Cricket Wireless is a U.S. provider under the umbrella of AT&T. This carrier offers wireless services to over 10 million subscribers in the United States. Cricket Wireless launch was in March 1999 by Leap Wireless International. Later on, it got acquired by AT&T in March 2014. Besides, it is one of the cheapest mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) with the motive to save more money on your monthly bill.
However, MVNO is a smaller carrier that under lease terms operates using a network of significant carriers that includes Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. In this case, cricket wireless uses the AT&T network to provide its service to its customers. Thus, you can expect excellent reliability and good coverage, along with achieving a better deal on your cell service. If you are worried about which are Cricket compatible phones, this article will help you learn more.
Moreover, Cricket Wireless is among the best prepaid wireless service providers in the U.S. So, you don’t have to stress about credit checks to join a prepaid carrier like Cricket Wireless. Interestingly, you pay the exact amount for the listed prices without fear of the extra fees charged with some cellphone plans. In other words, you will have the full benefits of being on the AT&T network while evading the high costs associated with major mobile providers.
Cricket Wireless Features With Essential Information
i) Phone Selection
When you want to join Cricket Wireless, you can either buy a new phone or come with your current device, provided it’s compatible. Either way, you can maintain your phone number. If you wish to bring your own phone, you must check on compatibility by entering your IMEI number.
On the other hand, if you’re not bringing an existing device, you’ll have to purchase a new one from Cricket Wireless. The carrier provides dozens of smartphones at every price point, with some free phones included in Cricket Wireless phone deals when you bring your number and activate it on a plan that qualifies.
ii) Plans and Pricing
Cricket Wireless provides four main plans with two unlimited plans and two fixed-data plans. However, the cheapest plan begins at $30 per month for a single line of service. Notably, Cricket’s rate plans for an individual line of service aren’t usually cheap.
Hence, Cricket is more valuable when additional lines get added, and autopay discounts get applied. Interestingly, all Cricket plans include taxes in the price, and there’s no contract or credit check needed.
iii) Network Coverage
In August 2020, Cricket Wireless launched its 5G nationwide network under the AT&T mobile carrier. However, despite its excellent coverage, there are some areas where roaming coverage may vary. So it’s advisable to check their website for the coverage map before you sign in.
Moreover, depending on the plan, Cricket may slow data when the network gets busy or restrict data speeds to 8 Mbps. On the contrary, 8 Mbps isn’t fast, but you can watch videos, surf the web, and stream music at that speed.
iv) Additional Features
Cricket Wireless packs simple plans carrying fewer perks compared to the major carriers. However, Cricket provided a 30-day free trial of HBO Max in August of 2020 for a short time.
Additional features vary based on the plan that you sign up for. You can get a free hotspot with some cell phone plans, but both unlimited plans deliver SD quality video streaming, not H.D.
List Of Cricket Compatible Phones – Attainable
Cricket Wireless provides affordable Cricket Wireless Plans, plus a limited selection of phones you can either buy by walking into a qualified retail store, online store or shopping online at the Cricket website.
The best Cricket phones are budget and mid-range smartphones, but there are a select few flagships. Notably, any device that operates on AT&T or T-Mobile will also function on Cricket Wireless. The compatible Cricket phones are as follows:
1. ZTE Blade A5 2020
ZTE Blade A5 2020 comes with a Li-Ion 3200 mAh, non-removable battery that can serve you all day long. The 6.09 inches phone features an IPS display with a resolution of 720×1560 pixels. The IPS display offers enhanced features, color accuracies, such as optimal viewing angles, invariable color reproduction, and better power consumption.
However, if you love photography, you can take your epic moments thanks to powerful camera lenses featuring a Rear Camera of 13 MP A.F. + 2 MP F.F. and a Front Camera of 8 MP for taking stunning selfies.
The 64GB internal memory is sufficient to store what matters most to you. Interestingly, you can have a decent performance of application with 2GB RAM, Octa-core 4×1.6GHz, 4×1.2GHz, and Android 9 Pie.
The Good
- All-day battery
- Dual Sim
- Edge-to-edge display
- It has a Waterdrop notch.
- Cheap
The Bad
- Small RAM
2. Samsung Galaxy S7 G930A
The above smartphone is 4G LTE enabled and locked to the GSM network and only compatible with GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile. Besides, Samsung Galaxy has a screen display of 5.1 inches that helps you enjoy a seamless viewing experience.
This device has a Quad H.D. super AMOLED display and gets powered by a 2.15 GHz/1.6 GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and runs on Android 6.0.1.
Interestingly, this smartphone features dual-pixel technology with fast autofocus, leaving no room for blurry photos. You can catch every detail even in low light. With its IP68 rating, this device can take on spills and splashes with its premium water-resistant design. Additionally, it packs 32GB of internal memory, plus 4GB RAM, and has a non-removable 3000 mAh battery.
