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Buying a phone for under $100 on Amazon

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Hi there!

The title is more or less the question in general; what phones on Amazon are compatible with the standard T-Mobile network? I shattered my Galaxy S10 phone screen and have been looking for a replacement. I'm apart of a larger family plan with 5G coverage so if there's recommendations for that capability, that'd be great, but if there's only options for 4G LTE that's okay too. I just need something that'll let me do the basics and maybe watch youtube (lol).

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Best answer by gramps28 2 May 2024, 05:15

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gramps28
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Does it need to be new? You can get a used phone on Swappa and know it will work on the Tmobile network.

syaoran
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A lot of devices sold on Amazon that cheaply, are from overseas markets, which lack the VoLTE compatibility to make and receive calls on any US carriers network.  

As mentioned, Swappa is a great place for devices you know will be compatible because they can be filtered by carrier.  The only other really cheap option I can think of, are devices sold by BLU.

https://www.bluproducts.com/home/

Syaoran - I am not a T-Mobile Employee but I could use a new job!
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Does it need to be new? You can get a used phone on Swappa and know it will work on the Tmobile network.

It doesn't need to be new but it would need to be via Amazon. I've a close friend that's helping me pay for it, but it needs to be on Amazon to use her credit. I'd totally go for a different option were it to be the case. I'm going to check out Swappa though to see what they have.

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A lot of devices sold on Amazon that cheaply, are from overseas markets, which lack the VoLTE compatibility to make and receive calls on any US carriers network.  

As mentioned, Swappa is a great place for devices you know will be compatible because they can be filtered by carrier.  The only other really cheap option I can think of, are devices sold by BLU.

https://www.bluproducts.com/home/

I was trying to figure out the exact thing that made all those phones incompatible, thank you! Do you have any suggestions for models to look for?

gramps28
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Tmobile branded phones are the best after that an unlocked AT&T should work.

syaoran
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Userlevel 7
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A lot of devices sold on Amazon that cheaply, are from overseas markets, which lack the VoLTE compatibility to make and receive calls on any US carriers network.  

As mentioned, Swappa is a great place for devices you know will be compatible because they can be filtered by carrier.  The only other really cheap option I can think of, are devices sold by BLU.

https://www.bluproducts.com/home/

I was trying to figure out the exact thing that made all those phones incompatible, thank you! Do you have any suggestions for models to look for?

Asian devices have implantations for Asian carriers.  VoLTE, VoNR, VoWiFi, and even the bands used by Asian carriers are very different than we use in North America.  In some cases, like with my old MiMIX 3, I was able to use Qualcom's tools to enable VoLTE for T-Mobile but this isn't something most people can do.  Not knowing exactly what you are doing in those tools will hard brick the device.  Most people think it's as easy as flashing a global ROM but it isn't.  

Syaoran - I am not a T-Mobile Employee but I could use a new job!

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