I bought a Telstra (ZTE) Cruise and an Aldi sim card for my mother for Christmas. Unfortunately, while Aldi uses the Telstra 3g network, the phone doesn't accept the sim card.
So I was wondering what the best phone for me to get would be. Here are the requirements:
Physical keypad (not a smartphone)
$50 or less
Take Aldi sim
Must be store where I can buy it today
Any help would be very much appreciated as I won't have a present for her otherwise!
Hell they've probably got a Nokia Lumia 530 for less than $50!
They're all locked to one network or another, as far as I can tell from their website.
DSE or Aldi phone - aldi sells dumb phones
Thanks, but the only one that Dick Smith seems to have is a Nokia 108 for $49, which seems like terrible value.
And Aldi doesn't have any currently.
when you say "the phone doesn't accept the sim card" is that a physical limitation due to sim size, or the phone's software prevents the use of the sim?
MIght be easier to purchase an unlock code for the ZTE phone since you already have it. Telstra themselves will usually unlock for $50 for a phone of that price. Cheaper elsewhere. If you decide on another model, make sure any phone you buy runs on 850Mhz for Telstra network.
Do this. Unlock it.
Either you unlock that Telstra handset or you buy Nokia 208 for slightly more, $88 at OW. http://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/nokia-asha-20…
Or buy a Nokia 208 from Harvey Norman for $19. It's locked to Telstra but works with Aldi SIM cards.
http://www.harveynorman.com.au/telstra-nokia-208-pre-paid-mo…
Ozbargainer says it works with Aldi SIM cards
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/173962
DC-Unlocker can unlock your current phone (ZTE T126 Cruise) for 7 Euros, about $11.
BTW, Telstra Cruise T126 is now only $10 at Dick Smith
http://www.dicksmith.com.au/telstra-cruise-3g-blk-dsau-em534…
Vodafone Huawei Ascend Y330 $55 Save $24
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/175778
Pay $5 to unlock — total price $60.
Better than a dumbphone Nokia right?
Digital immigrants (Baby Boomers) sometimes just can't get the hang of smartphones, so they require dumbphones. And they usually like physical keyboards, big ones.
Thanks, got a Telstra Nokia 208 for $19 from Harvey Norman and it works fine.
The sim card physically fits, but it doesn't work with the ZTE. I hope DSE will take it back.
It's a phone for my mum, so it couldn't be a smartphone.
I'm a mum and I'm smart ;)
coles has a pile of cheap non-smart phones for less than $50