The Good
- Light, sleek, and elegant design
- Fast wireless charging
- Powerful processor
- Large RAM
- Water-resistant
The Bad
- Not new
3. Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Moto G8 Power Lite provides you a powerful 5000 mAh battery, made to last up to 3 days under a single charge. You can watch shows and movies for 19 hours or stream music for 100 hours. With the help of a 2.3 GHz octa-core processor, plus 4GB of RAM, your phone responds instantly to every tap, touch, tap, and swipe, so you get to the good stuff faster.
The camera has a Rear Triple Camera with 16 MP + 2 MP depth sensor + 2 MP macro and a Front Camera having 8 MP. The ultra-wide views on the stunning 6. 5″ Max Vision HD+ display, with a 20:9 aspect ratio, keep immersing you in photos, movies, shows, games, and everything else.
Besides, Moto G8 Power Lite provides you with 64GB of space for apps, music, movies, and photos. You can comfortably expand up to 256GB of your favorite apps, music, movies, and images using a dedicated microSD card slot.
The Good
- Insane battery life
- Great fingerprint sensor
- Broad display
- Water repellant design
- Expandable memory
The Bad
- A bit heavy
4. Samsung Galaxy A51
Samsung Galaxy A51 enables you to store more and save all the things that matter with 128GB of built-in memory. Besides, if you need more, you can expand storage up to 512GB of storage using a Samsung microSD card.
Interestingly, you can take crisp pics with the 48 MP quad-camera for pro-grade shots, from epic landscape shots and dramatic portraits to macro angles that reveal finer detail. This impressive quad-camera has a lens for whatever inspires you.
Moreover, with the unlocked device, you can choose your preferred carrier, such as Cricket Wireless plans for 2 phones, services, features, and apps, and get your phone exactly how you want it. Also, live into edge-to-edge color with an expansive 6.5″ Infinity-O Display featuring a Super AMOLED screen that brings cinematic clarity right to your fingertips.
You can securely lock and unlock your phone with just a touch, thanks to the in-display fingerprint sensor without memorializing complicated passcodes.
The Good
- Unlocked for all carriers
- Captures smooth, steady videos and shots
- Fast charging, long-lasting battery
- Massive storage
- High-quality camera
The Bad
- Lacks wireless charging
5. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
The new Samsung Galaxy S20 FE model comes with high-powered pro lenses for capturing stunning landscapes, beautiful portraits, and crisp close-ups in any light with its 3X optical zoom. If you want your smartphone to zoom in close from afar or enlarge details of anything nearby, 30X Space Zoom provides you the power to get closer. You can enjoy an immersive viewing with 6.5 inches that delivers more with a few scrolls.
Additionally, you can capture crisp images and vibrant videos with Night Mode and create high-quality content in low light, with no flash required. The multimedia content and other unique documents can get stored in the provided 128GB of internal storage, plus 4GB RAM for running applications. You can also enjoy more gaming, more sharing, and never miss a beat with a 4500 mAh battery capacity.
The Good
- Decent battery life
- Low light camera performance
- 5G enabled
- Infinity display
- Fast performance
The Bad
- Relatively costly
Cricket Wireless Compatibility Check
If you’re unsure if your phone is compatible with Cricket Wireless, you can head to the carrier’s website. You’ll be able to see if your phone is compatible with the carrier right on the homepage.
If you’re currently using a compatible phone, you can also double-check to your local store. Just be sure to bring your phone with you so the employee can check its compatibility.
If you’re not sure if your phone is compatible, you can also contact the carrier. They can help determine if your phone is compatible with their network. To find the customer service number for your provider, use our carrier directory.
Cricket Wireless Compatible Carriers
There are four major U.S. carriers: AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile. You can use the same phone number and SIM card with any airline on most pages. But, a few phones are compatible with only certain carriers. Below, you’ll find a list of compatible phones with the Cricket Wireless plan.
Furthermore, if you want to switch to a new carrier, you’ll need to make sure your phone is compatible with your new provider. Unless you plan to purchase a new phone, you will probably want to keep your current phone. Luckily, most phones are compatible with all major U.S. carriers. Major carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint have their networks, so chances are slim that you’ll be able to use a different carrier with your phone.
But, if you plan to switch to a new carrier, you’ll need to double-check your phone is compatible with your new carrier. When looking to change your phone provider, consider several things, such as whether your current phone is compatible with the new carrier, any additional fees you’ll pay, and any restrictions your current phone might have. Let’s take a look at what phones are compatible with Cricket Wireless.
Final Words
Cricket Wireless ranks top among the best prepaid wireless services in the United States. This wireless service provider offers the best phones for every budget with excellent plans that include unlimited text, talk, and data.
However, you might be in a dilemma concerning the best compatible Cricket phones you can buy and use on that network. If that is the case, the above information will service some of the burning issues in your mind about Cricket Wireless.