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thegoatgamer 71.4K Views
Aug 21, 2026 11:17 AM

Cricket Wireless: 128GB Apple iPhone 16e (Locked) + 3-Mo. Supreme Unlimited Plan

$190

$780

75% off
w/ Port-In + Free S&Hat Cricket Wireless
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Deal Details
Cricket Wireless has 128GB Apple iPhone 16e (Locked, Black) + 3-Months Prepaid Supreme Unlimited Plan on sale for $189.99 when you port in a number. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Community Member thegoatgamer for sharing this deal.

Note: Ensure the offer on the product page is checked. New customers may see an additional $25 off coupon when you add the item to your cart and wait a few minutes; a popup offer may appear with a coupon code. See device unlock policy.

Specs:
  • 6.1" Super Retina XDR OLED (2532 x 1170 pixels at 460 ppi)
  • Apple A18 chip (3nm) with 8-core Neural Engine
  • 8 GB LPDDR5X
  • 128 GB NVMe (non-expandable)
  • Single 48 MP Fusion camera (f/1.6 aperture, OIS, 2x optical-quality telephoto via crop)
  • 12 MP TrueDepth camera
  • iOS 18 (upgradable)
  • 4,005 mAh (approx. up to 22 hours video playback)
  • USB-C port, Qi wireless charging support
  • Face ID and Action Button (lacks Camera Control)
  • IP68 water and dust resistance (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes)
  • 5G, Wi-Fi, and Apple C1 custom cellular modem
  • 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm; 167 grams

Editor's Notes

Written by Nate650 | Staff
  • Please see the original post for additional details & give the wiki and additional forum comments a read for helpful discussion.

Original Post

Written by thegoatgamer
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Cricket Wireless has 128GB Apple iPhone 16e (Locked, Black) + 3-Months Prepaid Supreme Unlimited Plan on sale for $189.99 when you port in a number. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Community Member thegoatgamer for sharing this deal.

Note: Ensure the offer on the product page is checked. New customers may see an additional $25 off coupon when you add the item to your cart and wait a few minutes; a popup offer may appear with a coupon code. See device unlock policy.

Specs:
  • 6.1" Super Retina XDR OLED (2532 x 1170 pixels at 460 ppi)
  • Apple A18 chip (3nm) with 8-core Neural Engine
  • 8 GB LPDDR5X
  • 128 GB NVMe (non-expandable)
  • Single 48 MP Fusion camera (f/1.6 aperture, OIS, 2x optical-quality telephoto via crop)
  • 12 MP TrueDepth camera
  • iOS 18 (upgradable)
  • 4,005 mAh (approx. up to 22 hours video playback)
  • USB-C port, Qi wireless charging support
  • Face ID and Action Button (lacks Camera Control)
  • IP68 water and dust resistance (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes)
  • 5G, Wi-Fi, and Apple C1 custom cellular modem
  • 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm; 167 grams

Editor's Notes

Written by Nate650 | Staff
  • Please see the original post for additional details & give the wiki and additional forum comments a read for helpful discussion.

Original Post

Written by thegoatgamer

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Top Comments

SD_new
351Comments
67Reputation
Let's do the math; the device and 365 days of service will cost:

Device cost if porting a phone number: $9.99

3 months of service after factoring the $25 "new customer" pop-up coupon OP mentioned: $165

9 months of service @ $30: $270

9.99 + 165 + 270 = $444.99 + tax on device cost
Go to Comment
anthem_the_cat
940Comments
318Reputation
Google Voice does not work. I tried entering in my GV number and it claims "landlines cannot be ported over". I ended getting an esim via Tello for $10 after taxes. Chose the 300 minutes w/ no data plan.

Also, Capital One Offers has a $7 back clickthrough offer.
Go to Comment
Lunathelunatic
18Comments
10Reputation
All these year unlock periods now. The poor billionaires weren't making enough!
Go to Comment

Community Reviews

This Cricket iPhone 16e bundle is mainly attractive as a low upfront way to get an iPhone with a fresh battery, especially if you plan to trade it into Apple. The phone has repeatedly been accepted by Apple Store trade in for a $310 gift card, and the included three months of service are prepaid. The big catch is Cricket's unlock rule, which requires 365 days of paid service, so the line stays locked for a year. Porting and checkout can also be finicky, and the real total rises once service and add ons are included.

Common Questions (6)

AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago

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137 Comments

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Aug 21, 2026 11:32 AM
18 Comments
Joined Jul 2018
LunathelunaticAug 21, 2026 11:32 AM
18 Comments

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All these year unlock periods now. The poor billionaires weren't making enough!
3
13
9
Aug 21, 2026 12:06 PM
351 Comments
Joined Oct 2017
SD_newAug 21, 2026 12:06 PM
351 Comments

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365 days of paid service required for unlocking:

From cricketwireless.com:

Revised July 1, 2026

General Device Unlock Requirements

If you have a Cricket phone, it may have been programmed with a lock that prevents it from operating with other compatible wireless networks. Cricket will unlock your device upon request, if you have met the following unlocking requirements:

The device you want to unlock has been active for at least 365 days of paid service on that device.
The device is designed for use on and is locked to Cricket's network.
The device has not been reported lost or stolen.
The device is not associated with a fraudulent account.
3
Aug 21, 2026 12:11 PM
940 Comments
Joined Oct 2006
anthem_the_catAug 21, 2026 12:11 PM
940 Comments
One year of "paid" service makes it so hard. I remember the days when you could pay for like one month of service and throw in a drawer and wait for 11 months.

