Will 4g unlocked phones work with the newest at&t simcards? (Part 2)

fox64

Member
(Part 2 of my attempt to get my phone number on to a decent android phone, Im so close!)

I have some confusions about the recent requirement to switch over to 5G.

For the last 7 years I have used an old at&t slidout keybourd phone (with big oldfasioned simcard). Now in 2021 at&t is switching to a newer kind of network(I Think 5G?) and older phones must be replaced. So they sent me a low quality generic android phone as a replacement.

I want to buy a nice unlocked android phone from Best Buy for $250 or less , but all the phones say 4G or 4G Lte in the specs section, even the ones that say 2021 model.


I was thinking about getting a phone like this "Moto G Power 2021 (Unlocked) 32GB Memory" (In the specifications it says 4G Lte)

My question is will the new at&t simcard work in the "Moto G Power 2021"? ,or do the specs have to say 5G?
 

Darren

Moderator
Staff member
4G is going to be around for a while. They're deprecating 3G, so any phone that relies on that and doesn't have 4G (like a sliding keyboard phone probably) will need to be replaced.

The G Power 2021 will be supported.

PDF of all supported phones below.


 

voyagerfan99

Master of Turning Things Off and Back On Again
Staff member
You'll be fine. I'm still rocking an 8 year old SIM card and get 5G fine on my Pixel 5.
 

fox64

Member
So your saying a 5G sim card will work in a 4G phone?

If so ,This is good because most of the good android phones under $250 at best buy say 4G.
I will probably get the "Moto G Power 2021" with case and 256GB sd card.

My slide out keyboard phone had a giant sim card ,it must have been 3G. The new sim card is probably ether 4G or 5G.

Thanks Darren and voyager
 
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beers

Moderator
Staff member
My slide out keyboard phone had a giant sim card ,it must have been 3G. The new sim card is probably ether 4G or 5G.
Most SIM are just nano these days but come with those punch out adapters for larger/older phones
 

fox64

Member
(johnb35 said "No they will not, if you are saying you will get 5g. The phone must support 5G which the moto G power is not.")

Ok I see, then I will make sure I ask them for a 5G phone.

They said my old phone wont work anymore because their switching to 5G ,so they sent me a crummy new one.
I want to pluck the new simcard out of the crummy new android phone and put it into a good android phone, just to be safe I will ask the best buy guy for a 5G android phone.

I dont know If the new phones service is 5G speed, I just Know they sent me a new crummy smart phone because the one I had for the last 7 year is being phased out or something. But now that I have the modern kind of sim card instead of the big kind, I now have the opportunity to put it into a good modern smart phone.

P.S.
The new phone
1. must have good screen when turned sideways to landscape mode.(Not the shiny out of focus kind).
2. must have headphone jack.
3. must take SD card of 256 GB.
 
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Darren

Moderator
Staff member
(johnb35 said "No they will not, if you are saying you will get 5g. The phone must support 5G which the moto G power is not.")

Ok I see, then I will make sure I ask them for a 5G phone.
You will not get 5G signal, but you will still get 4G signal even with a "5G SIM".

Just get the Moto G Power. Per my previous post and PDF, it's supported on the network. You're making this more complicated than it needs to be, look at the list.
 

fox64

Member
Part 3 (Season finale)

I was working a lot but I finally got a chance to go to target. I got the moto g play 2021 unlocked (32gb) for $160 and it works good.

Everything about it is good enough. Camera, screen, 3gb of ram, headphone jack ,sd card slot.

I will probably get a case and a 256gb sd card.
 
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