8 Best FirstNet Compatible Phones For 2024

FirstNet offers public safety cellular phones for smooth connectivity in the line of duty. To help ensure you have as much coverage and capacity as possible, you need a FirstNet-compatible phone. If you have an AT&T-enabled latest phone model, it can connect to FirstNet. If you have a 4G/LTE Android or Apple iOS compatible smartphone, it will likely connect to FirstNet through AT&T without issues. However, older 3G or 2G phone models won’t work.

FirstNet-compatible phones are those that will work by installing a FirstNet SIM card.   Although eligible subscribers can use the AT&T SIM card to connect FirstNet services, swapping this SIM with the FirstNet SIM card issued to all subscribers is recommended. Most importantly, using the FirstNet SIM Card on your compatible phone ensures that you experience full access to all of FirstNet’s services.

Moreover, eligible customers can select from various plans featuring data, talk, text, mobile hotspots, or tethering services. Then, you can use the cell phone plans with a FirstNet-compatible phone, tablet, or wearable device. To make purchasing decisions of FirstNet easier, this provider has a phones and devices web page on which phones and devices are compatible with FirstNet.

Factor To Consider Before Choosing  Firstnet Compatible Phones

1. Cost

FirstNet-compatible phones feature different price points. However, the cost tends to go high as you choose higher features in terms of memory, processor speeds, camera, and display. You can get the phone you want following your budget.

2. Display

A phone featuring a 5.5 to  6-inch HD or QHD display is an ideal option for users to enjoy a rich media experience while being quickly portable and lightweight.

3. Processor

Typically, look for a FirstNet-compatible phone with the processing speed expressed in GigaHertz (GHz). The more the speed, the faster the processor.

4. Camera

A phone with more megapixels doesn’t mean better images. A good quality camera combines factors like ISO levels, aperture, and autofocus speed. For average camera needs,  a phone with an 8 to 12 MP camera and an aperture of f/2.2 is ideal. For heavy usage, a 12 or 16-MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture or lower results in beautiful pictures even in low light.

5. Memory

FirstNet phones featuring higher RAM will be faster, and those with ample internal storage will have more storage. Thus, 2 GB RAM and 16 GB of internal storage are ideal for an average user. For heavy users, use a phone with at least 3 to 4 GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. You can also insert a micro SD memory card to expand your storage.

6. Battery

If you intend to use multiple apps open simultaneously or are a heavy consumer of video-streaming apps or playing games, go for a FirstNet-compatible phone with a long-lasting battery. However, heavy online usage usually drains batteries faster. 

8 Best FirstNet Compatible Phones – Great Overall

1. Apple iPhone 14 Plus

This FirstNet-compatible phone has 5G network coverage. It is easy to navigate with one hand thanks to its light weight of 203 g. Apple iPhone 14 Plus has an OLED display of 6.7 inches and a 1284 x 2778 pixels resolution. It’s easy to use under direct sunlight with a Dobly vision brightness of 800 n its. You will enjoy all-day consumption because of its non-removable battery capacity of Li-Ion 4323 mAh, which supports wireless charging.

In addition, the excellent camera will give you amazing photos and up to 4k video recording with 60 fps. The camera consists of a dual primary camera with a wide camera of 12 MP, with f/1.5, and an ultra-wide camera of 12 MP, with f/2.4.The front wide camera is 12 MP, with f/1.9.Moreover, it is IP68 rated and thus can resist water for up to 6m for 30 min. It also has a great operating system of iOS 16 which can be upgraded to iOS 16.4.1. The storage memory packs 6 GB RAM  and ROM capacity of 128GB, 256GB, and 512 GB.

Pros

• High power battery
• Excellent videos 
• Smooth  operating system
• Lightweight and portable
• IP68 rated(water resistant)

Cons

• A low refresh rate of 60Hz

2. Apple iPhone 13 Pro

This device from the top brands of FirstNet compatible phones has a display of 6.1 inches with a resolution of 1170 by 2532 pixels. You will also enjoy a Dolby Vision brightness of 1200 nits allowing you to use the device outside smoothly. It also comprises a high refresh rate of 120Hz. In addition, you can store large files, Apps, and videos thanks to its storage capacity of 6GB RAM and 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB of internal storage variants. It also has a non-removable high-power battery capacity of Li-Ion 3095 mAh.

