The 10 Best Free Phones No Credit Card Needed
Whenever you walk into a Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon or AT&T store you will typically see lots of phones that you can choose for free. More so, they won’t require either a deposit or a credit check. That means you won’t need to have a credit card in order to be eligible to get these phones.
This is a great option for those who need a phone but have a restrictive budget. After all, a phone is a must-have in the world of today. That’s what we’re going to look at today: the best free phones with no credit card needed.
Best ways to get free cell phones no credit card needed
If you do not have a credit card, there are various ways you can get a free phone. Lack of a credit card may mean that you do not have any credit history or have a bad credit history. Most youths lack credit history since they are just beginning life. The following options can help you get a free phone if you do not have a credit card.
i) Go with a prepaid carrier
Prepaid carriers require you to pay before using their services. That means that you have to pay for a particular cell phone plan before using it. Therefore, there is no risk on the service provider’s side, unlike postpaid plans, whereby one pays after using the services.
A prepaid carrier will therefore not inquire about your credit history at all. Some of the standard prepaid service providers include Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and, Cricket Wireless, Boost Mobile, and T-Mobile. Cricket Wireless and Boost Mobile offers prepaid services only, while the others can provide postpaid plans.
Carriers offering prepaid services have various plans that suit pockets for people with different financial capabilities. You can find a prepaid plan with unlimited texting and calling all through the subscription period. In case you exhaust a prepaid plan before the expiry period, you have to subscribe again to continue enjoying the services.
ii) Compare 2-3 different companies offering free phones no credit card needed
Even though many companies offer free phones with no credit card needed, there is a need to compare the most appropriate company with the best phones. Various companies have different options that may be beneficial to you according to your situation. Some companies lend free phones online, while others have physical sites where you can visit to acquire a phone and a particular cell phone plan.
Moreover, you need to check on the quality of the services offered. You should not be blind to issues such as connection speeds, network strengths, customer service, and cost of plans. There might be other information concerning the benefits you get, and you should be keen to check on such cases. You also notice that the amount of data, SMS, and minutes offered by various companies differ in quantity.
iii) Join a Family Plan
Family plans allow you to have several lines that you can use with your family members. Having many lines is economical because you can save a lot compared to when you have a single line. It would be beautiful if you asked your service provider about the shared family plans so that you can purchase as many lines as possible. Some programs allow up to four lines, while others allow up to even ten lines.
A family member applying for multiple line plans may undergo a credit check, but the people benefiting from the numerous line plans will not. You can therefore be among the beneficiaries. The account owner is responsible for the payment of bills. You can see that, apart from avoiding credit checks, you can prevent high costs resulting from purchasing a single line plan.
For example, AT&T’s unlimited starter plan for one line is $65/month while four lines cost $140/month, which translates to $35/line. You can see the amount of money you can save if you join a family plan.
iv) Pay a security deposit
Security deposit guarantees you that if you cannot pay the required amount, the money you deposit as security can pay for the necessary amount of money. If you consistently pay your dues as needed, then your service provider can refund your deposit. A security deposit is for one line, and thus if you get several lines, you will have to put a deposit for each line.
A company may not have similar deposit requirements for all subscribers. Your credit score can easily dictate the amount of money to deposit as security. A person with an abysmal credit score will not deposit the same as a person with a fair credit score. Above all, a security deposit will guarantee you a free phone.
v) Find a cosigner
If you lack a good credit record, you may need to get a consigner who will guarantee your service provider that they will pay on your behalf if you cannot pay for the free phones. The cosigner must have an outstanding credit score for you to succeed in the process.
With time, you can move the account to your name after some time, depending on your service provider’s terms and conditions. You may not have to pay for the deposit since your scores will have improved a bit. A cosigner can be a family member, a friend, or anybody else that can trust you.
What should you consider when getting a free phone with no credit card needed?
Now that you have seen how you can get a free phone from your choice’s service provider, you must always have various considerations to get the best phone. Some of the concerns include;
1) The durability of the phone
It would help if you had a phone that will last for a long. Some phones may not even go for a year because they are of low quality. Getting a high-quality telephone should be a priority. It would be best if you always did thorough research to get the best phone in the market to help you achieve your goals.
That is why I have discussed deeply some of the best phones you can get with no credit. A phone whose battery can last for 2-3 days when fully charged is a nice gadget.
2) Affordability
You know your pockets and thus understand what is best for you. There are expensive phones that require thousands of dollars to acquire. Go for cheap phones that are friendly to your pockets while at the same time not compromising the quality. If you cannot afford it now, it is always good to save money till you have enough for the right phone.