Just checked apple's website and trade-in value is $310...can someone confirm that Apple will accept locked phones?
Last edited by anthem_the_cat August 21, 2026 at 05:14 AM.
2
Aug 21, 2026 12:13 PM
351 Comments
Joined Oct 2017
SD_newAug 21, 2026 12:13 PM
351 Comments

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank

Let's do the math; the device and 365 days of service will cost:

Device cost if porting a phone number: $9.99

3 months of service after factoring the $25 "new customer" pop-up coupon OP mentioned: $165

9 months of service @ $30: $270

9.99 + 165 + 270 = $444.99 + tax on device cost
Last edited by SD_new August 21, 2026 at 05:16 AM.
11
2
Aug 21, 2026 12:44 PM
52 Comments
Joined Oct 2015
bellosrtAug 21, 2026 12:44 PM
52 Comments
Will this work on at&t monthly service?
3
Aug 21, 2026 12:55 PM
362 Comments
Joined Dec 2016
Hussar86Aug 21, 2026 12:55 PM
362 Comments
Quote from SD_new View quoted comment :
365 days of paid service required for unlocking: From cricketwireless.com:Revised July 1, 2026General Device Unlock RequirementsIf you have a Cricket phone, it may have been programmed with a lock that prevents it from operating with other compatible wireless networks. Cricket will unlock your device upon request, if you have met the following unlocking requirements:The device you want to unlock has been active for at least 365 days of paid service on that device.The device is designed for use on and is locked to Cricket's network.The device has not been reported lost or stolen.The device is not associated with a fraudulent account.
Good day are over! Only remaining avenue is to trade those in to Apple, but I bet soon even this will end.
1
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Original Poster
Pro
Aug 21, 2026 1:01 PM
120 Comments
Joined Mar 2018
thegoatgamerAug 21, 2026 1:01 PM
Original Poster
Pro
120 Comments
Quote from anthem_the_cat View quoted comment :
One year of "paid" service makes it so hard. I remember the days when you could pay for like one month of service and throw in a drawer and wait for 11 months.

Just checked apple's website and trade-in value is $310...can someone confirm that Apple will accept locked phones?
Yea, good catch. Devices used to just be locked for a year regardless of active service. That's so crazy that it's now 12 months of service. I saw on reddit that someone said they were able to trade it in successfully to Apple for the $310. But I haven't personally verified that.
Last edited by thegoatgamer August 21, 2026 at 06:04 AM.
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Aug 21, 2026 1:03 PM
72 Comments
Joined Nov 2006
pamadaroAug 21, 2026 1:03 PM
72 Comments
I did same deal recently but I traded the 16e to Apple for a 17e they take the unlocked phone. they give you $310 for the 16e.
Original Poster
Pro
Aug 21, 2026 1:05 PM
120 Comments
Joined Mar 2018
thegoatgamerAug 21, 2026 1:05 PM
Original Poster
Pro
120 Comments
Quote from pamadaro View quoted comment :
I did same deal recently but I traded the 16e to Apple for a 17e they take the unlocked phone. they give you $310 for the 16e.
did you port your number back out of cricket or stay with cricket for the 17e?
Aug 21, 2026 1:24 PM
72 Comments
Joined Nov 2006
pamadaroAug 21, 2026 1:24 PM
72 Comments
Quote from thegoatgamer View quoted comment :
did you port your number back out of cricket or stay with cricket for the 17e?
I will stay with them for 3 months since you have to prepay that upon signing up. I will then revisit after 3 months if I want to switch.
Aug 21, 2026 1:35 PM
623 Comments
Joined Nov 2003
linhnd2000Aug 21, 2026 1:35 PM
623 Comments

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Quote from pamadaro View quoted comment :
I will stay with them for 3 months since you have to prepay that upon signing up. I will then revisit after 3 months if I want to switch.
Might be bad timing as new iphone release can affect trade-in value of 16e -> less options
2
Aug 21, 2026 1:49 PM
72 Comments
Joined Nov 2006
pamadaroAug 21, 2026 1:49 PM
72 Comments
Quote from linhnd2000 View quoted comment :
Might be bad timing as new iphone release can affect trade-in value of 16e -> less options
Well I got $310 for the 16e so I'm fine but for future yes this will eventually go down. In chatting with apple they said the $310 trade in is likely to continue through August at least.
Aug 21, 2026 1:55 PM
940 Comments
Joined Oct 2006
anthem_the_catAug 21, 2026 1:55 PM
940 Comments
anyone else have a "trick" to get the $25 off coupon? I left the order idle in cart for a few minutes and no pop-up.
Aug 21, 2026 2:12 PM
91 Comments
Joined Dec 2009
gnoixAug 21, 2026 2:12 PM
91 Comments

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank

Quote from anthem_the_cat View quoted comment :
One year of "paid" service makes it so hard. I remember the days when you could pay for like one month of service and throw in a drawer and wait for 11 months.Just checked apple's website and trade-in value is $310...can someone confirm that Apple will accept locked phones?
Can confirm, just traded my Cricket 16e yesterday at the Apple Store.
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Aug 21, 2026 2:16 PM
91 Comments
Joined Dec 2009
gnoixAug 21, 2026 2:16 PM
91 Comments

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank

Quote from anthem_the_cat View quoted comment :
anyone else have a "trick" to get the $25 off coupon? I left the order idle in cart for a few minutes and no pop-up.
For me, I had to move my cursor to the top right of the browser like I was going to close it out, then the coupon popped up.
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