How use my T-Mobile # with my cellular Verizon s10 ?

[MacNchedder]

I have a s10 purchased on a Verizon promo - buy a phone and get a cellular s10 with 3 year monthly payments offset by credits as long as I remain on the plan.

My business phone is Verizon but personal phone is TMobile. The Verizon salesman promised that I could use the S10 cellular capability to receive calls on my TMobile # without having the Apple Watch connected via Bluetooth to my phone or connected to wifi. (Right now I have it connected via Bluetooth to my phone and via home wifi to the internet, but cannot make / receive calls without either the iPhone or wifi.)

I have not activated the cellular capacity on the Apple Watch yet on either Verizon or T-Mobile. I am now concerned that when I ask t-mobile to activate the watch, it will port my unused watch # from Verizon and that I will owe the remaining $300+ cost of my watch that hasn't been offset.



Is this correct? Any suggestions?

 

[Bigwaff]

The Verizon promo, the 3 year monthly payments.. the cost of watch or the cost of the watch with requirement there is an active wearable line? Verizon typically promos the device cost, not the wearable line. Are the terms such that you need to keep an active wearable line on your account? If so, you'll have to pay for the wearable line on Verizon for the entire 3 years whether you use the Apple Watch with TMobile iPhone. If Verizon wearable line must be active, active line require device IMEI and ICCID, which more than likely means your Apple Watch cellular will need to be activated to Verizon. Review your Verizon terms closely.

 

[Night Spring]

I kind of doubt there is an unused watch phone # to port. The way I understand it is that cell phone companies make up dummy phone # to assign to the watch, then route phone calls/texts to your phone to the dummy number. So T-Mobile would make up its own dummy number, rather than port the number from Verizon. Verizon shouldn't even be aware you've activated the watch with another company, since you never activated the watch with Verizon in the first place.

That said, it's probably a good idea to carefully review the terms of your contract.

 

[MacNchedder]

Bigwaff - Verizon requires that I pay for a line which I am doing. But I have not activated the line.
Night Spring - I am not sure I understand what you wrote. I think, but am not sure, you meant that T-Mobile can activate the watch without leading Verizon to think I am switching my account over to TMobile.

 

[Night Spring]

Bigwaff - Verizon requires that I pay for a line which I am doing. But I have not activated the line.
Night Spring - I am not sure I understand what you wrote. I think, but am not sure, you meant that T-Mobile can activate the watch without leading Verizon to think I am switching my account over to TMobile.

That's what I meant, but you just said something in response to Bigwaff that changes my understanding of your situation. You said "you are paying for a line" with Verizon. Do you mean you are paying Verizon for a cellular watch line? Then Verizon may actually have a way of knowing if you switch your watch to T-Mobile.

The confusion here is between "paying for a line," and "activating the line." You seem to think they are different things, but to me, it's hard to understand how a line isn't active if you are paying for it.

 

[someoneoutthere]

Bigwaff - Verizon requires that I pay for a line which I am doing. But I have not activated the line.
Night Spring - I am not sure I understand what you wrote. I think, but am not sure, you meant that T-Mobile can activate the watch without leading Verizon to think I am switching my account over to TMobile.

They have most certainly activated the watch line on your account. Not only you have been making device payments, you are also making payments for the service plan ($10 + fees + taxes.)
Your watch will only work with Verizon service for the next 36 months because not only it is locked to Verizon until the device is paid off but also, number share, which takes place in the background, works only when both devices are under the same carrier. Which means, when I call your number, your watch also rings on your wrist (technically your iPhone and Watch have different phone numbers). Feel free to review this support article from Apple:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/119601 - "Your iPhone and Apple Watch must use the same carrier,* and you must be within your carrier's network when you set up cellular on your watch."
Edit: You also cannot have one Apple Watch paired to two different iPhones.

 

[MacNchedder]

Someoneoutthere - i have not yet paired the s10 to my Verizon line but am paying for the cell line - that was the way the store set it up. My understanding was that Verizon locks devices for only 60 days, unlike other carriers. For example, i could add a second eSIM to a Verizon iPhone today's after purchasing it.
Night Spring - I think, but am not sure, that the line is still waiting to be paired with the watch.

Many thanks to all who have pitched in on this. I will let you know what happens next...

 

[BigBlur]

Your watch will only work with Verizon service for the next 36 months because not only it is locked to Verizon until the device is paid off

This is false. Verizon and other carriers eliminated their contracts at least ten years ago...you're no longer locked to them for years like you once were.

Verizon automatically unlocks devices 60 days after activation, and you're free to move the device to another carrier if you wish. Your options are to either: 1) continue paying the monthly payments even though you're not using the device with them anymore; or 2) pay off the device and forfeit any monthly credits that may be associated with the promo.

Device Unlocking Policies | Verizon

Verizon's device unlocking policy.

www.verizon.com

 

[someoneoutthere]

This is false. Verizon and other carriers eliminated their contracts at least ten years ago...you're no longer locked to them for years like you once were.

Verizon automatically unlocks devices 60 days after activation, and you're free to move the device to another carrier if you wish. Your options are to either: 1) continue paying the monthly payments even though you're not using the device with them anymore; or 2) pay off the device and forfeit any monthly credits that may be associated with the promo.

Device Unlocking Policies | Verizon

Verizon's device unlocking policy.

www.verizon.com

Well aware of the link above you shared and the procedure. When OP calls Verizon to get the transfer PIN to port out, OP will be asked to pay the remainder of the balance they owe on the Watch.

HOWEVER, based on what OP shared, OP had originally intended of porting out of Verizon (only after staying with the network for 60 days) without any consequences while they have a contractual obligation to remain on the network until the requirements are fulfilled on a PROMOTIONAL device that was given to them for "free."

The watch is "free" with the obligation of staying with the network for the next 36 months. Not only the OP might forfeit the trade-in credit, they will probably also be hit with an ETF - paying off the remainder of the balance on the watch. OP's obligations are written on their contract, if they wish to take a closer look at it.

The watch is $499 (assuming they got the 42mm) and OP has over $300 left to pay, which means that they have been with the network for well over 60 days (Watch payments are roughly $14/month). That watch is still locked to Verizon, and it will be, until the balance is paid off.