Where can I buy a phone to use with Public Mobile?

[Lachlan_M]

Public Mobile is a new kind of no-frills business, built on simple ideals with a co-operative approach to wireless. We don’t sell phones but don’t worry, there are a number of options available for customers to purchase an affordably priced phone.   

These include retailers as:

• Walmart (Prepaid Phone)
• Best Buy (Prepaid Phone)
• Staples (Prepaid Phone)
• You can also purchase a factory refreshed phone from Orchard at an affordable price.  Find out more about Orchard here.

Direct manufacturers:

1. Apple Store 
2. Google Store 
3. Microsoft Store 
   
4. BlackBerry (BBM)
5. One Plus One
6. Alcatel 

You can also have your friend or family member’s old phone if they are upgrading their phone.

Ensure the phone is unlocked, compatible with our Canada-wide 4G LTE network and IMEI is available for use before completing a purchase. Click here to check phone compatibility and find out the network frequency here.

*To use data, add and select Public Mobile’s APN settings Click here.

[srlawren]

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@clarkbrand wrote:
If you're looking for a great high end phone for a good price the one plus 3 is awesome. Works great with the PM network.

@clarkbrand Seconded!  Been using on PM since a week after the June 14th launch last summer.  No regrets.

[clarkbrand]

If you're looking for a great high end phone for a good price the one plus 3 is awesome. Works great with the PM network.

[jmagoo]

I bought a pixel xl 128gb 800$ right after it came out, google was selling the phone for 1200$, just save your search on kijiji and check everyday day that's how i get the best deals.

[Canis]

Used Telus Samsung Rugby  are good flip phones.   They are tough military spec phones with good sized buttons.  Bought one for my elderly father too.

You can buy them on craiglist and ebay  or any Used phone outlet.

The Samsung Rugby 2  or  Rugby II  look to be the low cost better buys.

$25.00

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cell-phone/medicine-hat/rugby-ll-rugged-and-durable-design-telus/1254411618?e...

$50

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/TELUS-MOBILITY-TOUGH-SAMSUNG-RUGBY-3-SGH-A997D-MOBILE-THOUGH-CELL-PHONE-CELLU...

[PriMo]

Yes that is fully compatible

[paulie]

I wonder if this phone would work since it's a Telus locked phone ? 

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/productdetails.aspx?lang=en-ca&pcname=&sku=10539474

[PriMo]

Here you go 🙂 

At best buy Prepaid Telus Phone

[jgurholt]

I am in Halifax and need a phone with actual buttons. Flip phones have always been best for him.

[paulie]

I have some PM compatible phones for sale. If you are in Toronto area, send me a private message. They are smart phones (windows) but they are less than $100 and will be very easy to customize to your needs (add or remove tiles as needed). I will even package it with a PM sim si you can activate right away.

[jgurholt]

Just wondering if anyone knows where to buy a compatible flip phone to use on PM? I am seeing a lot of unlocked phones online but they are GSM. Will they work on public? Is there a certain prepaid phone anyone can reccomend that would work?

I am looking for a call only cell phone for my elderly father.

[jmagoo]

Kijiji is a good place if your patient and search everyday, i found a black Pixel xl 128GB for 800$ a month after it came out. At the time it sold out and the price was around 1200$ + tax. So i saved at least 600$. It was in perfect condition with a case and a screen protector, i was happy.

[paulie]

I don't want to break any rules, but I am selling some phones that will work with PublicMobile.

Nokia 1520 (RM-938 model) has cracked screen but everything works and 2 BLU JR LTE phones (blue and orange colours).  Private message or do the kijiji searches in Toronto area.

[s2scotty]

The newer (and better) unlocked Samsung J3 is on outright sale (no contract with anybody) at costco.ca, on line and in store where stock exists, these two weeks for CAD$149.

The J3 is a very good $200'ish range phone. 

😉 

[stonechucker]

I found the link to the ZTE Axon Pro, it's 65% off at newegg.ca

https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16875705035&ignorebbr=1

Sale ends Monday feb 20.  Regular 519, on for $284

[stonechucker]

Newegg.ca has a few on sale right now also.  The ZTE Axon model from 2015 was listed sub $300.  Specs were really good.  Sorry, I can't access that website right now to provide a link

[kav2001c]

Costco has some Samsung models on sale right now

Basic devices (eg Samsung J1)

[srlawren]

@Swordth I'm not sure about that specific model, but in addition to looking at LTE bands (to which your analysis looks about right), you need to look at the 3G HSPA/UMTS frequencies as well.  For that, you want a phone that has both 850MHz and 1900MHz frequencies in order to get talk, texting, and 3G data (when LTE is not available).  

[Swordth]

I've started looking into Chinese phones...like Xiaomi. I'm pretty confident that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro International Edition should work with public mobile but the band naming conventions and resources can be pretty confusing though. 

