There are a couple of things that you should know about Metropcs or Metro by T-Mobile phones. An important question for example, is could you get one of these phones for free? This is essentially the way that these phones are being marketed these days. If you buy one of these phones you’re likely to have the next question: are Metropcs phones unlocked? The answer to that is pretty straightforward. That being said, one of the biggest advantages that this wireless service provider brings to the table is that essentially you can bring your phone to them, and they’ll unlock it. This confuses a lot of people and that’s why we decided it could be a good idea to cover this particular topic.
We have to make sure we’re able to differentiate the phone that you bring to Metropcs, and the phones that you get from them. As is the case with virtually any wireless service provider you need to make sure that the phone that you bring is unlocked. Yet, if you buy a phone from them there’s a good chance that the phone will be locked. That’s pretty much how things work. There are a couple of benefits though to going to one of these stores to try and get coverage from them. You’ll essentially notice rather quickly that the way this service works is quite different than what you’d see in some of the larger service providers. Are Metropcs phones unlocked? Depends on where you got the phone.
- Getting a phone from Metropcs
- Are Metropcs phones really free?
- The benefits of having an unlocked phone
- Will you be able to get help at the store?
- Is Metropcs worth it?
- The phone you chose could limit your service
Getting a phone from Metropcs
There are actually different phones that you’re going to be able to get directly from Metropcs or Metro by T-Mobile. These phones are going to be locked to their network. At this point it’s basically the same thing as getting a phone from T-Mobile. Now, Metropcs still operates under different types of packages. When you buy from Metropcs there are a couple of things that you should know. Number one is again, the phone is going to be locked to the T-Mobile network. The second thing is, not all of the phones are going to be compatible with the maximum capacity of the network. Even the phones that they sell.
What we’re saying here is basically if you buy a very basic, cheap, old phone it may not be able to give you 5G coverage. That’s the main issue that you have to watch out for. Some of the cheaper models that they have on sale may not be compatible with the 5G network. When you buy a phone that is a bit on the older side even if you can use the 5G network out of the gate that might not be the case in a couple of months time. This issue may become even more difficult to deal with when Metropcs, or T-Mobile jumps to a 6G network. As you can probably tell these are all warning signs that we want to make sure to give out. Of course, you can buy a recent phone from them and use it for 2 years on the network without trouble.
Are Metropcs phones really free?
This is an important topic because at least at the time of writing Metropcs is offering different types of free phones. That’s part of what we were mentioning before that some of the phones that they are offering may not offer the best coverage from the network. Now, they currently run a promo where you’re going to be able to get a “free” phone from Metropcs. That doesn’t mean that you’re going to be able to walk into any store pick from the phones that they have available at the store and without a cent pick up the phone and walk out.
For the most part what they are offering is a rebate. The rebate supposedly is going to cover the full price of the phone. The thing is you’re still going to have to pay the phone upfront to start with. Secondly, you’re going to have to pay an entrance fee, if you will, to the network. That fee is around 60 dollars. If you wanted to drop by the store and get a free phone from them without having to pay a dime think again. Also, just for good measure we want to say that the phones that you buy are not going to be unlocked! The conditions could vary per phone, and that’s why we’re not talking about them here. Make sure to read the small letters on the contract. To see how much money you’re getting back and what the fee is!
The benefits of having an unlocked phone
This is something that we’ve certainly covered a ton of on this site. That being said, it is different when it comes to Metropcs. If you’re looking into getting coverage from this particular company there’s a good chance that you’re not really keen on getting into a long term deal with any company. Instead looking more into what the best prepaid deal could be at the moment. When you have an unlocked phone you’re essentially going to be free to change service providers whenever you want. Granted, if you put yourself in a forceful long term contract with a company you’re still going to be a bit stuck even with an unlocked phone.
If you’re an avid traveler an unlocked phone is going to be a must. Even if it’s just a burner phone that you just use when you travel. The reason why we recommend this is because you’re going to be able to get a local SIM card from wherever it is that you’re traveling and get coverage on your phone. Having an unlocked phone is going to give you the freedom to change service providers locally, as long as you keep yourself on short term deals or pay as you go plans. When you travel, even if you are on a long term contract it’s always a good idea to unlock your phone before the trip.