Furthermore, you will enjoy excellent pictures thanks to its fine detailed camera. The camera has 3x optical zoom with a Dobly vision camera along with a depth scanner of 3D LiDAR. It comprises a triple primary camera featuring 12 MP with an f/1.5 wide camera. A telephoto camera of 12 MP with f/2.8, and a wide camera of 12 MP, with f/1.8. The front camera is 12 MP, with f/2.2. This device has an excellent operating system of iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 16.4.1, along with an Apple A15 Bionic chipset.

Pros

• Long battery life
• Supports MagSafe  charging
• Excellent operating system
• High refresh rate
• Great cameras

Cons

• Relatively costly

3. Apple iPhone 11

This   Firstnet Compatible Phone has a display of 6.1 inches along with a resolution of 828 x 1792 pixels. Thanks to its high non, removable battery capacity that supports wireless charging, you will have all-day power consumption. In addition, it is also fast charging; thus, it can charge up to 50% for 30 min. The storage capacity is 4GB, and internal storage of 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB allows you to store large files and videos. 

Additionally, you will enjoy excellent pictures and a night mode experience thanks to its dual rear camera of 12 MP, with f/1.8 wide camera and 12 MP with f/2.4. The front camera consists of 12 MP, with an f/2.2 wide camera. Apple iPhone 11 has a fast operating system of iOS 13 which can be upgraded to iOS 16.4.1 alongside a powerful chipset of Apple A13 Bionic. IP68 rating of this device allows it to resist up to 2 m water immersion for 30 min.

Pros

• High power battery
• Nigh mode enabled
• A powerful processor of A13 bionic
• Advanced ultra-wide camera
• IP68 rated

Cons

• No jack pin

4. Apple iPhone SE 3rd Gen

Apple iPhone SE 3rd Gen is a FirstNet Compatible Phone which supports a display of 4.7 inches and has a resolution of 750 by 1334 pixels. In addition, it has a storage memory of 4GB RAM and 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB internal storage variants. You will not stress about charging because it has a fast-charging battery capacity of Li-Ion 2018 mAh. It supports wireless charging and charges up to 50% for 30 min.

Again, you will enjoy excellent photos thanks to its fantastic camera: a single rear camera with 12 MP and an f/1.8 wide camera with up to 4K video recording. The front camera comes with 7 MP, with f/2.2 for video calls and taking selfies. This device is also dust and water-resistant thanks to its IP67 rating. Furthermore, its operating system is impressive thanks to iOS, 15.4which can be upgraded to iOS 16.4.1, along with a powerful chipset of Apple A15 Bionic.

Pros

• Fast operating system
• It’s easy to operate with one hand
• Fast charging
• IP67 rated(water and dust resistant)
• Amazing camera specs

Cons

• The camera lacks a night mode

5. Pixel 7 5G

Pixel 7 is a FirstNet 5 G-compatible device featuring a display of 6.3 inches and a resolution of 1080 by 2400 pixels. You can comfortably use this device outdoors thanks to its bright AMOLED display of up to 1400 nits. Moreover, it has excellent cameras which allow 4K video recording at 60fps. They consist of a dual back camera featuring 50 MP, an f/1.9 wide camera, and an ultra-wide camera of 12 MP with f/2.2. The front camera packs 10.8 MP with f/2.2 for selfies. 

Furthermore, it has a fast charging non-removable battery capacity of Li-Ion 4355 mAh, which charges up to 50% in 30 min. This smartphone also has an excellent operating system of Android 13 along with Google Tensor G2 that ensures fast data processing. Moreover, it has a large memory capacity of 8GB RAM for Apps and an internal storage capacity of  128GB and 256GB variants.

