As long as you don't use any carrier data, and don't tell them you're using a smartphone with a “dumb” SIM card, you can use a voice and text-only SIM card in whatever smartphone you want.
Even if you don't have an active mobile plan on an old phone you can still use it to call emergency services. By law, all cell phones are required to allow you to call 911, even without a service plan.
Types of no contract phone plans
If you're thinking about subscribing to a no contract phone plan, you have two options — either a prepaid phone plan or a SIM only phone plan. Prepaid phone plans: With a prepaid phone plan, the subscriber must pay the fees in full before service can be rendered.
If you have an Android phone without service you can still send text messages with WhatsApp, Google Allo, Facebook Messenger, GroupMe, LINE and many more, all by just using WiFi.
You don't, however, need to be in range of a cellular data network or, in fact, to have a data plan to use Wi-Fi on your smartphone -- the two are completely independent of each other.
When you enable WiFi Calling, it actually bypasses cell towers and lets your phone connect over the internet. It's just like placing a regular call from your cell phone, and you don't need a fancy app or to log in to a site. Your cell carrier and the type of phone you have determines if you can use WiFi calling.
If you don't pay your mobile phone contract, your account will go into arrears. Your mobile provider could cut your phone off so you're unable to make or receive calls. If you don't take steps to deal with the debt, your account will default and the contract will be cancelled.
SIM free phones are phones that don't come with a SIM card. SIM free phones are also unlocked, meaning you can use them with any network. SIM free phones are popular choices for phone-users who want to buy their phones outright and (typically) pair with a SIM only deal. This often works out cheaper.
Buy outright. Feel alright. Buy a device outright from Telstra and you own it for good. With no monthly repayments, you can relax.
In fact, tens of millions of customers still go for burner phones, whether they're flip phones or smartphones on Android or iOS from providers such as Verizon-owned TracFone, Simple Mobile, or Total Wireless.
In order to connect to the Internet on an iPhone without a cellular data plan, you must be within range of either an open Wi-Fi network or a closed Wi-Fi network to which you have the password.
If you purchase a replacement phone or upgrade to a new unlocked phone, you can take out the SIM card in your old phone and pop it in the new one. If your old SIM is not compatible (size difference) or you are changing carriers, you will need to purchase a new SIM card.
Do family plans save money? The initial price of a family plan can be shocking because the overall cost will be higher than an individual plan. However, when you look at the cost per line, it is cheaper. And as you add more lines, the cost per line usually decreases, ultimately saving money for everyone on the plan.
A no-contract phone plan is exactly what it sounds like: a cell phone plan that doesn't require the user to commit to the brand for several years or beyond month-to-month.
When you pay off your device: You continue paying your monthly costs for your talk, text and data plan, but you no longer have a device payment charge on your monthly bill. Any monthly promotional credits you're getting will stop. The paid-off device is eligible to be upgraded to a new device.
If your contract is not fulfilled or your account is not in good standing, it's very unlikely that a third-party unlocking service can unlock your phone—even if you pay them money to do so. If they do manage to unlock your phone, your IMEI may be blacklisted, which will make your phone unusable on any network.
We're all so used to buying a phone with intentions of using it on a carrier that we often don't consider what it will operate like without a SIM in it. Rest assured that your phone will operate just fine without active service from a carrier, leaving it as a Wifi-only device.
It could cost less – SIM-only deals tend to be cheaper in the long run compared to contract agreements because you're not paying back the cost of a new smartphone. You can stick with your phone – if you're particularly attached to your phone you could keep it.
The average monthly cell phone bill for Americans in 2022 is $114 per month.
Your phone number follows your SIM card
This means that whatever phone you put your SIM card in will then have your phone number – as long as it's unlocked, of course.
Unlike locked phones, which are limited to using the network carrier's SIM card, unlocked phones give you the freedom to choose your carrier. It's very simple to put a fresh SIM card in a new unlocked phone device.
You will need a SIM card to activate the device with Apple. Once activated, there is no requirement to have any cellular service with the device nor do you need to leave the SIM in it to use it without cellular service.
To send iMessages, you need a data plan, or you can send them over WiFi. If you use WiFi, there's no cost, but if you use your cellphone's data, it's deducted from your data plan. Sending pictures or videos over iMessage can use a lot of data very quickly. iMessage is located in the default messages app on your iPhone.