Best large screen android for cheap?

[boomhower]

I've got a iPhone 4 I need to sell. My daily driver is an iPhone 5. I want to give a big screen Android a shot. Suggestions? I figure ~$100 for the iPhone and I'll though in some extra cash but want to keep this as cheap as possible but get a decent phone out of it. Ideally 5" at least. I'd like something AT&T prepaid compatible so I can try out there coverage, if they allow LTE even better. Goal is to try a larger screen and AT&T coverage in my area. It won't be my main phone but want to give modern Android, a big screen and AT&T coverage a shot.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Might be too low-end (biggest red flag is 512 MB of RAM, most budget devices have 1 GB now with 2+ GB on the high end), but there is an Android phone called the BLU Dash 5.0 on Amazon for $130 new: http://www.amazon.com/BLU-D410a-Unlo.../dp/B00FZV14GI

5 inch screen, but it's low res (480x800), runs Android 4.2 so not the newest version but not that old, and again the biggest drawback seems to be the 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB storage (though it has a micro SD slot). Reviews seem positive. Might be worth a shot just because it's so cheap, I'm not sure if there are better options for the same price.

 

[paperwastage]

look at swappa, might as well get a used device if it's a backup phone for you to play with

note 2 @ at&t is around $280, 5.5" @ 1280x720

 

[boomhower]

look at swappa, might as well get a used device if it's a backup phone for you to play with

note 2 @ at&t is around $280, 5.5" @ 1280x720

Used is perfectly fine, $280 is a bit more than I was looking for. More like $200 tops.

 

[boomhower]

Might be too low-end (biggest red flag is 512 MB of RAM, most budget devices have 1 GB now with 2+ GB on the high end), but there is an Android phone called the BLU Dash 5.0 on Amazon for $130 new: http://www.amazon.com/BLU-D410a-Unlo.../dp/B00FZV14GI

5 inch screen, but it's low res (480x800), runs Android 4.2 so not the newest version but not that old, and again the biggest drawback seems to be the 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB storage (though it has a micro SD slot). Reviews seem positive. Might be worth a shot just because it's so cheap, I'm not sure if there are better options for the same price.

Interesting certainly. How much is the 512 going to cripple it? Aftermarket ROMs available?

 

[ControlD]

I don't know. Saying you want to give modern Android a shot using a bargain basement, underpowered, low resolution phone is sort of like saying you want to try the latest iOS with a iPhone 4. The end result is going to be the same: frustration.

I have seen used Note 2's going for $225 or so on Swappa every so often. I would set my sights there or up the budget $75 or so to get a good experience.

 

[gorcorps]

I don't know. Saying you want to give modern Android a shot using a bargain basement, underpowered, low resolution phone is sort of like saying you want to try the latest iOS with a iPhone 4. The end result is going to be the same: frustration.

I have seen used Note 2's going for $225 or so on Swappa every so often. I would set my sights there or up the budget $75 or so to get a good experience.

Agreed

You're not going to be getting a modern experience with that budget, period. It'll give you an idea how android works, but you won't be seeing Kitkat, you won't have a smooth UI, and you most likely won't be seeing a lot of new rom development (the devs move on to new devices). Depending on what your goal with this experiment is you'd be wasting your time.

 

[kpkp]

ASUS Zenfone 5/6 seems what would fit you, but I have no idea if they are or ever will be available in the USA. They were announced at CES and here is a video review of the 6.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I vote a Nexus 4 off Swappa. They go for around $200, and that screen is big compared to an iPhone.

 

[mnewsham]

Yeah you aren't getting "modern" android from what you plan on doing, you are going to be getting, 1-2+ year old android which kinda lags a bit.

Note 3, G2, S5, M8, Z2. Those are modern android phones of today. The Note 2(released in 2012) is getting a bit old all things considered, and the BLU phones don't have LTE.


Seems like you're setting yourself up to be disappointed.

 

[dawheat]

No - it's certainly doable.

Search and keep an eye on swappa for a good condition LG Optimus G Pro - it's a 5.5" 1080p screen with a Snapdragon 600 SOC, 2GB of RAM, and I believe AT&T only had the 32GB version. It's basically something between a Note 2 and a Note 3 without the S-pen. They occasionally dip down to $200 in good condition.

The only downside is software support (still on 4.1.2), though LG's in my experience haven't been hard to root and load custom ROMs, even if the variety of ROMs isn't quite there for this phone. The upside is you can learn/teach yourself about this area of Android customization - I see some 4.4.2 ROMs, though I can't vouch for them personally.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/optimus-g-pro

 

[paperwastage]

Interesting certainly. How much is the 512 going to cripple it? Aftermarket ROMs available?

definitely go for at least 1GB ram... otherwise you'll get a lot of lag / app-auto-closing when RAM runs out, especially on a large(1080/720p?) screen

i probably won't go on craigslist.... too much hassle/worry about blacklisted phones

 

[dguy6789]

Interesting certainly. How much is the 512 going to cripple it? Aftermarket ROMs available?