3) Phone plan
You have to check the various phone plans that your carrier is offering and evaluate them to see whether you can afford them. As I had mentioned earlier, subscribing to a family plan with several lines is better than just one line as you save a lot.
What is meant by “Free Phone”?
Whenever we talk about free phones, we’re not talking about phones that they literally hand over to you for no payment at all. What we mean is that you get the phone without having to either make a down payment or go through a credit check.
Free phones allow just about anyone to get a mobile or smart phone without having to make a down payment or worry about their bad credit. Thanks to the creative minds that have generated this idea, everyone can now easily acquire a mobile phone.
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These phones are also commonly known as $0 phones. They are typically lower tier phones that nonetheless have the most basic features a phone should have in the modern day. Keep in mind, however, that you really do get what you pay for when it comes to free phones.
If you know how to choose the right phone, however, you can get some pretty good quality $0 phones. Some of the phones that get offered with no deposit down are pretty good quality phones because some companies will generally offer discounts and privileges on them long after they are released and the prices have significantly dropped.
For some companies, this is a lucrative way to dispose of their excess units, especially when the product wasn’t well popularized when it first came out. There are also companies that will offer this privilege even for very popular phones. All you need to know is which phones are the best deals.
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To that end, we prepare a list of the 10 best such phones so that you know what to look out for the next time you go hunting for $0 phones.
Best 10 Free Phones No Credit Card Needed
1. HTC One M8
This phone was released way back in 2014. Despite that, however, it still has most of the great features that you would naturally look for in a modern phone. Many people actually go for this phone for its great design and stylish look. It has certain sophistication about its appearance that makes it a great choice for most people.
This is actually the latest version of the One M8 and so it’s a Windows phone. If you have a particular taste for Windows phones, then you’ll love this one. It does have lots of the same features as the original One M8, but comes with a revamped look that puts it on the same level as competitors. The phone cover is metal and so you don’t have to worry about damaging it. It’s also very sturdy and offers a strong enough grip.
The display is 5 inches large and, though it isn’t on the same level as an iPhone, it still has a great resolution. You get some good viewing angles, enough brightness, and lots of vibrant colors to boot.
This phone has most of the same specs as the original M8 with the inclusion of Windows apps like Outlook, Skype, and Xbox. It does have a limited app market due to the limitations of the Windows app store but doesn’t disappoint elsewhere. The photos are still pretty great and it’s worth it for a free phone.
2. LG G2
This phone is another great choice under the list of $0 phones. It was introduced in 2013. You’re probably thinking that was a long time ago. A lot can change in 5 years. However, the efficiency and performance of this phone is still great, even despite its age. Even by the time the phone was released, it was still considered way ahead of its time. It has also been included in Time Magazine as the Editor’s Choice for Best Smartphones in 2014.
LG is a worthy competitor to many of the big league phone manufacturers out there. In that same spirit, you should expect the G2 to meet your standards for what a good phone should be able to do. The cover is made of plastic but the features are definitely worth it. The power and control buttons and keys are placed at the back, where they offer convenience for the user. The chipset is a Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800, which is a quad core with about 2.6 GHz of power. That’s a pretty powerful CPU.
The phone also features a lot of connectivity, including 4G LTE, NFC, an Infrared port, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. The camera is also good enough to take some pretty decent pictures. The LG G2 has one major flaw which is that it does not have a microSD card slot.
3. Amazon Fire Phone
The Amazon Fire is yet another choice in the wide array of phones you may choose when going for $0 phones. This phone was released in 2014 and is a great competitor to the other smartphones in the market. Of course, it isn’t on the same level as the best brands in the world, but it’s pretty good as a mid-tier phone. At any rate, it’s not an underdog in the mobile phone industry.
This smartphone is great for its design if for nothing else. It has a glass design on both the front and back and some soft plastic on the edges. The screen is 4.7 inches large and has a resolution of 720 pixels by 1280 pixels, which is pretty good. It’s not as good as the best phone displays currently on the market, but it’s definitely not bad either for a $0 phone.
The Amazon Fire runs on an Android based operating system. Don’t be fooled though; the operating system looks nothing like Android. In fact, as soon as you switch the phone on for the first time you get a comprehensive tutorial on how to use the phone. The most notable features you will learn to use are the Firefly and the Dynamic Perspective.
