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Apple iPhone 16e $50 + 2-Mo. Supreme Unlimited Plan $120 with port-in at Cricket Wireless $170
$170
$780
78% off
Cricket Wireless
Community Reviews
This Cricket deal pairs an iPhone 16e with two months of service, and the main appeal is the low upfront cost for a locked phone that can later be used for trade-in or a year of Cricket service. The phone is eSIM-only, so activation and port-in steps matter, but the setup can work on an existing Cricket line with the right port-in details. The biggest drawback is the one-year lock and the service cost, which makes the total less attractive than some alternatives. It is most compelling for Cricket users or niche cases like app testing.
Apple trade-in value of $270 can help offset the effective cost when pairing the iPhone 16e with a trade-in toward a new Apple device.
The iPhone 16e eSIM activation process can work smoothly on a full Cricket family plan using Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM > Transfer from Nearby iPhone.
The deal can be optimized by porting early and switching plans before the initial month ends.
The iPhone 16e can be a strong fit for WiFi-only iOS app development and testing use cases.
The iPhone 16e is eSIM-only, which can complicate SIM-swap expectations for people planning to move a physical SIM.
The phone can be locked for a year on Cricket, which can make the overall value poor compared with buying an unlocked 16e and using cheaper carriers.
Port-in to Cricket can fail initially and require using the account and PIN from the port-in provider to get verification to pass.
The deal can become less favorable when the phone price and service bundle change, such as moving from $170 to $190 total.
Common Questions (4)
AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago
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52 Comments
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$5 tax (varies by your shipping address)
$175 initial cost due.
$545 for remaining 11 months service ($55/mo with the -5 auto pay discount then minus the 60 credit).
$720 total for a year of service + this iphone 16e 128gb.
buying an iphone16e 128gb unlocked new from bestbuy is $520, after taxes about $570, so it's like you're getting a year of this cell phone service for $150. can you get a year similar service for $150 elsewhere is the question that determines if this carrier's deal is right for you since the device is locked for a year with cricket.
I applied my moto gplay 2023 i had laying around for trade in online and it applied a 20 dollar credit that would've been applied to my boost mobile account after I mailed it in and it checks out, but I don't know if i will have the phone longer than a month or two, so I didn't end up doing the trade in. The big kicker for me was there was a capital one shopping coupon for $112 off boost mobile so my total for the iphone 16e with 2 months of unlimited comes out to be $174-$112= $62 dollars.... then when you consider apple is still accepting the 16e for trade in for $270 towards a phone or apple gift card, its really hard to beat getting to use a 16e for two months and then making over $200 towards a new iphone.
if i build in the full retail price of the phone? the answer would be... literally everywhere
how bout this math instead. buy two for ~$300 (multi line discount) then go trade them in at apple for a faster unlocked 17e with twice the storage for $150, then buy any of the numerous $200/year plans for your nrw unlocked phone. total cost $650 for a better phone, factory unlocked, with higher resale value. was a much better deal like 6 weeks ago when the trade in was $310 each and the 17e was $100 cheaper, but still better than your math above
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