Will you be able to get help at the store?
One of the easiest ways to unlock a phone is to get help from someone who knows how to do it. We have articles on how to unlock different types of phones that we’ll link to here. We understand though that some people may not feel all that comfortable going through that process on their own. One of the best alternatives is to look for help at your local metropcs store. As we’ve established answering the question of are Metropcs phones unlocked? When you buy a phone from them that phone is going to be locked. Essentially if you still owe the phone the people at the store are usually not going to want to help you. You’d have to come across a very nice Metro by T-Mobile employee.
When you’ve paid off the phone though they should help you unlock it. Since, at that point the phone is completely yours you don’t have to keep it locked down to another service provider. Actually at the time of writing there are a lot of commercials for different wireless service providers that allude to this type of thing. If you bring your phone, even if it’s locked they can help you unlock it. Make sure that you’ve gotten out of your contract with the past company. In short, when you bring your old phone locked to another service provider to a new company that you want service from they’ll typically be helpful. When you want to change service providers the new service provider is the one that you want to ask for tech help. Still, make sure you store the data that is in your device in a safely
Are Metropcs Phones Unlocked : Is Metropcs worth it?
We always say that different options can appeal to different people because the needs that folks have can be equally diverse. When it comes to Metro by T-Mobile or Metropcs we feel that it’s a great company for people who aren’t able to get into a family plan. Usually the problem with long term contracts with the common service providers is that they are overly expensive for people who are going into the contract alone. The price tag on one line in Metropcs is much lower than what you can typically expect to pay with other service providers. At the same time, it almost works like a pay as you go company with some T-Mobile benefits. The fact for example that you’re on the T-Mobile network presumably at a lower price is a good deal for sure.
Having said all of this, we would also understand that certain people don’t find that Metropcs is worth it. Who would we say may not necessarily benefit from this service provider? If you’re the head of a family or even a business and you’re paying for 4 lines then you’re probably going to be able to find better deals with some of the larger service providers. Also, if you live in a part of the country where being part of the T-Mobile network isn’t great because of the coverage that you get in your area, then definitely you may not be a person who would think Metropcs is worth it!
The phone you chose could limit your service
There are some people who think it’s a good idea to bring their old phone into a new network to save money. You won’t have to worry about those schemes that Metropcs is running to essentially give people a new phone “for free”. If you have a decent device that still has some good years left of usage it may not be the worst idea to literally put it to good use. The problem with older devices is that they may not be compatible with the 5G network that T-Mobile runs. In some of these cases you may be able to bring your device and get a plan with Metropcs. The coverage that you get is going to be limited.
To be clear here, this article is being written on a computer that’s already been shut out of many current websites! That’s why we like to talk about device compatibility. The problem with older devices isn’t necessarily that they are not in great shape. It’s that the software that they run on is virtually obsolete. That can happen to cell phones as well. Someone who is very observative will see that T-Mobile is even offering old flip phones for customers to buy. You can certainly do that and even hop onto the Metropcs network. Just now that you’ll be a user with limited capabilities in the network. Being a second class user isn’t going to lower your bill!
Are Metropcs Phones Unlocked – Conclusion
We answered the main question behind this article (Are Metropcs phones unlocked?) already. The answer is that no, no Metropcs phones are not unlocked if you buy directly from them. If you’re going to seek out service from Metropcs or Metro by T-Mobile as they are now known it does make sense to bring in an unlocked phone. Metropcs have very good rates particularly for folks who aren’t looking to enter a contract with multiple lines and things of that nature. Having an unlocked phone is going to give you the freedom to change your service provider when you see fit.
The biggest question that Metropcs users potentially should be asking themselves is if it’s worth it to get one of the free phones that they offer. There are a couple of fees that you’re going to have to take care of. Therefore, we can’t really say that the phone is free. There are a ton of conditions on it. We’re not saying that any of this is bad. Just make sure that you know what you’re getting into before you sign the dotted line. Hopefully, this article helps you with that.