As far as I can tell, band 4 and to a lesser extent band 7 are the main LTE bands used by Telus/Koodo/PM. In my area (rural) the tower here is outputting band 4. The Xiaomi phone supports  B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20/28 - so I should be good.

Other Chinese phones, like the Xiamoi Redmi Note 4 though wouldn't work so well out here due to their lack of support for band 4 lte. So its good to keep an eye out.

Just throwing this info out there for anyone interested in Chinese phones. They can be really cost competitive. The Note 3 can be had for $250 and offers some really good hardware and amazing battery life.

[kav2001c]

@cow07 & @srlawren that is a typo for sure

The S7 does have a $100 rebate in Costco but with a 2 year premium contract

The best Samsung promo available right now is over at our sister site Koodo

The Samsung S7 for $500 Canadian is by far best deal

Selling out quickly though since it is something like a $370 rebate off price! 

[srlawren]

@cow07 nice price for an S7!  Is that unlocked, carrier free?  Do you have a link to the deal?  (if you saw it on RFD, or in a flyer or something?)

[cow07]

The s7 is on sale at Costco for 599

[srlawren]

@Zappy the 930F is definitely compatible with PM, FYI.  I didn't realize BB was selling them unlocked. I'm not sure fi there's a promo on still, but my friend got one unlocked contract free at a Samsung Experience store in September.  It was regular 899, on for 799, and they had a $200 trade in deal on any old phone you had lying around, bringing it down to 600.  It would be worth looking into that to see if they have anything similar going, if you happen to live near a Samsung store....

OR, go with @iSilenT's suggestion and pick up a OnePlus 3T.  I have the slightoy older 3 (non-T) and love it to death.  The only problem with the 3T right now is a very long lead time on the order (5 weeks last time I saw).

[Zappy]

Thank you both! Will do some research first before deciding what to buy.

[Rockdaddy22]

As long as it's unlocked or locked to Telus or Koodo, you're good.

[iSilenT]

This should work but if you really want to spend so much money on it. You can get oneplus 3T and its just as good for less, $599 before tax. But I think it's out of stock atm.

[Zappy]

Hi, 

Will this phone work with PM? I read somewhere that S7 has different models so I just want to make sure this model work on PM.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/samsung-samsung-galaxy-s7-g930f-32gb-smartphone-titanium-silver-...

Thanks,

[Crenor]

Kijiji - the cheapest by far

ONLY get an already unlocked phone that you can test with any SIM before you buy

Get the model number - for example, not all Samsung S7 Edge phones are the same, there are many different models

This link will tell you what bands the phone works on

https://www.frequencycheck.com/country-compatibility/MQbYv/canada/devices?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q%5Bfull_na...

You need one or all of these for Public Mobile

• For 3G use (UMTS/HSPA): 850MHz/1900MHz bands.
• For 4G/LTE use: 1700MHz/2100MHz bands.
• For 4G/LTE use: 700 MHz band.

Find out how to enter the APN information (easy google, different for each phone/OS)

How to set APN link

http://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Phones-Hardware/How-do-I-set-up-data-APN-on-my-smartph...

Step by Step APN configuration

Step1: 

Android 

Settings > More / More Networks / Wireless & Networks > Mobile Networks > Access Point Names > New APN setting (or a plus sign)

Blackberry

OS 10 - Settings > Network and Connections > Mobile Network > Tap the settings icon (dented wheel)

Windows

Windows 8 Step 1 Settings > cellular > Add or Edit internet APN 

iPhone

Click here

Step 2:

You will need to input the following information:

Name: Public Mobile
APN: sp.mb.com
Proxy: Leave blank
Port: Leave blank
Username: Leave blank
Password: Leave blank
Server: Leave blank
MMSC: http://aliasredirect.net/proxy/mb/mmsc
MMSC proxy: 74.49.0.18
MMS port: 80
MCC: 302
MNC: 220
Authentication type: Leave blank
APN type: Leave blank

Step 3:

Select Save/Done. Select Public Mobile to connect to the Public Mobile network

Test the phone with any sim - to validate it works -> both for sound quality (to make sure the speaker/mic is OK) and to make sure it is not blacklisted/non functional

And there you go.

A bit of work, but it can save you hundreds of dollars.

[tehowennathe]

Try www.bluproducts.com Blu is a Miami based company and all their phone work on the network.

They have Windows and Android phones all under $300CAD. I bought the Life One X2 by Blu on Amazon Canada for $195 and my friends with iPhone tell me the camera both back and front beat the iPhone 7. It's well worth it. Most Blu phones come with charger, screen protector, earphones and a phone case.

It's well worth it if you want a phone that's high quality for low cost. They have a phone for every budget so everyone can afford a phone.

[texwood]

I got the Moto X Pure Edition last year - ordered from Amazon and picked it up from a shipping depot.  The phone is pretty good phone for the money, and 7.0 (Nougat) update is in plan. 

[iSilenT]

If you want a top spec phone, look up oneplus.