Inexpensive unlocked smartphone?

Hey all,

I'm looking for a new/refurbished smartphone to replace my Nokia Lumia 900 and my (broken) LG G2, and I don't want to spend a whole lot of money to do it. I'm on the T-Mobile network, so it needs to work on their 3G/4G bands. And the only restriction I have is that I'd rather not buy another LG since I've had nothing but bad experiences with mine.

Thanks!

 

Are the following bands what T-Mobile use?

What price range counts as inexpensive to you? $180-$250?

 

OnePlus is selling the original OPO for 250, 16 GB though with no expandable storage. If you want a smaller phone, there is the new OnePlus X for 250 too. The Moto G used to be a good deal, though there's no LTE..

 

Mostly looking at below $200. Would be nice to get a flagship phone, though I can't be spending a whole lot of money while I'm finishing up college and saving up for rent, etc.

I've taken a look at the Lumia 635, though I'm unsure if it will work on T-Mobile's data network. And I've heard about the Samsung Galaxy J2, though I don't see anyone selling those online.

 

Oh man, you JUST missed Amazon's Black Friday sale on the 32 gb Motorola Nexus 6 for $199 unlocked. It went quick but it was an amazing deal. Now it's back up to $349 (still good for what you get, but above your price range).

If you can go up to $219, you can get a Moto G 2015 with 2 gb RAM, 16 gb of micro-SD-expandable storage, a 5" 720p screen, and a Snapdragon 410 isn't a bad option. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015...-is-a-stylish-upgrade-worthy-of-the-original/

Plus you can do Moto Maker at no additional charge: https://www.motorola.com/us/motomaker?pid=FLEXR4&action=designNew#frontplate

Tsunade, the 2015 Moto G has LTE. The arstechnica review lists the specific bands the 2015 model has.

 

$20 isn't too much of a major difference, so I'll check it out. Though Motorola's site says $179 (can't complain)?

 

$179 gets you 1 gb RAM and 8 gb storage; a $40 upgrade during the Moto Maker process bumps that to 2 and 16 respectively. I think it's worth it for the RAM.

 

Ah okay I know the 2014 Moto G no variants with LTE which is a super bummer which is why I got my fiance the Moto G 1st gen 8 GB LTE.

Yeah I would pay 40 more for 16 GB of internal storage (8 is used up REALLY quick) and more RAM is really what the Moto G really needs. 220 is a pretty good deal, though you would only be 30 away from the OnePlus One (250 + shipping) or the "new" OnePlus X.

 

But according to Marques Brownlee, the OnePlus X lacks support for bands 7 and 12, which affect T-Mobile customers.



Also, I'm a little wary of OnePlus after the whole subpar-charger scandal: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015...selling-dodgy-usb-type-c-cables-and-adapters/

 

Refurb iphone 5s.

 

Right I forgot about the X's limitations, the original OPO is still decent.

As for the cable scandal, I'm honestly not surprised. Again I only buy OEM batteries and power accessories. Is it kinda crappy what OnePlus did? Yeah, but it's not illegal.

 

Usually, it's the flagship phones that are geared towards globetrotters, supporting a wide variety of bands. As such, it's exceedingly difficult to find an inexpensive alternative that's not already offered by T-Mobile themselves. That's a real shame since the value-to-price ratio has never been higher in the world of Android. For instance, the $130 UMi eMax Mini will get you a S615 SoC, a 5" 1080p IPS display by Sharp, a Sony IMX214 camera sensor, and a 3050 mAh battery, with the option of running a plethora of ROMs with ease, such as CM12.1, through RootJoy. The amount of supported bands, however, would probably be too limited for use on T-Mobile, even if it beats most MediaTek-based competitors in that regard. There are also other budget alternatives out there that are already running CM13 (Marshmallow), such as the Elephone Trunk, beating many high-profile brands to the punch.

 

Thanks guys. I'll check out the suggested phones, though it seems to be true that a lot of my options at the lower end of the price range will be likely sold by T-Mobile due to the network bands :/.

 

Get a refurbished LG G2 directly from T-Mobile. If you can get over the power button on the back (I couldn't get used to that for the life of me), its the best value... If you can get a refurbished G3 that's even better except for the fact it's using a 1440p display on a chip made for 1080p. If you don't game it's not an issue.

 

I have a G2 and it's probably the worse device I've ever used, even after an RMA. I'm actually a little glad I accidentally broke the display on it.

 

Its a device you either love or hate, like everything LG makes.......

Next best option is hit Craigslist or eBay for an S4.

 

The design I do like; it's just been horribly unreliable in my experience.

 

You're talking to someone who never forgave them for G2X/Optimus 2X... First dual core... Lots of potential. LG dropped the model like a bad habit........... Never updated it. My TVs? They were some of the first Internet connected TVs...... You know where I'm going.

Honestly even getting a refurbished S3 LTE from T-Mobile... It really all depends. What specs do you want? Particularly resolution. From there I can tell you exactly where I would go.

 

I think buying an LTE phone would be best as who knows when T-Mobile will stop HSPA+/"old 4G". I think buying a non-LTE phone is a complete dealbreaker, why buy a phone that is going to be obsolete? The Moto G and Moto E are okay, though the Moto E doesn't have 720p which is quite a bummer (no HD video).

