Yes it will work with one of the new TracFone AT&T SIMs.

Tracfone's BYOP page, http://tracfonewireless.com/byop/, says "If you have an AT&T or unlocked GSM smartphone, you're compatible!". Various other pages along the way to buying a SIM say similar. AFAIK, there's nothing that specifically says the AT&T GoPhone Lumia 640 is compatible, but it should be.

However, I'd try to get AT&T to unlock it for free first. The process worked very well for me for a Lumia 520.

How does one buy this from AT&T without a monthly plan? It won't let me skip that step, not will it allow me to remove the plan from my cart.

You don't have to remove the plan just remove the airtime card that is automatically added to the cart. If you don't activate the included sim card within a certain number of days, the account is closed. You can still use with phone with any ATT-compatible plan.

Yes but it's expensive to get unlocked so the GoPhone one is a better choice for AT&T or T-Mobile.

That's the closeout price. Use Brickseek to check availability in your area.

Sone MetroPCS phones cam be unlocked inexpensively, some can't. There's no need to unlock if you want to use the phone on MetroPCS.

Unlocking will have no effect on whether a MetroPCS runnng on MetroPCS will get system updates or not.

Metro will unlock after 3 months (you would end up having to pay for 4 months of service) See https://www.metropcs.com/terms-conditions/phone-unlock-policy.html. You can obviously still use it on Metro if you're not planning on moving, but the unlock is free and it opens some options should you later decide to move to another carrier or sell the phone.

Amazon does not price match cell phones unless they are sold with a postpaid plan.
Amazon.com Help: Amazon.com Cell Phones with Service Low Price Guarantee Terms and Conditions

It Here isn't pre-installed it should be available from the Windows Store.

What Dennis said is correct, Here drive+ installs just fine on the 640. And to those unsure of how well windows phones work I just say give them a try. Best buy , among others, has a 14 day return policy. You might be surprised how good they are.

Windows phones are often criticized by those who haven't used them. They are more secure than Android, great on battery life, no memory leakage problems, work very smoothly with lower specs., tend to have much better cameras and photo apps at their price points, work seamlessly with One Drive (photo backup and online storage), work seamlessly with Outlook.com and online Office stuff, and in general offer a much more pleasant experience for the price. Find an $80 Android phone that is half as good performance wise and you are lucky.

Separate GPS radio allows the GPS to work anywhere. Microsoft is the only one doing this

The criticisms from Android users are valid, centering on problems including a major lack of apps for Windows Phone.

I am an Android user that is one of those who "hasn't use them", because there's nothing like the apps I need, and can find on Android and IOS. But not Windows Phone.

I know. I checked the desert island that is the Windows app store, making the Windows Phone experience closer to that of a feature phone (again, a feature phone with a superb camera) than a state-of-the-art smart phone.

It is true that the cameras on the mid-range Windows phones are superb. But this advantage is lost when you move up to Android flagships.

Android works seemlessly with One Drive, Outlook, and Office as well, I know: I use them.

But trumping all this is that Microsoft is flopping like a fish on the dock when it comes to the future of Windows Phone. They most certainly don't have their act together, and that does not inspire confidence.

Windows Phone is more secure because hardly any apps also means hardly any malware. Following the logical conclusion, a bar of soap carved in the shape of a phone is the most secure device possible.

I guess if you describe more than 300,000 apps as a "desert island" Windows phone isn't for you. I have all the apps I need and want. Did you read about the latest Android vulnerability where 950 million phones are potentially hackable by sending a mms message? You don't even have to open the message and they can take over your phone. They just need your phone number.

It's a meager selection: I know, I have looked for apps in some categories and have simply found none available for Windows Phone, making me wonder what proportion of those 300,000 Windows phone apps are things like knock-off Minion wallpapers.

I believe in "be prepared": better to have the OS that will likely run what you need and haven't thought of yet than the one that doesn't. The real alternative to Android, to avoid the virus attacks, is IOS. No compromises there.

And get the OS with a future. Business-wise, Windows Phone is dying...

https://redmondmag.com/articles/2014/12/02/windows-phone-market-declined.aspx

...and the company keeps making noises that it is going to kill it off

If you like taking great photos with a budget phone and your app needs aren't (AND NEVER WILL BE) demanding, get Windows Phone. If you want to be able to do everything possible that a smartphone can do, and doesn't have a crippled OS, get an Android or iPhone.

From:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/which-mobile-operating-system-is-best#wpOqXw7BxrXHqt1E.99


"And then there’s Windows Phone. Ah, Windows Phone. It’s certainly safe to say that in the app landscape, Microsoft’s baby currently lags a distant third. Make no mistake, there are plenty of apps on Windows Phone and the number of big players offering something for the platform is growing. Spotify, Dropbox, Facebook, Twitter, Vine and Instagram are all present and correct and that covers a lot of the apps people use on a daily basis. Actually, Instagram’s Windows Phone presence really shows how the OS is faltering with apps. It never gets updated, it lacks basic features (video, new filters) that we’ve had for ages on other versions. Developers seem to release an app, mentions it now supports Windows Phone and then turn their attention back to iOS and Android."

To each his own. I have found the apps I want and need on Windows phone and I am very happy having a smooth operating, fast, and secure phone that costs a fraction of what most people spend, and has a good camera to boot. Plus, I own it outright and can use any prepaid service I want. I don't think you'll find anything close in value to the $80 (or less) Lumia 640 Dennis has highlighted.

The Tech Specs tab on this page: AT&T - Microsoft Lumia 640 (Black) - No Contract - Microsoft Store

Dennis,

Thank you for the reply and the information. Even though the MS website could be wrong, I am more likely to believe it than a single user report on HoFo.

Blowfish Unlocks (who I have used for several couple phones, but no MetroPCS or Lumia phones) advertises a MetroPCS Nokia unlock for $13. I assume that "Nokia unlock" meanss "Lumia unlock", since they're Microsoft phones now, not Nokia. You should verify before paying.

I have also used an eBay unlock vendor (again, not for MetroPCS or Lumia phones), mobunlockingmaster, and they advertise an unlock for the MetroPCS 640 for $23.

Thank you Anon 7/27 @ 10:54

Verizon GSM unlocked all the postpaid 4s but I don't know about the prepaid ones.

I believe that the MetroPCS version is the same phone or very similar and supports the same bands. The main difference is that AT&T will unlock theirs immediately and Metro requires 3 months of paid service before it will unlock.