AT&T has been proactively doling out its inventory of LTE smartphones to subscribers nonetheless counting on its antiquated 3G network forward of 3G’s dying. The provider has been pushing these gadgets to prospects who danger not having an energetic mobile connection as soon as it shuts off the community in February 2022. The shutdown will even have an effect on gadgets that lack assist for AT&T’s 4G VoLTE, a requirement for HD voice calls.

Folks had been warned of the changeover last summer and inspired to request a brand new appropriate system to assist with the transition. But in some situations, AT&T despatched out smartphones with out a request. Android Police’s founder received a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 unsolicited, and Reddit posts element related circumstances. The downside is that the Note 9 is greater than three years outdated, and right this moment we discovered that Samsung will cease rolling out monthly updates to its getting older Note.

Other gadgets that customers have reported receiving from AT&T embrace the Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy S9, and the budget-friendly Galaxy A11. Android Police reached out to AT&T to ask concerning the up to date system program. A spokesperson for the provider responded that “inventory constraints mean we sometimes must find substitutes for some devices,” which explains why subscribers are receiving a wide range of telephones.

AT&T published a whole listing of gadgets it will proceed supporting after the community changeover. Some of the older Samsung gadgets embrace the Galaxy Note Edge and Note 4, which had been launched in 2014 and have lengthy been off the software program replace listing.

Other telephone fashions are supported, too. Many Android gadgets from LG are on the listing, together with ASUS, Alcatel, HTC, and BlackBerry. There are even a couple of Windows Phone telephones on the listing, specifically the Lumia 950 and Lumia 640 XL.

For these on iOS, AT&T will assist the iPhone 6 and newer gadgets. Flip telephones are additionally nonetheless appropriate, someway, and in accordance to a couple posts on Reddit, AT&T has additionally been offering these customers with up to date flip gadgets. Most tablets and smartwatches launched in the previous couple of years will stay appropriate on the community, together with the most recent Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy smartwatches.

It looks like AT&T is merely clearing out its warehouses in an try and clean the transition for prospects who haven’t upgraded. If you’re one of many customers that might be affected by the shutdown of AT&T’s 3G community, contemplate updating to one of many newest gadgets as a substitute of sticking with what the provider provides you. A free Android smartphone is actually good, however in the event you gained’t get month-to-month software program updates or 5G assist, it’s value contemplating a extra present system that can reap the benefits of up to date infrastructure and gained’t depart you behind in the case of new options.