 

T-Mobile already has LTE only markets that rely on Band 12 LTE and use VoLTE. They have already been converting 1900MHz PCS markets to LTE. It would surprise me if legacy 1900MHz GSM exists much longer. Depending on how well T-Mobile does in the 600MHz auction, the GSM network could be shuttered by 2018 in full. It would be wise to get a phone that supports Band 12 for now at a minimum but realistically, everything is up in the air so get whatever fits your budget that supports all of 2, 4, and 12 LTE at a minimum including T-Mobile VoLTE.

 

Currently thinking about the Samsung Galaxy Prime Core, since T-Mobile's selling it for $100. Specs are decent enough and the display is comparable to the Lumia 900 I'm using. Any thoughts?

 

Eh it's not bad, Moto G not in your price range? Also remember 8 GB of space is quickly used up.

 

It has a microSD slot and I have a 64GB card laying around.

As far as a phone goes, I'm fine with a cheaper phone since this will serve basically as a holdover until I decide on a flagship in a year or two. After all, I paid ~$400 for a phone I can't use anymore .

 

Eh the issue is even if you migrate all your data and apps to the SD card (not all apps support this), after the OS, and formatting, you have like.....5.5 GB of less of usable storage. Plus Samsung's images are always bloated...you may have less storage than that.

 

Just took a look at the Moto G's signal support and apparently Band 12 isn't supported at all (either voluntarily or forced by T-Mobile) ( http://www.androidheadlines.com/2015/08/unlocked0-moto-g-2015-will-not-support-band-12-lte.html)

Looks like the Core will be my hold-over phone until I go shopping again in the future.

 

The core is a decent choice. It's not much of an upgrade from the S3 really but it's a decent middle of the road.

 

Heads' up: Motorola Nexus 6 with 32 gb storage (and 6" 1440p screen, Snapdragon 806, and 3 gb RAM) selling new and unlocked for $249 on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Unlocked-Cellphone-Midnight-Warranty/dp/B00R1984DI

 

I've already bought a phone, but thanks. Will definitely keep Motorola in mind next time I buy a nicer phone in a couple of years.

 

I actually am probably not going to buy another Motorola (at least not a non-Nexus Motorola) after they cut off my 2014 Moto X from software support after just one year. On September 30, 2015, they announced that the 2014 Moto X Pure Edition would get Marshmallow, but they would never release a Marshmallow update for the 2014 Moto X that was sold through carriers (as mine was)--a device that had first gone on sale September 5, 2014. I get livid just thinking about it.

This was such a ridiculously good deal, though, that I just wanted to spread the word in case other people still looking for a cheap deal clicked on this thread.

 

Fair enough . I'm sure there are plenty of other people looking for a good inexpensive smartphone and Google searches might lead here.

 

Would you mind to be a bit more specific about your bad experiences with the LG G2?
My brother has one and is totally happy with it. So I bought one to replace my Nokia Lumia 930 which IS absolutely horribly unreliable. App availability is crappy and the few I am using simply don't work (mostly) including Tapatalk.

So any info's on that would be much appreciated!

 

Funny thing is, my brother also has a G2 (when I RMA'ed mine, they sent me two in return...?), and so far he hasn't had any issues with it.

I RMA'ed my first one because GPS was unreliable and could never hold a signal for more than a few seconds (bad if you're traveling). Second phone also had this issue, though at this point I've reverted to printing out Google Maps directions (and later to Nokia's map implementations when my second G2 shattered its screen and I reused my old Lumia, which has working GPS). Also, I've noticed on my second G2 that whatever LG did as far as designing the thermals go, they did a horrible job at it. Sitting in my room (~68F, usually) and playing YouTube videos at full screen, the top half of the phone tends to heat up enough to be an effective hand-warmer. And if I dared to try this outside on a typically southeastern afternoon, the phone will sometimes shut down due to tripping some thermal limit.

My mom also has some minor issues with her G3, though it's mostly software rather than hardware.

 

Looking at Lenovo Vibe X3. Any experience with this one?

 

Okay, mine arrived today! After some testing I'll let you know, if it suits my needs!

 

Okay, after had some time testing it, I am very satisfied with this one (LG G Flex2). For 240 Bucks Price/Performance ratio is more than adequate. In comparison with my retired Lumia 930 it's like: "WTF, what did I own the last two years?"
The most negative aspect - the throttling/temperature issue - occurs only when using benchmarking tools repeatingly. In real world I rarely have some microstutters but only in a flick of a moment. Mostly handling/performance is fluidly. The AMOLED Screen is great - saturated colors, good contrast and brightness. The same goes for the speakers. Battery life is better than the Lumia 930. I have to charge it every two days.
I had no issues with connectivity so far but I have to admit two crashes while benchmarking.
And the best thing in comparison to the Lumia 930: no more non existent apps and no more crappy app support!!!

Of course a Huawei Mate 8 and the Google Nexus 6p will smash it against the wall in most aspects, but for 240 Bucks there is nothing wrong with it, mostly.

I can live with the minor issues this one is sporting. So in the end I am very pleased!

AND take my posting with a grain of salt!

Gesendet von meinem LG-H955 mit Tapatalk