Verizon is sending free 4G phones to customers still on 3G

Updated: Jul 8, 2022 / 11:53 AM CDT

Verizon is sending new 4G LTE phones to customers still on the wireless provider’s 3G network. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

(KTLA) — If you get a new Verizon phone in the mail, it’s not a scam.

The wireless company is sending new 4G LTE phones to customers still on Verizon’s 3G network.

Verizon plans to shut down its 3G network at the end of the year, which means those 3G devices will no longer make or receive calls.

According to Verizon’s support page, the company will automatically activate sent devices after 30 days. If a customer doesn’t want the new phone, they can call customer support and ask to “decline the free phone for CDMA Sunset.”

The replacement phones Verizon is sending are basic flip-style devices, including the 4G LTE Orbic Journey V, TCL FLIP Pro or Nokia 2720 V Flip phone. Contract and plan pricing will stay the same.

Verizon is one of the last major wireless providers to discontinue the use of its 3G network. AT&T shut down its 3G network in February, Sprint’s 3G network was retired in March and T-Mobile plans to retire its 3G network this month.