Decent smartphone for t-mobile?

[Jim Bancroft]

I've been using a Motorola flip phone on t-mobile for 5 years. It's time to upgrade and I'm sounding out suggestions.

Price is definitely a consideration. No iPhones here. I'd like a fairly recent version of Android or a cheap Windows 8 phone if they're out there. I don't know what models would suit my needs however and am open to buying off eBay or Craigslist.

If I can get a good phone and put my sim card in it for $100-$150 then great. My understanding is that you can't use some phones on t-mobile without a data plan so I'm willing to shop for one of those too, preferably in t-mobile (I'll consider their prepaid options too.)

Thanks!

 

[Trombe]

For $150ish if that's the max you're willing to spend, your choice for new basically comes down to the Lumia 521 (Windows 8). Maybe an LG Optimus L9 on sale if you're lucky. I don't think TMo enforces data plans anymore so if you can live with just Wi-Fi I assume that's an option.

 

[Crono]

For $150ish if that's the max you're willing to spend, your choice for new basically comes down to the Lumia 521 (Windows 8). Maybe an LG Optimus L9 on sale if you're lucky. I don't think TMo enforces data plans anymore so if you can live with just Wi-Fi I assume that's an option.

I'd go with the Lumia 521 for that price for sure.

With a low range Android phone you might wish you had a better processor and more RAM.

 

[Chocu1a]

Look for an HTC One S on Craigslist or Swappa. Maybe a Galaxy S2.

 

[Jim Bancroft]

Good suggestions all. Thanks everyone.

 

[zod96]

Or this.....It runs ICS 4.0.1

http://www.amazon.com/Pantech-Burst-...=Pantech+burst

 

[thisjustin]

T mobile definitely doesn't require data plans any more. I gave my dad my old HTC G2 and he has been using it just on Wi-Fi and as a regular phone for the past 6 months.

 

[Ksyder]

I'd go with the Lumia 521 for that price for sure.

With a low range Android phone you might wish you had a better processor and more RAM.

I don't know about the Lumia or any of the windows phone stuff but I have to second the comment about the low range android phone.

I have a Lg L9 and it gets the job done but considering how much web browsing I do on my phone I am replacing it with a nexus 4 and selling the LG to my dad where it will be a huge upgrade from his droid x. You really don't wait for anything on Nexus 4, its screaming fast.

Plus its not looking too good for LG to release a jellybean update again for the l9.

 

[pcsavvy]

If you shop around you can get the Lumia 521 for about $130. Just a FYI, Nokia will be releasing the amber update for all Lumias along with Windows GDR2 update. The amber updates the camera software and the Windows update adds more functionality, for ex. it adds FM radio to all Lumias except for the 620.

The updates will be sent out in the next few months. Nokia has made it clear it will continue to support the Windows 8 phones. All reviewers give the 521 good reviews for a phone at its price point. :awe:

 

[shortylickens]

You might be able to pick up an S3 for cheap.

 

[Pardus]

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active will be nice when t-mobile has it.

 

[Bman123]

Are you trying to get a new phone with a upgrade or a used phone

 

[Jim Bancroft]

Are you trying to get a new phone with a upgrade or a used phone

I'm open to either. I'd like to stay with t-mobile but am open to using a prepaid plan, instead of my $30 mo / 300 minute current deal. Just not sure what the best deal is for me. Is the Lumia 521 *only* good with t-mobile prepaid, or can it be used on the network regardless?

 

[pcsavvy]

Lumia 521 can be used either way. I have noticed that on T-Mobile website you can either buy it outright or have it subsidized. I would check your local walmart or online vendors for the best price first.
T-Mobile is also getting the Lumia 925 which is T-Mobile's flagship Windows 8 phone but unfortunately it only has 16 Gigs of storage memory. It does have 6 camera lenses and will be preloaded with Nokia's latest update along with Windows latest update. It looks more like an I-phone and I not sure what the pricing on it is.

 

[tdawg]

Or this.....It runs ICS 4.0.1

http://www.amazon.com/Pantech-Burst-...=Pantech+burst

My dad had one of these on AT&T. Horrid phone. Battery life of Tesla being powered by 1 AA battery. Avoid.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Absolutely check out the Lumia 521. I got one last week and you can put it on any T-Mobile plan (or T-Mobile based prepaid carrier). No sense in buying it subsidized as it's only $130-$150 new, without a contract. Best Buy and Walmart have it listed at $130 but they're out of stock. The Microsoft store has it for $150, and T-Mobile sells the no-contract version for $200 (but they also include a $50 refill card, so it's technically $150).