Don't get a phone with specs like that today. If a phone like that is your first Android experience you probably won't be going back to Android after it. Think Windows Vista on a single core processor with 1GB of RAM.

 

[AstroManLuca]

You can get an HTC One X on Swappa right now for $170.

4.7" 720p screen, 1 GB RAM, LTE.

The very similar Galaxy S III is also available for under $200.

I haven't kept up with ROM development but I believe both phones can be rooted and have KitKat installed. And they have the hardware for it.

I would DEFINITELY get used ones of those over a new crappy low end phone with 512 MB of RAM.

 

[Kenmitch]

No - it's certainly doable.

Search and keep an eye on swappa for a good condition LG Optimus G Pro - it's a 5.5" 1080p screen with a Snapdragon 600 SOC, 2GB of RAM, and I believe AT&T only had the 32GB version. It's basically something between a Note 2 and a Note 3 without the S-pen. They occasionally dip down to $200 in good condition.

The only downside is software support (still on 4.1.2), though LG's in my experience haven't been hard to root and load custom ROMs, even if the variety of ROMs isn't quite there for this phone. The upside is you can learn/teach yourself about this area of Android customization - I see some 4.4.2 ROMs, though I can't vouch for them personally.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/optimus-g-pro

2nd this.

The out of box experience on the stock LG rom is more than acceptable. Very little bloat other than the AT&T stuff included. Most apps that aren't needed/wanted can just be disabled. A KK update would be nice but it's not really a deal breaker unless you want to be on the bleeding edge....Most likely you'd want a more current SOC anyways if so.

 

[Rdmkr]

Lenovo K900 is quite cheap these days (+/- $260); you can order it on sites like aliexpress with purchase protection, no risk. If you do, you have to install Vibe Rom on it somehow or it won't run well. You'll probably also want to use a 3rd party launcher app if you do; the vibe on is dodgy. But once you've got it set up, you have something of comparable quality to the Optimus G Pro. And, apart from the oversized bezels, the device looks incredibly stylish.

http://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-lenovo-k900.html

3g wcdma: 850/900/1700/1900/2100 mhz

That seems to include the American frequencies (UMTS 850, UMTS 1900, UMTS 1700, UMTS 2100)

 

[shortylickens]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AFKC9UO/...d_p=1740370942

 

[Channeledbymodem]

No - it's certainly doable.

Search and keep an eye on swappa for a good condition LG Optimus G Pro - it's a 5.5" 1080p screen with a Snapdragon 600 SOC, 2GB of RAM, and I believe AT&T only had the 32GB version. It's basically something between a Note 2 and a Note 3 without the S-pen. They occasionally dip down to $200 in good condition.

The only downside is software support (still on 4.1.2), though LG's in my experience haven't been hard to root and load custom ROMs, even if the variety of ROMs isn't quite there for this phone. The upside is you can learn/teach yourself about this area of Android customization - I see some 4.4.2 ROMs, though I can't vouch for them personally.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/optimus-g-pro

^+1. I paid $270 for a carrier unlocked mint G Pro on ebay a couple of months ago (much cheaper than Swappa). There are a lot of professional resellers with AT&T overstock to sell in every condition from fair to open box. Love the phone with one caveat. I am using it with a T-Mobile MVNO and if I install any custom ROM I have problems with voice calls. So I am running a rooted version of LG Jellybean with Nova Launcher. Compared to my other devices running Cyanogenmod Kit Kat, it's 95% there and I'm not missing either KK or CM11.

This phone is so good that I've decided not to buy the Oneplus One that I fully expected to jump on. Will probably wait until the upcoming LG G3 gets to the used market.

 

[boomhower]

No - it's certainly doable.

Search and keep an eye on swappa for a good condition LG Optimus G Pro - it's a 5.5" 1080p screen with a Snapdragon 600 SOC, 2GB of RAM, and I believe AT&T only had the 32GB version. It's basically something between a Note 2 and a Note 3 without the S-pen. They occasionally dip down to $200 in good condition.

The only downside is software support (still on 4.1.2), though LG's in my experience haven't been hard to root and load custom ROMs, even if the variety of ROMs isn't quite there for this phone. The upside is you can learn/teach yourself about this area of Android customization - I see some 4.4.2 ROMs, though I can't vouch for them personally.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/optimus-g-pro

Very interesting, certainly on the list. Seems to be between it and the Note 2.

 

[dawheat]

Very interesting, certainly on the list. Seems to be between it and the Note 2.

Coming from an ex-Note 2 user (current Note 3 user), unless the s-pen is useful to you, the OGP is a superior phone to the Note 2. The 1080p screen is far superior to the Note 2 AMOLED 720p screen not just in resolution, but in brightness as well. It wasn't until the S4/Note 3 gen screens that AMOLEDs become bright enough. It also has a better SOC, though that's less noticeable.

The Note 2 is better if you plan on using the s-pen (I do) or only will use stock software (up to 4.3, and planned AFAIK to get 4.4.2 at some point).

 

[Muadib]

You could buy my S4 for $250! That way we both win!!!:biggrin:

 

[lopri]

Optimus G Pro is awesome.