Cricket Wireless Prepaid Cell Phones. Cricket might seem like a new wireless brand, but theyve been selling prepaid wireless services for more than a dozen years. Their plans, which offer unlimited services for a flat monthly fee, have become popular among value conscious consumers. Cricket-Activation.png' alt='Cricket Phones Activation' title='Cricket Phones Activation' />Pros With plans that range from 3. Cricket can fit any budget. They have an increasingly large handset lineup that now includes the i. Phone. Cons Because they dont subsidize handsets with two year contracts, many of the best handsets are quite expensive. Due to network incompatibility, some handsets are not available in all Cricket areas. Lowest Price Per Anytime Minute Unlimited plans no cost per minute. Plans Cricket offers plans for basic phones and smartphones. For basic phones they offer a basic 3. ID. The 4. 5 dollar plan adds unlimited picture and video messaging, international messaging, mobile data, and a host of calling features. The smartphone plans start at 5. GB of full speed 3. G data. The 6. 0 dollar plan adds unlimited international messaging and increases the 3. G speed cap to 2. GB. The 7. 0 dollar plan increases the full speed 3. G limit to 5 GB. Both the 6. Device must be compatible with the Cricket network and able to use a Cricket SIM card. Data speeds vary by device capabilities and network technology used in your. Shop Cricket Wireless Phones at Walmart. Buy Cricket Motorola Moto E Prepaid Smartphone, Cricket Wireless Samsung Galaxy Core Prime Prepaid Smartphone. Find product information, ratings and reviews for Cricket Samsung Galaxy Sol 2 online on Target. Price 99. 99http hIDSERP,5239. Are SIM Cards Interchangeable Between All Phones eBayA Subscriber Identity Module card, or SIM card, is a small piece of plastic with an embedded microchip that is used in GSMenabled cellular phones to identify the. Opening-Up-a-Cricket-Wireless-Universal-SIM-Card-Activation-Kit.png' alt='Cricket Phones Activation' title='Cricket Phones Activation' />Android smartphones are eligible for the Muve Music plans, which cost the same as the smartphone plans. Finally, the i. Phone plan costs 5. Read more about Cricket Wireless plans. Customer Service Customer service is available via a toll free number. Free Nights Unlimited. Credit Check None. Free Weekends Unlimited. Contract None. Daily Access Fee On PAYgo plans. Payment Options Cricket offers customers the ability to pay via automatic bill payments that deduct your balance from a credit or debit card each month. You can make payments by phone with a credit or debit card, but youll be charged an additional 2 dollar processing fee to do so. Paying in cash at an authorized payment location for a 3 dollar fee is another option. Payment by mail may be made with check or money order and you can also make payments online through their customer care website. Data Plans For basic phones, the 4. All smartphone plans include unlimited data, but each has a particular amount of full speed 3. G data. The 6. 0 dollar smartphone plan includes 1. GB of full speed 3. G data. The 6. 0 dollar plan includes 2. GB, and the 7. 0 dollar plan includes 5 GB. The i. Phone plan includes 2. GB of full speed data. Downloads You can download ringtones to most phones offered by Cricket for 1. Screen images also known as wallpapers are also available for download for 9. International Calling Cricket offers unlimited international text messaging on many of its plans. It also offers international long distance calling at varying rates. See website for details. Text Messaging Available Cricket offers unlimited text messaging with all plans, and offers picture messaging with the 4. Roaming Charges Roaming minutes cost 2. Cricket now has nationwide coverage, thereby reducing roaming areas. Text Messaging Charge For Incoming No. Calling Features Caller ID and voicemail are available on all plans. The 4. 5 dollar and higher plans add call waiting, call forwarding, and 3 way calling. Voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, and three way calling are available with all PAYgo plans. Unlimited Text Messaging Plan Available Yes. Activation Fee There is an activation fee of 1. Cricket wireless. Nationwide Long Distance Nationwide long distance is available on all of Crickets monthly plans. Unlimited Plan Available Yes. Calls Unlimited 4. Phone plan. Earliest Minute Expiration Cricket monthly plan minutes do not expire. A new fee is required every month. Calls Yes. Phones Cricket offers phones ranging from basic 3. Phone. In their inventory is a number of Android smartphones, and they are adding new ones regularly. They can range from value models around 1. Standard Calling Features caller ID, call waiting, voicemail. Some Available Cell Models i. Phone 5 shown. Samsung Vitality. Huawei Ascend II. Black. Berry Curve 9. Huawei Ascend Q. Cheapest Phone Model 4. Are SIM Cards Interchangeable Between All Phones A Subscriber Identity Module card, or SIM card, is a small piece of plastic with an embedded microchip that is used in GSM enabled cellular phones to identify the phone and its network. GSM, or Groupe Special Mobile, technology was created as a standard for a mobile telephone system that could be used across Europe. It was launched by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administration in 1. The SIM card stores the users phone number, calling plan, address book, and several security passcodes that are used to prevent unauthorized access of the phone. In short, they are the heart of the cellular phone and are not interchangeable between all phones. Convenient Transfer of Information. As technology advances and users continually upgrade their mobile devices, the most convenient way to transfer the personal information stored on a phone is to simply transfer a SIM card from one phone to another. However, SIM cards are not interchangeable between all phones. However, they are designed to be swapped among phones offered by the same carrier such as AT T, Verizon, Sprint, and others. SIM cards that are not designated to a specific network can be used on any GSM compatible mobile phone. That noted, there