Help me get a new phone

Local H Jay

So I use Virgin mobile since I like their $35/mo plan. I have had them for a few years. Last year I bought a Galaxy S3 (I am slow to upgrade) and it is slowly dying on me. It has taken a beating but I would like to move up to the S5 as I can now afford a slightly newer model.

Unfortunately I am not sure which model to look for? I usually just read Amazon reviews but it's unclear if an unlocked S5 will even work with Virgin or not. There seem to be two kinds of phones, GSM and SIM? I think I need the former as I don't have a SIM car slot. I am supremely confused and bad at phones. Can anyone help me find a phone for my plan? They do not sell the Galaxy phones on the Virgin site as far as I know.

Dehumanized

Looking at their site, it seems to indicate you might not be able to do that?

http://virginmobileusa.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/896/session/L3RpbWUvMTQzNTg3OTg1OC9zaWQvV1R4SmFvcW0=

Use of a cell phone from a different carrier

You cannot use a mobile phone from another wireless carrier, or any unlocked device. But it's the perfect excuse to get a new phone.Click here to view Virgin Mobile Phones and Plans.

http://virginmobileusa.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5815

Will Virgin Mobile allow unlocked devices from other wireless carriers on its network?
Generally, Virgin Mobile will only activate devices that have been certified to work with Virgin Mobile services and will not activate unlocked devices from other carriers/service providers, including devices manufactured for Sprint, Boost Mobile and Assurance Wireless. Devices designed for other wireless carriers may not interoperate with Virgin Mobile’s services and may cause service degradation and/or other poor customer experiences.

Anyways, as that second FAQ question indicates they use Sprint's network to provide service so if you got them to let you use an unlocked device on their network, it would need to be compatible with Sprint's network.

Local H Jay

Fair enough. I wasn't aware unlocked phones wouldn't work. Might have to consider changing my network? I will look for monthly plans that also support either the phone or allows unlocked ones.

Pirusu

Local H Jay wrote: »

There seem to be two kinds of phones, GSM and SIM? I think I need the former as I don't have a SIM car slot. I am supremely confused and bad at phones.

To clarify, the three (technically 4, but for simplification, three) cellular technologies in use today are GSM, CDMA, and 4G LTE (There's also WiMax which Sprint uses, but they are phasing this out as of 2015).

GSM requires a SIM card, and is used by AT&T and T-Mobile.

CDMA does NOT use a SIM card, and is used by Verizon and Sprint.

4G LTE DOES require a sim card, and is used by all the carriers: If you want a new "4G LTE" phone, this will require a sim card. But Dehumanized is right, you should get a phone that is compatible with Sprint's network if you don't want to purchase directly from Virgin and their super limited phone choice.

Shadowfire

If you have decent AT&T service in your area, my wife and I were very happy with Cricket. You can bring whatever GSM phone you like, and the plans were totally reasonable. We paid $45/month for 5GB data, but if you use less I think the 3GB plan is only $35.