The performance of the phone is great but there are a few flaws worth mentioning, such as the lack of back and menu buttons. These are common buttons on Androids. If you follow the tutorial, however, you will quickly learn how to navigate to the menu or back from a page on this phone.
The live tech support is online 24 hours a day, making it easy to get help when using this phone. The battery life is also pretty good and you could get a good price for the phone if you shop on Amazon.
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4. Samsung Galaxy Alpha
This is probably the best $0 Samsung you could get for yourself. It was released in 2014 and, with its release, it paved the way for some serious attention to be directed to Samsung phones. It is the first metal phone released by Samsung with metallic edges and a plastic back.
The performance on this phone is pretty good. It has a screen 4.7 inches large and a 720p HD display. It has some good placement for the buttons as well. It’s slim, lightweight, and has great camera quality. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but it’s definitely worth it.
5. LG G Flex
This phone was introduced to the market in 2014, like many others on this list. The display is pretty large at 6 inches large and it has some great resolution. It’s not on the level of the Samsung Galaxy for sure, but it’s still pretty good. It also has a self-healing feature.
This phone will heal itself whenever it experiences damages to the cover, such as scratches and dents. That’s because the phone cover has a hydrogen finish. Considering the fact that it took a whole 5 years to develop this phone because of this particular feature, it is definitely one of its strong suits.
Understandably, it is a large phone, and so some people may find it uncomfortable. It is, however, very easy to use because all the relevant buttons are placed in the most convenient of spots. The other major flaw is the camera, which isn’t very impressive. All the same, it is a very worthy $0 phone.
6. Apple iPhone 11 Pro
The fact that this iPhone is on this list will come as a relief to many fans of the iPhone. That’s because it is a low-priced iPhone. Don’t mistake it for cheap, however. A low-priced iPhone is still an iPhone.
The phone has a metallic body, which makes it very attractive for those who love shiny looking phones. It is, however, a unibody phone, which is to say that you won’t gain any access to the innards of the phone such as the battery, unless you take it apart with tools.
It’s a small phone but it has a wide design and feels comfortably hefty in the hand. You can also choose from a wide range of colors, such as green, pink, yellow, blue, and white. It is a very high quality phone and you will know just by looking at it. Its only flaw is that, even as a low-priced iPhone, it is still fairly expensive for a $0 phone.
7. Motorola Droid Maxx
The Motorola Droid Maxx is an excellent choice and, despite its 2013 release date, it has lots of great advantages that you will fall in love with.
The performance of this phone, for example, is pretty good. It has a good display, great connectivity, 32 GB of internal storage, and it also offers the ability to simply swap the battery. While this is a fairly common feature among lots of phones, there are a lot of expensive phones on the market that do not offer this feature.
The display has a resolution of 720p. That may sound a little disappointing. However, the RGB arrangement ensures that the colors on the phone are very vibrant and accurate.
It’s also a highly efficient phone with its Snapdragon 600 chipset. It also has great build quality and is known as one of the toughest phones on the market. It also keeps up with modern trends by having touchless controls.
8. LG Lucid 3
This is a great phone for those who are looking for low priced phones that are nonetheless reliable. More so, it has very consistent and reliable 4G LTE speed.
The frames on the LG Lucid 3 are slight in size and it has arched edges at the top and bottom. The corners are softly curved. It is lightweight with a weight of only 4.37 ounces. That makes it very easy to carry around. The buttons and ports are also placed in the most convenient spots. The camera isn’t the best, but the rest of the features make it worth it for the price.
9. Motorola Droid Mini
This phone is pretty affordable and has a compact design. It has lots of features in common with the Droid Ultra, including a very fast CPU, high call quality, and long battery life.
The size of the phone is friendly for your pocket. It has a 4.7 inch screen with pretty good display; even better than what you get on the iPhone 4. Seeing as it is an Android phone, it is very easy to use. The only major drawback is the build quality, which is as low as the phone’s bargain price. Other than that, it’s a pretty decent phone.
10. Blackberry Z10
Blackberry is an old player in the mobile phone industry and so they already have the confidence and trust of many. The Z10 represents their evolution in the market as they broke into smartphones.
This is an impressive phone with a great and business-like design. It’s larger than an iPhone 5 but not as large as many of the smartphones on the market today. It has an accessible battery, a microSD card slot, great resolution, and adequate brightness. It’s also very easy and convenient to use.
Final Thoughts
Buying a $0 phone does not mean you have to lower your standards ridiculously low. As you can see from this list, there are lots of options on the market for those looking for quality phones without needing a credit card.