I'm totally stunned at the quality this phone offers for the price. The main negative is the camera, which seems incapable of taking non-blurry photos, although videos seem to be fine. The screen isn't the greatest, but it's good enough. I'd recommend a screen protector; I got a Skinomi for $10 and it really improves the feel of the screen. It's not gorilla glass so I feel like it's more necessary than with my past phones.

The OS is the main reason I love it. Despite having a mediocre CPU by today's standards and only 512 MB of RAM, it always feels smooth and lag-free. This is a welcome change from Android, which seems to always lag no matter how much power you put behind it. I don't even want to think about how poorly Android would perform on a similarly-priced phone. Battery life is good too, easily lasting a day without having to plug it in multiple times at my desk like I did with my Galaxy Nexus.

There aren't a ton of apps and it's not what you would consider a phone for "power users," but it can do all the things you want a smartphone to do. The browser is really good despite being named Internet Explorer.

As for plans, you have a lot of options. T-Mobile has two $30/mo no-contract plans - one with 100 minutes of voice but unlimited text and 5 GB data, the other with 1500 minutes and text messages but highly limited data (30 MB before they slow you down). I'm using a prepaid carrier, Platinumtel, that offers two "unlimited everything" plans for $40 and $50 a month, depending on how much data you can use before they throttle you - 250 MB or 2 GB. They also have "true pay as you go," where you just put money on your account and can use it as slowly or as quickly as you like. Not the best idea if you make long phone calls or want to use a lot of mobile data, but it's fine if you only enable data when necessary.

 

[lupi]

Tmobile never enforced a data plan if you didn't buy a subsidized phone.

 

[bonkers325]

Buy a used Samsung Galaxy S2/S3, Galaxy Nexus, or Nexus 4.

 

[Jim Bancroft]

Absolutely check out the Lumia 521. I got one last week and you can put it on any T-Mobile plan (or T-Mobile based prepaid carrier). No sense in buying it subsidized as it's only $130-$150 new, without a contract.

Sorry for the delay in replying, thanks A TON for your post, packed with good information. I'm looking into the options you mentioned.

And thanks to everyone else and their suggestions, you really make these forums worthwhile!

 

[Tom]

Buy a used Samsung Galaxy S2/S3, Galaxy Nexus, or Nexus 4.

That's what I did. I found a Nexus 4 for $200 on Craigslist. I figure the resale value will more than cover the extra $50 and in the meantime I have a great phone.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Sorry for the delay in replying, thanks A TON for your post, packed with good information. I'm looking into the options you mentioned.

And thanks to everyone else and their suggestions, you really make these forums worthwhile!

One other thing - if you are okay with buying a used phone, there are some now-discontinued Windows phones that work with T-Mobile and offer better cameras and screens than the Lumia 521. The Lumia 810 works on T-Mobile USA bands and is around $250 on eBay. It has a front-facing camera and a rear camera flash, and the camera quality looks to be much better than the 521. So that's an option as well. The HTC 8X is also an option although it's more expensive than the 810.

But if I wanted to spend $300, I might be more interested in the Nexus 4, even though I switched away from Android. Windows Phone seems best as an OS for low end, cheap phones. Buying an expensive phone with WP8 seems like a waste to me.

 

[gmaster456]

Something cheap: Lumia 521
Lower high end: Nexus 4
High End: HTC one

Those are my picks.

 

[Jim Bancroft]

One other thing - if you are okay with buying a used phone, there are some now-discontinued Windows phones that work with T-Mobile and offer better cameras and screens than the Lumia 521.

Thanks again for the advice. I think I'm zeroing in on the Lumia 521. I don't use cameras much anyway so the one on the 521 should be fine.

I've seen some 521s on eBay that are labeled 'Monthly plan' only vs pre-paid; is there a difference between the two, so that if I bought a 'Monthly' one I couldn't use it on a pre-paid plan? And, is it possible to use a 521 on Platinumtel or is it locked down too much?

 

[AstroManLuca]

I believe T-Mobile's prepaid plans are also called monthly plans, but I'm not 100% sure. I think it's all the same though.

It is indeed possible to use the 521 on Platinumtel... I'm doing that right now in fact. If you want to get service with them, buy the combo SIM card on their site with a $40 airtime card and use the coupon code PTEL25BRAD, it'll take $25 off the cost. You can even order multiple airtime cards this way - you'll have to order a sim card for each one, but you can just hold onto the sim cards or throw them away and use the included airtime PIN to top up your account. $40 of airtime for $20 is a pretty good deal!

Just don't go nuts and add all the PINs to your account at once. I think there's a limit depending on which plan you're on. They can be added up to 1 year after the date of purchase.

Also remember that Ptel does not have ANY roaming at all, whereas T-Mobile prepaid allows non-data roaming on AT&T towers.

 

[slatr]

Don't forget to check out glyde.com if you dont mind a used phone for Tmob.