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from redRanger
Look inside shipping box again, should be a brown envelope with sim card
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from waterchange
Yes, it comes with the phone. Possibly in a brown envelope that can easily be missed as it can look like the packing material.
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To activate the sim card: visit "https://www.metrobyt-mobile.com/order-status", enter your order number and zip code, click on the "Check status" button, then scroll down on the next screen and hit the "Activate" button.
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Answers to FAQ:
1. This is prepaid. No need to cancel. Just stop paying. Most will pay the forced first monthly fee (that comes with initial order) and then simply stop paying.
2. Phones are locked to Metro ONLY for first 180 days and chances are slim to none that you can get them unlocked before 180 days to use on other carriers.
a. Some exceptions: A few phones will work on TM from Day 1 {keep reading below}
3. Phones will/should unlock after 180 days. even if u only pay for 1 month
4. You can order online or in store.
If ordering on line:
a. if website says find a store. that means it is temporary OOS. Check again later.
b. order may not get through immediately. try again. try different browser.
c. no activation fee.
d. once u receive the package in mail....the Sim card is there, look in a brown/white bag that looks like packing material
If ordering in store:
a. $20 AF (occasionally ,rarely is promo where it gets waived)
b. best discount is if u port a number. this has to be in store only
c. lots so potential scams from employees {read below to find out more}
5. It is unclear if phone has to be in USA to unlock
6. During first 30 days, make sure u activate phone properly, make a call every 5-10 days (just as a example)
a. It is possible that those folks who did not get their unlock in 180 days, never fully activated their phone.
TBD
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Each phone )Android or Apple) has different ways to unlock.
Generally, To unlock the phone after 180 days
Phone's settings, connection, more connection settings, network unlock
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To have the phone unlock automatically in 180 days (6 months)
You need to have activated the phone 180 days ago.
You do not. repeat do NOT have to pay for service for 180 days.
the above has been true for most every metro deal in the past.
both apple and android
Most people get the 1 month service.
Then simply place phone in a drawer [or use as wi fi device].
wait 6 months.
The sim can be left in phone or stored safely.
It does not matter, as long as you DO NOT THROW AWAY THE SIM until you get a confirmed unlock
Phone should/will unlock in ~180 days + 6 -10 days.
best chance of success as follows:
During the ~6 month wait.
YOU can use as wifi device.
keep sim in phone.
when getting near the 180 day , have phone connected to wi-fi.
Try to unlock the device, once 1-2 days from day 180 onwards.
- None of us knows when Metro is going to close this unofficial loophole, .
-However this has been in effect with Metro phone deals for last ~4-5 years
Exercise your own judgement,
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https://www.metrobyt-mobile.com/t...olicy.html
Please read the OFFICIAL Metro by Tmobile unlock policy.
Unlock eligibility requirements
We unlock mobile devices that meet the following eligibility criteria free of charge:
The device must be purchased from Metro by T-Mobile.
The device must not be reported as lost, stolen or blocked.
One hundred eighty (180) days must have passed since the device's activation date
{180 days since activation. no mention of payment requirement during those 180 days}
Countless number of people have reported.
Both iphone + Android have auto unlocked ~180 days from purchase.
Even when paying for ONLY 1 month of service.
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Only a select few "newer" phones work with T-mobile out of box Day 1 without being unlocked.
Phones that work with Tmobile from Day 1:
Oneplus N200
Samsung a53 (don't update the A53 firmware past July 2022 or your T-Mobile sim won't work until 180 days like other phones do)
Moto g stylus 5g 2021
note: Metro may close this loop whole at any time.
phones that DO NOT work with T-Mobile from Day 1:
Moto G Stylus 5g 2022
Moto G 5G 2022
Samsung Galaxy A23 5G
OnePlus N20 5G
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How to activate:
In your shipment confirmation email, there's a link on the bottom that says track your status "here".
Click on that link, enter your order number and zip, it will show you shipment progress. At the very bottom of that page, there's a spot that says activate service. Just click on that and it will populate the phone number and activate the sim.
How to activate and avoid some common issues:
the URL:https://www.metrobyt-mobile.com/order-status
- after you placed your order and received order confirmation email (subject should be We've received your Metro order!), you should be able to start tracking order and delivery status at the above URL
- once you received your phone, insert sim and power up the phone. for the initial phone software setup (not activation), I connected phone to wifi and skipped all of the google things so phone would say I'm only XX% through setup which doesn't really matter. I didn't have to download any app either. before next step I'm already at phone's "desktop" without google account or phone maker (ex. moto) account on the phone
- on your PC or whatever device you know website access would work, go to the same above URL
- enter your order info to track your order
- after page loaded the tracking info, scroll to the bottom and click on the button to start activate your phone/sim. go through the activation process which would setup an Metro online account if you don't already have one. make sure your phone is already powered up with sim inserted before you start the activation process!
- you should be able to do calls and texts if activation went through properly. I have both working within less than a minute where phone shows 5G UC icon and both wifi calling & VoLTE registered for Metro by T-Mobile. you should receive an email with subject You did it! Your phone is active within 24 hours. the email with subject Ready. Set. Activate will come some time later as well. I received both emails one day after I had already activated and started using the phone with full services
ALTERNATE method to activate your new phone
1. Use the order status page and enter the order# and zip, below the status is a link to activate.
2. Once you click this, you will see your new phone#.
3. Login to your account with your new phone# and the pin you created when creating the order
4. OTP is sent to the phone that is not yet setup - LOL
5. Setup the new phone
6. Repeat #3 and this time you can get the OTP on your new phone
7. Login - confirm auto billing option is OFF
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If purchasing in store:
many times M reps will make up rules...
if it sounds odd...its probably made up
Most common scam=insurance.
they will say it is required. usually `~$10.
total lie.
insurance not required for any promotion to date.
sometimes they will add it as part of monthly fee.
like saying the monthly fee is $50.
when in fact it is actually 40+10 insurance.
know exactly what u r paying for before, i repeat BEFORE u pay.
get it itemized.
specifically say "I do not want insurance"
follow up with "are u adding insurance?'
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Top Comments
Key differences
An overview of the main advantages of each smartphone
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G
Higher display refresh rate – 120 Hz
Optical image stabilization
Has an ultra-wide angle camera lens
28% faster in single-core GeekBench 5 test: 677 and 530 points
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
37% better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (418K versus 304K)
Newer Bluetooth version (v5.2)
The phone is 6-months newer
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468 Comments
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And yes, the A23 5G should have full OneUI 5, as opposed to A14 5G's OneUI Core 5. The A14 5G is missing a number of Samsung features (Smart view, Video background, Good Guardian, Good Lock, link to windows, etc, which I will not go into details). Expect less customization options, but otherwise it is the same base system. It doesn't run any lighter than the full OneUI. As shown on XDA developers, people who unlock the bootloader can "unlock" full OneUI by replacing a few system configuration files that fools the system into thinking it is another handset.
Correct, the A1x and A2x series will receive 2 OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates. Only the A3x after the A33, A5x after the A53, A7x after the A73 would receive 4 OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates. In particular, a number of devices in the A5x series are receiving monthly security updates as "enterprise models". The other devices all start with quarterly updates and drops into bi-annual updates at a later point.
The A14 5G will receive an upgrade to Android 15 compared A23 5G receiving Android 14, and the A14 5G will receive 5 more months of security updates. They are otherwise equal in update policies.
Yeah, I don't care much for the protruding lens array either. Can't tell if it's more or less prone to lens scratching.
Yeah, the more I think about it, I'd get another A23.
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Amazingly, I got thru on the phone and completed the order, tho at first the rep will tell you the phone is $329.99 and be clueless (or act like it) on the free promo deal.
I ended up ordering the A23 for the required $50 first month plan and 9 minutes later in the same call I ended up also ordering the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022), for the required $40 plan.
For what it's worth, tho today is a holiday, the traffic shows that the order number of my Moto (done exactly 9 minutes after the Samsung A23 order) was 192 numbers higher.
So their traffic right now is approx 21-22 orders per minute.
Just kidding, yes you can use it on wifi without problems
Great deal, gonna chase a pair for my kids since they need new phones starting new schools next August. Perfect timing.
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I just ordered one of each on two separate orders:
Motorola moto g stylus 5G
Samsung Galaxy A23 5G
I used Firefox on my PC in incognito mode and finally got it to work. Ive been trying to get an order through for the past 2 days using mobile and PC with several different browsers and experienced the same problems most others have already reported here and in the other thread. Their website is the absolute worst I have ever experienced anywhere, EVER! Its amazing that company even exists.
I experienced a new problem I dont think anyone has posted here yet. When creating a new 8 digit PIN number, it initially accepted it but then failed. I re-entered the PIN and it still failed. I called their extremely rude and incompetent customer service line and spoke with someone (or something) with extremely broken Chinglish language skills. I had to keep asking it what it was trying to say, while attempting to interpret the chanting spew of unintelligible gibberish exiting its lips. I finally concluded that it would set up a new account for me... BUT IT WOULD NEED TO CHARGE ME AN ADDITIONAL $20 TO DO IT! If that's how their shitty company treats new potential customers after already frustrating them, they aren't about to get my business after all Ive been through with them already, so I hung up. The phones are optional for me and were to be used as backups, so I would likely never use them.
Before I closed my browser, I entered a random 8 digit number into the PIN and it worked! If the idiot on their CS line had given me an explanation of their PIN requirements, I could have completed it myself. But it chose to try to rip me off instead and lost a customer. After completing the order, I closed the browser and opened a new window in incognito mode and repeated the same process for the second phone, using the exact same information, PIN and credit card, etc.
Tmobile absolutely does NOT deserve our business and many of us wasted a great deal of time dealing with their gross incompetence. We worked hard to buy these phone from their extremely rude Chinese company, damn it!
PS - SCREW YOU, TMOBILE SCUM!!
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