Newbie needs info on what phone to get

[dspanner]

Hi. I want to buy my first smartphone, preferably a 4G/LTE. When I look on this site re compatibility, it prompts me to enter the IMEI #. The problem is that I don't yet have a phone, so I don't know the #. I'm interested in the Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime...or any phone anyone reading this might recommend that is under $200 and compatible with Public Mobile. Thanks so much!!! 

[bridonca]

All new prepaid phones, by law, are sold unlocked.  This phone will work with Public Mobile.   I have tested this personally.  You will need to add Public Mobile APN settings to get data working, but after that, you are good to go.

[RobertQc]

---

@dspanner wrote:

I apologize. I was confused that PC Mobile showed the Public brand but the Mobile Shop which is affiliated did not. I'm very new to cellphones as I have (till now) steadfastly refused to consider using one, so all of the lingo is quite new to me. Again, sorry. I'll do more homework before posting next time. I do not wish to be a bother to this community and I appreciate all the responses.

---

@dspannerYou are not bothering us as @surreyboz makes it seem. You are allowed to ask for help from more than 1 location. Just because you asked us for an opinion doesn't mean you can't ask someone else too. The fact that you have asked multiple people is doing more homework in my eyes. Keep all possibilities open so you can make an informed decision and I personally hope to see you post more in the future, Let us know if you have any more questions.

[stonechucker]

Any outright purchase of a Telus, Koodo, Bell, Virgin Mobile, or Lucky Mobile phone (ie no term), will work on this network.  If you get a Telus or Koodo phone, there is no need to be worried about it being locked (shouldn't be anyways).  Getting one from the other three, you will need to ensure it is unlocked when buying it, or comes with a code for you to unlock it.

You do not need to activate it on a carrier plan, to purchase a phone outright.  Please note, special deals may not apply if these factor into your decision.

[sheytoon]

Don't worry about it. Nobody is born knowing these things. If you have more questions, ask away! 🙂

[dspanner]

I apologize. I was confused that PC Mobile showed the Public brand but the Mobile Shop which is affiliated did not. I'm very new to cellphones as I have (till now) steadfastly refused to consider using one, so all of the lingo is quite new to me. Again, sorry. I'll do more homework before posting next time. I do not wish to be a bother to this community and I appreciate all the responses.

[dspanner]

I apologize. I was confused that PC Mobile showed the Public brand but the Mobile Shop which is affiliated did not. I'm very new to cellphones as I have (till now) steadfastly refused to consider using one, so all of the lingo is quite new to me. Again, sorry. I'll do more homework before posting next time. I do not wish to be a bother to this community and I appreciate all the responses.

[surreyboz]

---

@dspanner wrote:

Thanks for this. I went to the Mobile Shop website and although PCMobile mentions Public Mobile as a supported carrier, the Mobile Shop does not seem to list Public Mobile. Their prepaid phones are compatible with other carriers but not Public Mobile.

---

You came here for advice, So many posters told you to look for a Telus Compatible phone or a Canadian market unlocked phone and yet you completely ignored what you were told and wrote this Reply. Why even bother with asking for advice.?

[Dunkman]

@dspanner

Any prepaid phone that works with Telus or Koodo should also work with Public Mobile since they are part of the same company, Telus. 

Not sure whether you are a Costco member....  Costco is selling iphone SE 32 GB for $250.  It is a 3 year old phone, but for most people, it should meet their needs.  Brand new with warranty.  

[computergeek541]

---

@dspanner wrote:

Thanks for this. I went to the Mobile Shop website and although PCMobile mentions Public Mobile as a supported carrier, the Mobile Shop does not seem to list Public Mobile. Their prepaid phones are compatible with other carriers but not Public Mobile.

---

Where did you get that idea? Did the people who work there tell you that?

The phones that The Mobile Shop sells are pretty much all compatible with Public Mobile, as long as it is unlocked (or is locked to Telus).  The only exception would be if they have some really old Rogers/Fido phone that only has 2g, but I highly doubt that they would have any of those any longer for sale. 

[dspanner]

Thanks for this. I went to the Mobile Shop website and although PCMobile mentions Public Mobile as a supported carrier, the Mobile Shop does not seem to list Public Mobile. Their prepaid phones are compatible with other carriers but not Public Mobile.

[bridonca]

This is probably the best "cheap" phone you can buy locally that also has a local warranty.  It is $150 now, but I have seen it at $130

https://www.pcmobile.ca/prepaid_phones.jsp

The j2 prime is not that good a phone.

[NDesai]

---

@Carld123 wrote:

Take @RobertQc advice...👍no star..but he is a star... 😀

---

I see what you did there! 

[Carld123]

Take @RobertQc advice...👍no star..but he is a star... 😀

[sheytoon · Accepted solution]

@dspanner, see here:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Discussions/LTE-network-fundamentals/m-p/134356#M5822...

Personally I would choose a Moto G6 as a budget phone. The "Play" version is cheaper.

[mh1983]

Agree w/ previous poster. And given that the IMEI is not available to you, if you can find a phone that works on Telus or one that is unlocked for Canadian carriers, that should work. You could always get a prepaid phone from Best Buy, Walmart, or Staples or even online like Amazon. Try it out and if it doesn't work, you can always return and try another.

[RobertQc]

---

@dspanner wrote:

Hi. I want to buy my first smartphone, preferably a 4G/LTE. When I look on this site re compatibility, it prompts me to enter the IMEI #. The problem is that I don't yet have a phone, so I don't know the #. I'm interested in the Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime...or any phone anyone reading this might recommend that is under $200 and compatible with Public Mobile. Thanks so much!!! 

---

@dspannerSamsung phones are expensive for what you get, part of the money you spend is for the name Samsung. Xiaomi will give you much better value for your money (so will many other companies). If you only have $200 and want to get the best specs per $ Xiaomi is a good choice. You want a global version.

Public mobile = telus. This (wiki)website will tell you what frequencies the network uses for an advanced user. For a less than advanced user This (willmyphonework.net)website will tell you if the phone is compatible. But be warned willmyphonework.net it is not always accurate. Manually comparing the phone specs against the network frequencies are your best odds. Whatever phone you get you want to do your research.