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
Top Comments
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
Also, Capital One Offers has a $7 back clickthrough offer.
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)
Yes, Apple Store trade-in has accepted the locked 16e and paid $310 in multiple reports, including in-person trades and gift-card redemptions. One later report says the Apple trade-in value dropped by $40, so the amount can change over time.
The advertised $9.99 device price is only part of it: the first 3 months of service are prepaid, and the remaining 9 months needed to reach Cricket's unlock requirement can add about $270 at roughly $30/month. Depending on port-in, plan choice, and coupons, commenters estimated totals from about $220 to about $445 before tax.
Yes. Apple Store trade-in has accepted the Cricket-locked 16e the same day it was bought, and the phone can be traded in immediately even though it remains carrier-locked for Cricket use until the unlock period is met.
Cricket's unlock requirement is 365 days of paid service on that device. Wi‑Fi use or leaving the phone unused does not count; the phone needs a full year of continuous active, paid service before Cricket will unlock it.
Yes. The deal was reported as not available for upgrades; it requires a new Cricket customer bringing a number over or signing up with a new number.
No. Google Voice porting was reported to fail with a "landlines cannot be ported over" error, so a different number source such as a Tello eSIM was used instead.
AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago
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137 Comments
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yes... with no port in it was like $240 out the door
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
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
$190 for device. Trade in for Apple GC for $310 = PROFIT toward a better phone, or something, from Apple.
If you decide you want the service for the included 3-months, trade value is subject to drop by then.
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$190 for device. Trade in for Apple GC for $310 = PROFIT toward a better phone, or something, from Apple.
If you decide you want the service for the included 3-months, trade value is subject to drop by then.
Edit:
One "modification" issue does come to mind for trade-ins. Must have "find my" disabled, logged out of Apple icloud, and reset the phone. Just like any Apple trade in. I also go through the initial setup afterwards so they can get to the sections they need to for processing the trade transaction. Just skip all of the personalization, etc.
That saves them 5 minutes per phone to process it. To get to the settings they need to see and copy down, it can't just be only reset, but needs to have the initial set up done again.
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Anybody having similar issues? Tried multiple times, combinations (payment, vpn, ..).. no luck.
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