Sprint MVNO Ting is now welcoming the Google Nexus 5
Ting – the popular Sprint prepaid MVNO that only makes you pay for what you actually use and has long welcomed old Sprint phones – is now welcoming new Google Nexus 5 owners. This is a first for both Sprint and Ting, since users don’t necessarily have to buy the phone beforehand from either carrier – in fact, I’d venture to guess that most Nexus 5 sales are happening in the Google Play Store.
To activate your Nexus 5 on Ting, you’ll have to obtain a Sprint micro SIM card. Ting says this is the “big roadblock” right now, since these are hard to come by and you have to have model SIMGLW206R or newer. Some people have had success visiting Sprint corporate stores that are designated repair centers, but your mileage may vary.
However, once you have that, the process is easy: just get your IMEI number (it’s on the removable sticker on the back of the phone, or you can just dial *#06#), convert it to a decimal MEID (here’s a converter you can use), and add it to your Ting account online. That’s it!
Ting is working on getting some SIM cards of its own, but it might still take a few weeks. In any case, since this is uncharted territory for Ting, the company says that it’s not ready to officially call the Nexus 5 a “supported device” yet, but it looks like we’re getting there very quickly.
To recap, here are how Ting’s rate plans work:
