Is The Razer Phone Compatible With Straight Talk Service

You may be able to bring your own phone to this budget provider (and relieve some serious greenbacks), but make sure information technology works first.

Pile of phones

Though you're probably familiar with the major smartphone carriers like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, there are a lot of smaller providers offering reasonable service at first-class rates.

In the past, these providers were often distinguished from the big brands due to the fact that they offered prepaid, no-contract phones. While such carriers didn't necessarily offer service for the latest smartphones, there was a lot of entreatment to their upkeep-friendly prices. But equally the large carriers have started to step abroad from contracts themselves, the differentiation between the two types of carriers has grown more vague.

Same Networks, Different Rates

So only what is the difference from the brand-name carriers and Direct Talk Wireless, a budget brand run past a partnership between Walmart and TracFone? Surprisingly lilliputian, specially as the mobile network is a MVNO (or "mobile virtual network operator"), significant TracFone has agreements with AT&T, Verizon, Dart, and T-Mobile to use their networks to provide service.

This ways making a switch from your current carrier to Direct Talk's $45-a-calendar month unlimited plan (with unlimited talk and text every bit well every bit up to 5GB of 4G LTE data) is unlikely to even change your service.

(It'southward worth noting that many of our readers would disagree that the networks are equivalent. When we previously asked for feedback on Direct Talk Wireless, we received dozens of comments describing terrible customer service. Still, if you don't run into issues, this may be worth the cost savings.)

Merely is your electric current phone eligible to make the switch to Direct Talk? That'south where this gets a bit more complicated.

Bring Your Own Phone

Straight Talk advertises itself as a "bring your own phone" carrier, suggesting that y'all can take whatever phone you're using on a major carrier and swap it to a Direct Talk plan to save cash. If y'all're bringing an existing phone over, in that location are all the same a few caveats:

You need to own your phone. More and more providers are moving to charter-style programs in which you don't actually ain your phone. If you lot're on such a program, your telephone may non be yours to move to another carrier.
You need to exist off-contract. If you bought a telephone through a carrier on a ii-year contract, you lot're locked in with them until the end of your contract flow. Cancelling early may cost you a hefty fee.
Your telephone needs to exist carrier unlocked. Most phones are locked then they only work with that carrier. This doesn't hateful y'all can't use them with other carriers — especially a network similar Straight Talk, which is just using major carriers' networks — just you're likely to have to talk to your carrier to unlock your device.

What If I Want a New Phone?

If you desire a brand new phone, Straight Talk lets you purchase select — simply non all — models direct and volition support about new-model GSM or CDMA phones (more on those in a minute) you bring to the service. However, if you tin purchase a telephone on ane of the networks Straight Talk supports, you should be able to run it on Direct Talk every bit well — including the latest iPhone and Android models.

Come across ALSO: Walmart Directly Talk Review: Is the Wireless Service Whatsoever Adept?

Just exist aware that in order to run this phone on Straight Talk information technology volition need to be a carrier-unlocked model, significant you'll either pay full retail price upwards front or have to apply Straight Talk'south financing options — both of which may exist less appealing than what major carriers take to offering. If you don't typically buy unlocked phones, be warned: There may be some sticker stupor, as major carriers will either subsidize your purchase or let you pay in installments over 12 to 24 months.

Do I Accept a GSM or CDMA Phone?

If yous've started the process to sign upwardly for Straight Talk, the first snag y'all've probable encountered is the question of whether you take a GSM or CDMA phone. You probably haven't run into this terminology if you've been using a phone from one of the major carriers, merely it's of import data if you're thinking about switching networks.

Information technology comes downwardly to the fact that different carriers use different types of technology to communicate. In the U.Southward., AT&T and T-Mobile utilise GSM while Verizon and Sprint use CDMA — and the technology your phone was built to work with limits the networks it will piece of work on. Though this isn't make-or-pause for an MVNO network like Straight Talk, you'll need to figure out what kind of phone you lot accept to become appropriately set up.

GSM phones and LTE-capable CDMA phones are (typically) as simple to set upwards as swapping SIM cards from your current carrier'south to a Straight Talk SIM (which can exist purchased for 99 cents) — simply some CDMA phones that don't utilise SIM cards will merely need to be set up on the new network.

Which Phones Tin can I Apply?

Straight Talk supports nearly GSM and CDMA phones and offers nano, micro, and standard SIM cards for use with a variety of phone models. However, what'due south available in your area volition depend on the networks bachelor to y'all. For instance, if you have a Sprint telephone merely take moved to an area that doesn't offer Sprint coverage, your existing telephone may not work. To cheque whether your current phone will work, simply head to Direct Talk'due south website and provide data on your current telephone and location. CDMA (Sprint and Verizon) phones require some additional verification to ensure they'll work on the network by entering a device identification number.

Straight Talk will directly sell these models — including both smartphones and characteristic phones — though you may find the specific models available in your expanse vary:

Alcatel Onetouch Popular Icon
Alcatel Onetouch Pop Nova LTE
Alcatel Onetouch Pop Star LTE
Alcatel Onetouch Sonic LTE
Huawei Ascend Two
Huawei H215G
Huawei Inspira
Huawei Pronto LTE
Huawei Raven LTE
iPhone half dozen
iPhone 6 Plus
LG 441G
LG Access LTE
LG Lucky
LG Optimus Dynamic II
LG Optimus Fuel
LG Sunset LTE
LG Ultimate 2
Moto E
Samsung Milky way Ace Way
Samsung Milky way Centura
Samsung Milky way Discover
Samsung Galaxy S III
Samsung Galaxy S4
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
Samsung Galaxy S5
Samsung R375C
Samsung S336C
ZTE Majesty
ZTE Merit
ZTE Midnight
ZTE Paragon
ZTE Rapido LTE
ZTE Solar
ZTE Unico LTE
ZTE Whirl
ZTE Valet

Y'all'll notice that none of the latest smartphones are on that list — only they're still likely to work on Straight Talk. Any AT&T- or T-Mobile-uniform GSM telephone that can use nano, micro, and standard SIM cards should piece of work on the network without trouble, which covers a huge range of modern smartphones.

Readers, what take your experiences been with Straight Talk Wireless? Take you switched whatever of your cell phones to the carrier? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

DealNews may be compensated by companies mentioned in this article. Delight note that, although prices sometimes fluctuate or elapse unexpectedly, all products and deals mentioned in this feature were available at the lowest total price we could detect at the fourth dimension of publication (unless otherwise specified).