Some AT&T subscribers are getting a free smartphone

There is nothing better on this planet than receiving a free phone from your wireless carrier. If you are an AT&T customer, you might have a chance to experience this pleasure. The carrier has been sending out a series of emails telling customers that it will be unplugging its 3G network next February.

For some AT&T subscribers whose current handset can't make calls on an LTE network, turning off the carrier's 3G pipeline means that they won't have a device that they can use to communicate by phone. But playing the "gracious" host, AT&T is giving customers impacted by the 3G shutdown the opportunity to get a free phone delivered to them.

By firing up their browser, heading to att.com/AcceptMyPhone, and verifying their phone number, impacted AT&T subscribers can agree to receive their free replacement phone in a matter of weeks from the carrier. However, don't expect to receive an expensive flagship handset on the house. In fact, the device that the wireless provider is giving free to subscribers is the AT&T Radiant Core.

The Radiant Core was originally offered in October 2019 to AT&T's prepaid customers and is currently priced half off at $35. If you're an AT&T customer eligible to receive the device, you might be saying sarcastically, "Wow AT&T, you guys are sports." The phone features a 480p display, 16GB of storage with a 64GB capacity microSD slot, 1GB of memory, a 5MP single camera in the back, a removable 2500mAh battery, voice over LTE, and Android 9 (Pie) is pre-installed.

Look, the Radiant Core is obviously not a great phone but it is free. On the other hand, if you look at the list of phones that will still support AT&T's network after the 3G network is turned off in February, you might be able to find a model that not only works on AT&T but is also easy on the wallet.