are ways around the carrier restriction, as a user may be able to unlock a SIM card and use it in a GSM compatible phone. Security. A SIM card keeps users data and call information secure. The cards can be locked and only accessed with the correct personal identification number. This is beneficial in the case of a stolen phone, as the thief would not be able to access any personal information. The card also has a secret authentication code, as well as an encryption key, that keeps phone transmissions secure. Phones that work on a GSM network may be cloned and the service stolen this is more difficult to do with a phone on a Code Division Multiple Access CDMA network. However, because of the way encryption information is transmitted to individual carriers, it is necessary to have access to the actual SIM card so that it may be copied. CDMA based phones do not use SIM cards. Rather, most carriers save the phone number and other personal information on the device itself. CDMA networks are primarily used in the U. S. However, most cellular carriers are upgrading to 3. GPP Long Term Evolution LTE, which is based on GSM technology. Therefore, a SIM card will likely be required for devices on this network. Activating a SIM Card. To activate a SIM card, the user simply needs to open an account with a cellular phone service carrier. The user may either call the carrier to have it activated, or use the appropriate tool on the carriers website to enter the SIM cards unique number to have it turned on. Users upgrading their device through the same carrier can activate the new device quickly by inserting their old SIM cards. Because all of the users data is stored on that card, nothing else needs to be done to transfer this information. It is important to note that most phone applications are stored in the phones memory or on a secure digital card, or SD card, and will not be transferred to the new device. Unlocking SIM Cards. Some carriers lock their handsets, preventing SIM card exchange among any device. This is especially common in the U. S. The reason is that some service providers sell the handsets at a discount in exchange for a long term contract for service, usually between one and three years. This model allows a company to recoup the cost of the phone over the life of a contract, rather than charging a high fee up front for the cost of the phone. Otherwise, a consumer may sign a contract with one carrier to receive the discounted phone, break the contract by not paying the bill, then begin using the phone on another network, or even sell the phone for a profit. These handsets can be unlocked and unbound from a carrier if the user has the right code. The exact process to do this varies by phone manufacturer and phone model. Prepaid SIM Cards. Users who do not want to enter into a long term service contract may purchase a prepaid SIM card, which may be used even on locked phones within a carriers network or on unlocked phones. This option is utilized by users who do not want to be tied to a particular carrier for a long term or for those interested in trying out a provider before committing to a long term contract. International travelers opt for prepaid SIM cards to provide local coverage when abroad without affecting the apps and other settings stored on their handsets. Plus, the use of it avoids international roaming charges from the home based carrier. A prepaid SIM card gives the traveler a local number, making it more cost effective for those within the same country to call the user. Replacement SIM Cards. Replacement SIM cards may be purchased through the individual carriers of GSM enabled phones or at electronic stores that sell cellular phone services. There are a number of websites that sell SIM cards, as well, including major online retailers and through carrier sites and affiliates. How to Install a SIM Card. Installing a SIM card is a very simple process. First, ensure that the SIM card is compatible with the device. Locked phones require SIM cards from the designated carrier, while unlocked phones can accept any SIM card of appropriate size. Unlocked phones will need the SIM card to be activated by the carrier prior to installation. Slide off the back cover of the phone that protects the battery. Remove the battery. Remove the SIM card from its slot. Place the new SIM card in place. Replace the battery. Replace the back cover of the phone. SIM Card Sizes. There are five sizes of SIM cards. The card that is most often used in cellular phones on the market today is the mini SIM, which can be easily and quickly transferred between cell phones without the user losing his or her number or calling plan. The micro SIM is the standard used by high end configurations of the original i. Pad and the GSM compatible versions of the i. Pad 2 and i. Pad 3rd generation. Hp 2000 Wireless Driver For Windows 7 64 Bit. The third SIM card is the full sized SIM card, which is the size of a standard credit card and is too big for most phones. Nano SIM cards and embedded SIM cards are newer technology on the horizon to be rolled out to the consumer market. SIM Card. Length mmHeight mmWidth mmFull Size SIM8. Mini SIM2. 5. 0. 01. Micro SIM1. 5. 0. Nano SIM1. 2. 3. 08. Embedded SIM6. 0. If the user wishes to use a micro SIM card in a slot designated for a mini SIM card, it can be done with the proper SIM card adapter. How to Buy SIM Cards on e. Bay. SIM cards for GSM enabled cellular devices are available on e. Bay. To find SIM cards that are available for purchase, create a search by typing in keywords in the search box on the home page. If your phone is designated to a particular carrier, you can narrow your search by adding the carrier name, such as Verizon SIM card or Sprint SIM card. SIM cards also can be found in the Cell Phones and Accessories and Computers, Tablets, and Networking sections of e. Bay. Once youve narrowed the list of possible SIM cards, click on the listing title to read a more complete description and to determine if the card is designated for a particular carrier. Learn if the product is new or has been previously activated, and where the product may be coming from to determine shipping times and rates.