AT&T urges customers to buy new phones to keep using its network
In a surprising, yet unpleasant, turn of events, AT&T is sending notifications via email to customers who own certain smartphones, urging them to buy other phones if they want to be able to keep using the carrier's network.
The email obtained by AndroidPolice and published on AT&T's official forums is quite vocal and “demands” people who own certain phones to buy new ones that are compatible with the carrier's network as quickly as possible.
The email obtained by AndroidPolice and published on AT&T's official forums is quite vocal and “demands” people who own certain phones to buy new ones that are compatible with the carrier's network as quickly as possible.
We will soon be upgrading our network to use the latest technologies. These updates are to serve you better and bring faster speeds and greater reliability. But your device ending in […] is not compatible with the new network and you need to replace it to continue to receiving service.
The email contains a link that redirects to a support page that offers more details about the changes that AT&T is making to its network. If you didn't know, AT&T will discontinue its 3G network in February 2022, so phones that are not compatible with 4G data and voice calls will no longer work.
AT&T has already published a list of smartphones that are compatible with its 4G data and calling services, so if your phone is not there, chances are that you'll get such an email pressuring you into buying a new phone in the next 19 months or so.
In fact, even some phones that feature 4G data and calling support like the Samsung Galaxy S10e and Nokia 6.1 won't work on AT&T's network effective February 2022. The main issue with the email is the way AT&T chose to communicate this in total disregard with the times we're living, and how it presents it as a “do or die” situation even though we're still more than a year and a half away from the deadline.
AT&T has already published a list of smartphones that are compatible with its 4G data and calling services, so if your phone is not there, chances are that you'll get such an email pressuring you into buying a new phone in the next 19 months or so.
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