1. #1
    zylstra555
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    I'm still without a data plan, or a modern smart phone. A long time ago, I used a HTC XV7600 Windows Mobile smartphone and loved it -- until it died. But I never had a data plan, I always used WiFi.

    I read about a $57 phone (read: gizchina DOT COM /2012/11/01/worlds-cheapest-android-phone-is-just-57/ ) Being as that article was from Nov 2012, and how fast the phone world moves, I'm not sure that it still is for sale anywhere.

    My question is this:
    Is a person like me, who is new to modern smartphones and who is still on the edge of whether or not to get a data plan better off to seek out a very cheap smartphone, or spend a little bit more for something higher quality?


    See More: A $57 Android phone... is it really worth while?




  2. #2
    tavenger5
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    Re: A $57 Android phone... is it really worth while?

    I guess this depends on what you want in a phone. Do you want to run various apps, go on facebook, check your e-mail, etc?
    John

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  3. #3
    zylstra555
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    Re: A $57 Android phone... is it really worth while?

    I don't envision myself going beyond basic Internet websites (Wikipedia, Google News, Facebook, etc), my email (Gmail), and Calendar (Google).&nbsp;<br><br>Do these kinds of phones "survive" off WiFi fairly well? It seems like they get more and more&nbsp;dependent&nbsp;on the web. I'd be happy with my calendar and email being syncronized whenever I'm in a WiFi location, which is often through the day. (I suppose the only time I am not near WiFi is during my commute, when I certainly&nbsp;wouldn't&nbsp;be needing to use my phone anyways!)&nbsp;



  4. #4
    tavenger5
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    Re: A $57 Android phone... is it really worth while?

    In my opinion, I wouldn't get a cheap phone as they'd be more trouble then they're worth. They're not made to last as long as a name brand phones, which all go through a testing process before they're released. If you don't mind getting a cheap phone and switching your contacts every 6 months or so then go for it.

    If your service provider is Verizon, AT&T or T-mobile, you'll have to get a data plan with a smartphone anyway, so there will be extra cost to go along with it. There are non-smart phones out there that can do what you describe, but there's this grey area of phones that have or don't have wi-fi and also do require or don't require a data plan (although these types of phones are on the decline).

    If you go the pre-paid route data is usually charged in minutes, so you could potentially turn off data and just use wi-fi.

    Phone Arena has a pretty good phone finder: Phone Finder and Compare Give that a try and see what phones come up.
    John

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  5. #5
    zylstra555
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    Re: A $57 Android phone... is it really worth while?

    Hmm.. I have Verizon and I'm not sold on getting a data plan yet. Although about five years ago I had a smartphone but did not have a data plan with them. They automatically signed me up for it and charged me for it, despite the fact that I spoke with a representative at the time of phone activation and specifically stated that I did not want a data plan, and they told me that I would not have one. They sent me a partial refund for the data that did not use (as if I had used any..), I sent a letter to the BBB..
    But, once sorted, I did have a phone that ran exclusively off WiFi.

    Oh well. I guess I'll consider it. I know two things now: 1, a better phone is just that -- better, and it'll be worth a few extra bucks. 2, that I'll likely have to add a dataplan to the expected costs.

    Thanks!



  6. #6
    tavenger5
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    Re: A $57 Android phone... is it really worth while?

    Also keep in mind that Verizon won't activate a phone if it's not specifically for their network. There are a lot of cheaper android phones out there, but they are more than likely GSM only phones since the rest of the world uses GSM.
    John

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  7. #7
    avenue
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    Re: A $57 Android phone... is it really worth while?

    Did you decide on a phone?

    You could always switch to another provider that won't require a data plan or has a cheaper data plan instead of Verizon Wireless.



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