4G S8 to be disconnected with 3G shutdown - here is what you can do

Just learned from AT&T that the "similar" replacement phone is supposed to arrive Jan 25 and the 3G network shuts down Feb 1.

A six day window ... what could possibly go wrong?

Imagine all the people who jet out of town on Jan 24 on a family emergency only to have their service cut off in the middle of a crisis.

Hope someone in the AT&T C-Suite is paying attention as this may be a career-ending event.

and the 3G network shuts down Feb 1

Not necessarily. The shutdown is supposed to be complete by the end of February but 3G has already been shut down in many places. If you still have 3G, it won’t necessarily be gone Feb 1 but if you are traveling, you could travel somewhere 3G is already gone.

@guyshomenet2

Thanks gents. With GLIMMERMAN76's original suggestion, I thought he was advising a pre-paid burner phone.

Uh, yeah, he kind of is.   Anything At&t sells for prepaid will work for any At&t plan.   And it is very likely that it is a similar phone that is scheduled to be sent out to anyone who still does not have their replacement Android phone.

Most people lately have been receiving a Calypso, which is a cheap prepaid android.

If you want something better, you can purchase something better. If you prefer to buy an unlocked phone rather than be tied to AT& T, there are plenty of phones out there that are whitelisted for AT&T service. 

Unlocked phones that will work on AT&T now that 3-g is going away

Well, AT&T changed their mind on the "similar" phone (perhaps my letter to the CEO nudged someone ... you know what they say, *&^$ rolls downhill).

Whereas AT&T originally said they would send an A12, their email as of yesterday says an S10e ... which spec-wise is very similar my my existing S8.

@guyshomenet2

More likely they ran out of new A12, and are sending out refurbs and open box returns again. 

They are refurbished s10e.  I know someone that just got one.

Well, UPS confirms the "similar" device won't arrive here until the 27th, 3.5 days before the 3G network is allegedly being unplugged. Short time to respond to disasters.

But hey, what could possibly go wrong? [hint: everything]

Could be worse, I had no idea about the HD voice requirements, just the 3G shutdown, since that is all they advertised.  I was just informed today (Jan 28) that my phone would stop working (unlocked S8) and they will be sending a new one.  So here's hoping they don't shut down until the end of February.

The S10e did arrive. This, unlike the originally threatened A12, is actually "similar". nearly identical to the unlocked S8, aside from more CPU power.

So, the summary is that the overall AT&T plan, timing, communications and execution were third rate. But the gifting of the refurbed S10e (which does not have some of the defects of previously branded phones) is an acceptable switch.

Interestingly, my primary motive for buying an S22 this year would have been to get on the current Android 12 release. But the S10e is already in 12, so my motivation to spend money just evaporated.

@guyshomenet2 who did you contact at AT&T to find out the delivery date and model of your replacement phone? I'm in a similar position as @dmw0472 and I found out yesterday evening that my unlocked S8 would stop working.