000.

[tomseys]

And, get another 90 day card and add the esim
Tomorrow for another 10.000.

Have you done that? They both vested from one device?

[malet]

AAL points pending! Used the main IMEI. Chat took about 2 minutes once I got an agent. Will activate later.

[kaZZoo]

Have you done that? They both vested from one device?

No, i haven’t done that, i see at as adding a line.
A good test for malet, add the esim, if points show up, get a card and activate if not, remove from account.
I don’t have anything to test on.

[tomseys]

No, i haven’t done that, i see at as adding a line.
A good test for malet, add the esim, if points show up, get a card and activate if not, remove from account.
I don’t have anything to test on.

I would just be concerned how TF might interpret that. Maybe the 20k pends and it all doesn't vest because it confuses the system - makes it think a line has changed or maybe TF only allows one AAL per device. But I don't know. I don't have exp with it.

[Tracfancier]

And, get another 90 day card and add the esim
Tomorrow for another 10.000.

If Tracfone were to question...
Two new lines on the same physical phone could be explained if you are using different service providers... one TF Verizon and the other either TF AT&T or TF T-Mobile. You could also make sense of both lines being TF Verizon if one was personal and the other business.

But in the first case, if TF deactivates the non-Verizon line for not being Verizon, it nullifies the AAL of both lines.

[tomseys]

It does state:



Which does seem to suggest one sim not multiple sims.

4 aals + 1 existing line max = 5 lines (phones/devices?) per account max

Anyway, I don't know. And unless I knew for sure I would not want to jeopardize the guaranteed AAL. Plus you are spending extra money.
But gl in any case.

[pitflyer]

I activated my iPhone 12 mini with physical SIM yesterday using a 90 day $19.99 card. Like others, with all the problems with eSIM and especially TracFone, I went with what usually works. Note that my physical IMEI was what was in my account (since I ordered logged in), so I'm pretty sure if I activated the eSIM it would not tie back to the previously added line in my account. It might have still worked -- in fact, as someone said maybe that way you could get 20k points out of two activations on 1 device, but I'm not going to bother.

[Tracfancier]

Don`t activate the second SIM until the first has vested. You still may have the points for the second SIM disappear on day 61, but you won't have lost the first AAL points.