[FINALLY] An Affordable Smartphone - Comments Page 1

Can you think of people in the U.S. who could go for it but might pass on a higher-cost smartphone?
Yes! Me!
On a fixed income, I currently have just over $100 to see me to the end of the month. That includes paying a $50+ phone bill. In spite of that, I'm a gadget nut and currently have several smartphones, all ultra-cheap to moderate in price (from when I actually had some money - most of them versions made by Motorola.)
Yet another phone? And cheap? Sign me up!

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I don't know why everyone thinks $100.00 phones are cheap and service plans should cost so much.
I paid $39.00 for my smartphone from the Dollar General and have a plan from tracfone for $33.75 and that is for 60 days. It has 750 minutes, 1000 texts, and 1 GB data. More than I ever need and the extra rolls over so I don't loose it. I download plenty of apps and it works great. I have no idea why anyone wants to pay more.

For a few dollars more you can get a much more powerful phone. I have seen new Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus 64GB, Dual Sim, 4GB RAM, 5.99", GSM Unlocked Global Version for $180.

Bob,
Android 9 Pie (Go edition) is now available.

I like the idea of a slimmed down phone at a much lower price, but if it can't run WEMO home automation I wouldn't buy it. The other app I would definitely want, but it may not have, is the Ooma smartphone app which provides home phone service (incoming and outgoing) anywhere in the world where you have a WiFi connection.

Some individuals may want to avoid Android/Google/Alphabet devices (or software) because of the recent AP report about Google tracking your location data even when you tell it not to: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-13/google-tracks-location-data-even-when-users-turn-service-off-ap

I bought my phone off HSN, which is a Tracfone and have 1 year of service for $85 and includes the phone. I can text, phone and get emails and the web. I do not use the phone much so it will last me a year.

Have a Flip phone and service from Trac Phone, $106 a year includes 9ver 900 minutes. All one needs to make and receive phone calls!

I have inexpensive smart phones, with no service, for other news and entertainment use when at home or using others internet.

I may be interested but...
The resolution on this screen is lower than many (most) similarly priced phones. The inability of home automation connection is also unappealing.

I want a camera and an MP3 player in my pocket all the time so that much might make this phone somewhat attractive, but I haven't looked at its spec's yet.

I would love to see an article on why CDMA / Verizon is often omitted from budget phones. My Page Plus plan is $11.10/month and I never use it all. Its a MVNO that uses Verizon's network.

Good to know that serviceable smartphones can be so cheap. I also have a Samsung Galaxy S4 (second-hand two years ago for about $140) which does more than I will ever ask it to do.
Phone calls, texts and photos, maybe a sat-nav app, and that marvellous flashlight app. IF all that is available for one hundred bucks when the Galaxy expires, count me in, as long as it runs on a French network.

The SIM card in my laptop works fine. Plus I don't have to use my cellphone as a computer when I am sitting in a restaurant eating my meal instead of constantly looking at my cellphone.

TracFone here, too, also with a one-year plan/refill card. I, too, don't use the phone very much, but like to have one for emergencies, non-routine calls, etc. TracFone sells all sorts of phones, sometimes offers a simple, older model for free when minutes are purchased.

I love technology, but I'm always willing to wait for the price drop! Over the last several generations of smart phones, I don't think we're really seeing any sufficient increase in quality/features to justify the continuing increase in prices (or purchasing of new phones) - I am happy with my used LG-G5 (

If it 'rankles' you to see products sold at lower prices than in the US then it is a good thing you don't live down here in Oz - most consumer items (not to mention industrial) are sold cheaper elsewhere and for that matter seemingly everywhere else - I purchased my last (first smart phone) phone from Hong Kong recently but had to check frequency coverage as it has no official support/backup from Motorola in Australia - works fine.

TracFone user here. I buy one-year refill plans. The phone is for emergencies, if I want to access my e-mail I use my home computer with it's protected lines. Web pages are too hard to read on a phone screen, at least for me. :)

My TracFone smart phone costs me about $9.00 per month on average, why pay more?

I bought two Alcatel smartphones [not the Android Go]and after two months scrapped them owing to the embedded advertisements. Nothing I tried could stop them. I hope the Android Go doesn't have the same problem. The advertising is programmed into the phone and starts about 2/3 weeks after starting the phone after purchase.

Hey Bob! I still use my old Samsung S4. Like you said, it performs well for all the basics in the cell phone realm. A few apps that do not work or update any longer so I cannot use them. However, I am not spending laptop money on a cell phone ever.

I bought a Galaxy J3 Luna Pro at Walmart for $89.
It is a Samsung product, and it is serviced by Tracfone. I buy a $45. card for unlimited talk, text, and data for the first 10 GB at 4G LTE speed, then 2G after that. However, I have never gone to 2G speed, so it does everything I want. If you need more unlimited talk, text, and speed, it is also available for $10 more. It is a good deal.

Will - I would love to see an article on why CDMA / Verizon is often omitted from budget phones.

The article below while not addressing your question directly does explain a lot about how the cellular technology developed. After GSM was mandated in Europe it became the bigger platform making it more profitable for the low end phones. It is also easier to change carriers with a GSM phone because everything is stored on the SIM card.
https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407896,00.asp