Pros

• Amazing price
• Great display
• Excellent camera
• Tenor G2 chipset
• Sleek design

Cons

• No SIM card slot

6. Moto G Stylus 5G (2022)

Moto G Stylus 5G is a FirstNet-compatible phone with a display of 6.8 inches and a resolution of 1080 by 2460 pixels. If you love watching movies and video games, you will enjoy a seamless viewing experience thanks to its fast refresh rate of 120Hz. Besides, you will enjoy taking notes thanks to the S pen. The smartphone packs 4GB RAM and 128GB and 256GB internal storage capacity options.

Moreover, you will have smooth usage thanks to its fast operating system of Android 12, which can be upgraded to Android 13. Plus, a powerful Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G chipset. You will have excellent pictures due to its fantastic camera, which constitutes a triple rear camera of 50 MP with an f/1.9 wide camera. 8 MP with f/2.2 ultra-wide camera and a depth camera of 2 MP with f/2.4. This device has a long-life non, removable battery capacity Li-Po 5000 mAh.

Pros

• Excellent cameras
• High refresh rate
• Support jack pin
• Micro SIM card slot
• S Pen enabled

Cons

• Relatively expensive

7. Samsung Galaxy A53

This device has a display of 6.5 inches with 1080 by 2400 pixels. In addition, it has an AMOLED display brightness of up to 800 nits. You will also enjoy a high refresh rate of 120Hz. Furthermore, you will enjoy all-day battery consumption thanks to its battery capacity of Li-Po 5000 mAh. Its 4GB RAM and 6GB storage capacity and internal storage of 128GB and 256 GB allow storage of large documents without lagging.

Moreover, it has an excellent camera that allows up to 4K video recording, and they consist of a quad main camera of 64 MP, with an f/1.8 wide camera. 12 MP with f/2.2 ultra-wide camera .5 MP with f/2.4 macro camera and 5 MP with f/2.4 depth camera .  The front wide camera is 32 MP with f/2.2It also has a fast operating system of Android 12 which can be upgraded to Android 13, along with a powerful chipset of Exynos 1280. 

Pros

• Excellent camera
• Low price
• High-quality camera
• Expansive display
• High power battery

Cons

• No jack pin

8. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

This Firstnet Compatible Phone has a display of 6.4 inches with a resolution of 1080 by 2340 pixels. Thanks to its bright AMOLED display, you can also use it under direct sun. Moreover, it features a high refresh rate of 120Hz, which ensures smooth navigation on the device. You will also enjoy all-day consumption thanks to its high power, a non-removable battery of Li-Ion 4500 mAh that supports wireless charging. 

This smartphone has a fast operating system of Android 12, upgradable to Android 13, and it’s powered by Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G.

Furthermore, Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has an excellent camera that allows up to 4K video recording of up to 60fps. It has a triple rear camera of 12 MP, with an f/1.8 wide camera. 8 MP with f/2.4 telephoto camera. 12 MP with f/2.2 ultra-wide camera. The front wide camera consists of 32 MP with f/2.2. In addition, the device has a vast storage of 6 RAM and 8GB RAM options with an internal storage of 128GB and 256 GB variants.

Pros

• Excellent Night mode
• Bright display
• Powerful operating system 
• A high refresh rate of 20Hz
• High power chipset of Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G

Cons

• No SIM card slot.

FirstNet Device Compatibility Check

For Firstnet phone compatibility check, enter your device IMEI at https://www.firstnet.com/checkyourdevice.html and hit the SUBMIT button. You can find your IMEI on your device by dialing *#06# on the dial pad. However, some carriers block this feature, and you can check in the settings:

1. Android: Proceed to Settings > About device > Status
2. iPhone: Proceed to Settings > General > About

If you find more than one IMEI number displayed, submit the first IMEI or Primary IMEI.

Bottom Line 

FirstNet is a nationwide wireless broadband provider under AT&T offering America’s first responders and public safety community affordable cell phones and plans. FirstNet-compatible phones offer reliable, highly-secure communications to public safety agencies and first responders for faster and better decisions on public safety. First responders and Public safety users enjoy an expansive collection of LTE phone devices compatible with FirstNet with a wide range of accessories.