# AT&T is sending me a phone unsoliticited, activating it, and disabling my current phone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 13, 2021, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-t-is-sending-me-a-phone-unsoliticited-activating-it-and-disabling-my-current-phone/946406 "2021-07-13T17:45:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-t-is-sending-me-a-phone-unsoliticited-activating-it-and-disabling-my-current-phone/946406/63 "2022-03-15T19:49:08Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I’m wondering if I should be looking to upgrade to a 4G phone, which is everywhere and supposedly will be for a while? Or a 5G phone that isn’t everywhere yet Get the best phone for you that works _now_. I know lots of people in this thread like to keep their phones for 10 years, but sometimes with technology you just have to accept that upgrades are necessary. Get the best phone now, and if it has 5G or not, don’t worry about it. 4G is going to be around for a long time, and when the move to 5G requires a new phone, the 5G radios will be cheaper and more efficient than what is available today. Particularly if you’re looking at extreme budget phones. The extra cost to go from a basic 4G phone today to a 5G phone today is probably better spent buying a 5G phone tomorrow. If you’re looking at more expensive phones that happen to have 5G, that’s fine, too, but it certainly shouldn’t be the deciding factor unless the other features and price are equal. Also, the big feature of 5G (to the end user) is increased data speed. If you’re getting a phone that can’t fully utilized 5G speed because of its slow processor or because it’s not a smart phone, then 5G isn’t going to matter (until 4G goes away many years from now). ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-t-is-sending-me-a-phone-unsoliticited-activating-it-and-disabling-my-current-phone/946406/64 "2022-03-15T19:51:01Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Do any current mobile phones support both? Is that a common thing? Every 5G phone is going to be backwards compatable with 4G. But getting a 5G phone is in conflict with your desire to have a dumphone because I’m not sure if there are or ever will be anyone who bothers to make one with 5G. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-t-is-sending-me-a-phone-unsoliticited-activating-it-and-disabling-my-current-phone/946406/65 "2022-03-15T19:52:15Z")
@echoreply , thank you helping me to think some of those thoughts. These are the kinds of considerations I need to figure out. > [@T'Pau](#): > > Your thoughts, Spock. Give them to me! ETA: You too, @Darren_Garrison . ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-t-is-sending-me-a-phone-unsoliticited-activating-it-and-disabling-my-current-phone/946406/66 "2022-03-15T20:26:06Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > …I’ll forever have a green light happily offering something it can never provide… A poignant analogy for the aging process… 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-t-is-sending-me-a-phone-unsoliticited-activating-it-and-disabling-my-current-phone/946406/67 "2022-03-15T21:03:02Z")
Figured I’d share this link for those who are frustrated with features they don’t want and won’t use on a newer phone - > **[Best dumbphone in 2023: easy-to-use cellphones](https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buying-guides/best-dumbphone)** > > The best dumbphones are cheap, simple, and the battery life is incredible! Discover the best options available today (warning there -IS- one 3g phone on the list, so I’d avoid it, but most are 4g) The top pick is $44 on Amazon, which is pretty darn good for a budget phone with no carrier incentives. WARNING WARNING WARNING - I said this upthread, but when I did this as a job, it was always frustrating - not all carriers support the same bands (frequencies) on 3g/4g/LTE/5g - so check with your carrier if you intend to use any of these as BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-t-is-sending-me-a-phone-unsoliticited-activating-it-and-disabling-my-current-phone/946406.md?page=3)