what's a cheap and easy way to get a temporary cell phone for the USA?

February 11, 2022 2:19 PM

I live in Canada, I have an iphone 4s with no plan, I prepay with 7-11 speakout. It doesn't work in the USA. I'm taking a trip there next month and want a cell phone. What's the easiest way to make this happen? Can I buy a USA sim card and switch it for the Canadian one while in the US? Is it easier or cheaper to just buy another phone? Details appreciated. Thank you!
posted by Joan Rivers of Babylon to Technology (10 answers total)

I've always used the $30 T-mobile tourist SIM when I've visited the USA, in my unlocked Android phone. It seems to have been re-branded as Ultra Mobile. It gives you unlimited calls and texts, and 4GB of data, which is fine for me as I don't stream or game on my phone.
posted by essexjan at 3:24 PM on February 11, 2022

You can also buy a T-Mobile SIM at various prices (length in days) directly from Amazon.ca and schedule it to turn on when your trip starts.
posted by tiamat at 3:26 PM on February 11, 2022

Consider the tips here - https://ask.metafilter.com/357616/Phone-in-the-US-for-just-two-weeks-WA

Edit - ah if you have an older phone, eSIMs probably won’t work.
posted by shahzebasif at 3:29 PM on February 11, 2022

The tricky thing for you is that the iPhone 4s is only capable of using 3G or 2G service. All the big US carriers are in the process of ending 3G service this year, and have already ended 2G service (it looks like Canadian carriers won't be sunsetting their 3G service until 2025).

Verizon is planning to end their 3G service in December, so they might be the safest carrier to buy a pre-paid SIM card from if you're only concerned about the short term and this particular trip. There are also virtual networks that use Verizon's network (like how 7-11 Speak Out uses the Rogers network) which may be cheaper. Here's a comparison of some of them.

In the longer term you'll want to think about getting a phone that's at least 4G-capable.
posted by theory at 3:33 PM on February 11, 2022

T Mobile is a nice carrier to deal with. I have unlimited calling to Mexico and Canada and the US, unlimited everything for very little, on their geezer plan. Used phones can be cheap.
posted by Oyéah at 4:48 PM on February 11, 2022

There are pre-paid phone services here with cheapish phones available, if you're okay with a phone that isn't particularly good (usually a feature phone or a super stripped-down smartphone). Prepaid mobile hotspots might also be an option if you only need data.

I'd be very surprised if you can use your existing iPhone 4s on any US network at this point, as even if they haven't completely sunset their 3G networks, they likely aren't activating any new 3G devices on it. Verizon in particular isn't activating any new 3G phones on their network, even if they aren't sunsetting the service yet.
posted by Aleyn at 6:37 PM on February 11, 2022

I did this a couple months ago to get a phone for work; we do mobile development.

I just walked into a T-Mobile shop, explained that I needed an inexpensive prepaid account, and an inexpensive phone. I ended up going with the $15 a month plan.

Here are their prepaid plans: https://prepaid.t-mobile.com/plan-detail/t-mobile-connect

For the phone, we just went with an inexpensive Motorola phone, which has worked fantastically for us. Here's one that may work: https://prepaid.t-mobile.com/product-details/motorola-moto-g-pure/Deep%20Indigo, that shouild be compatible with their prepaid plans.

When I bought the phone, they set it up for me, and it was active and ready to use 15 minutes after I left the store. A very positive experience overall, and the one time I needed account siupport? They were extremely helpful on the phone.
posted by spinifex23 at 7:45 PM on February 11, 2022

If you don't need to stay connected to Canada and are only using the phone inside the USA, a prepaid phone (AKA a "burner" phone) from any big box store (Target, Walmart, Best Buy) will serve for basic communication within the confines of the USA. Target has prepay Tracfone flip phones for $20, stripped down smart phones for $40. You buy a top-up card in supermarkets or pharmacies and pay by the minute.
posted by zaelic at 6:06 AM on February 12, 2022

Also, since no one has mentioned it yet, make sure you iphone is carrier unlocked or else your new sim might not work with it.
posted by roaring beast at 8:18 AM on February 12, 2022

I recently switched from Speakout to Public Mobile. In a large part due to better coverage in my home area, but also because better pricing and more options.

One benefit of PM is that you can buy blocks of roaming service. $15 for 10 days of US roaming talk & text.

I was able to take my SO # with me to PM.
posted by snoboy at 10:00 AM on February 12, 2022