Xfinity Mobile Adds BYOD For Phones
The folks at Comcast added BYOD to their mobile brand Xfinity Mobile this week. BYOD means Bring Your Own Device, and it means the brand is no longer limited to mobile data coverage for the devices they, themselves, physically sell in-store. It does NOT mean, however, that any device will work with Xfinity Mobile. Instead, there's an expanding list.
The first array of smartphones that will be capable of working with Xfinity Mobile with this BYOD plan include the last few generations of major Samsung units. On the list are the Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+, S8, S8+, Note 9 and Note 8, and more than likely the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 before the end of this year. Other devices not on the list are "expected" to be added later this year.
*TO BE CLEAR: The Galaxy S10 and Note 10 are not yet named by Xfinity Mobile as part of their BYOD system. That was mostly us suggesting the obvious next step, likely later this year – not officially, just likely.
Xfinity Mobile has a sort of bonus for people that've just been chomping at the bit to bring their Galaxy phone to this carrier system. From July 16th (today) until August 4th, 2019, users will be given a $100 prepaid card (read: only usable with Xfinity Mobile for some fees) if they bring in a new phone to port. They'll need to "bring their own eligible Android phone, activate a new line, and port their number to Xfinity Mobile" to quality for that one hundred dollars of credit.
They've also added in their press release that users can bring whatever phone they like, and if said phone is not part of their BYOD plan yet, but IS "eligible to be traded in", they can get a "gift card" that they can use to "bring down the cost of upgrading to a new device."
Just like trading in your old used car at a car dealership, we highly recommend against this route. If any brand is offering "trade in" deals, the amount of cash (or even just credit) will be far, far below what you'd be able to get for the device basically anywhere else. Take a single, solitary photo of the device and sell it on eBay – it's SUPER easy.
Chances are if you're reading this, you've got an old smartphone you no longer use. If that's the case, and you no longer use said phone, read this tiny guide from all the way back in 2014. That guide was so timeless that it remains solid today – reset your phone, then reset it again!