Cheap phone that accepts MicroSD

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olds

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,115
776
126
I want an MP3 player that works off bluetooth (save phone battery) but I don't want an apple product.

I am not finding any bluetooth MP3 players that aren't long in the tooth.
I am thinking a phone that I don't have to activate on a carrier that will accept a Micro SD card might work.

Will it?
 
RossMAN

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
78,965
412
136
I'll fourth the Nokia 521 (T-Mobile) or Nokia 520 (AT&T) recommendations.

These models also offer free OFFLINE GPS navigation, download maps at home using WiFi, GPS works on the road without using cell data.

Do we have a 5th?
 
luv2liv

luv2liv

Diamond Member
Dec 27, 2001
3,500
94
91
can the offline gps data be updated free from nokia forever?
do i have to activate the phone to get those map updates?
 
ponyo

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
2,811
126
RossMAN said:
I'll fourth the Nokia 521 (T-Mobile) or Nokia 520 (AT&T) recommendations.

These models also offer free OFFLINE GPS navigation, download maps at home using WiFi, GPS works on the road without using cell data.

Do we have a 5th?
Click to expand...

Nokia is releasing its map app for Android and iOS. Soon you'll have Nokia offline maps on all three platforms.
 
uallas5

uallas5

Golden Member
Jun 3, 2005
1,624
1,872
136
RossMAN said:
Do we have a 5th?
Click to expand...

5th!!!

I bought the 520 for exactly what the OP is looking for, a good, cheap MP3 player with wifi and BT. Offline GPS was an added bonus. I also wanted to try out a windows phone, and I find it's a really good mobile OS. I put in a 32GB Micro SD card which is great for the car, at home half my time I'm streaming online music. I just wish Amazon would give a little more love to WP with their streaming services.
 
Muse

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
40,529
10,014
136
Crono said:
I'll third the Lumia 520 recommendation.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I've had it ~8 months, is great for me as an MP3 player. Hit the lock button and no accidents happen. I have a 64GB card in it, loaded with MP3s. Mostly I use it that way in the gym. The 635, which was $39 on BF, supports 128GB cards.
RossMAN said:
I'll fourth the Nokia 521 (T-Mobile) or Nokia 520 (AT&T) recommendations.

These models also offer free OFFLINE GPS navigation, download maps at home using WiFi, GPS works on the road without using cell data.

Do we have a 5th?
Click to expand...
5, for a full house. I super dig the GPS.
 
mikeymikec

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
20,593
15,482
136
Question regarding the Lumia 520 (or series if applicable) - do you have to use Microsoft's software (Zune IIRC) to put music on to it, or can you do it like Android, dragging and dropping music into its Music folder?
 
luv2liv

luv2liv

Diamond Member
Dec 27, 2001
3,500
94
91
if u dont like Windows, the Moto E with Android was $10 from slickdeals
 
C

Crono

Lifer
Aug 8, 2001
23,720
1,502
136
mikeymikec said:
Question regarding the Lumia 520 (or series if applicable) - do you have to use Microsoft's software (Zune IIRC) to put music on to it, or can you do it like Android, dragging and dropping music into its Music folder?
Click to expand...

You can drag and drop music into the folder on all Lumias and all Windows Phones.
 
K

kmmatney

Diamond Member
Jun 19, 2000
4,363
1
81
What is battery life when used as an MP3 player. Can it go a few days with light MP3 use (at the gym).
 
Rayb

Rayb

Member
Dec 31, 2008
122
1
76
It has enough endurance to last 3 days with light use (for my self, 2 to 3 hrs of music play and occasional wifi web browsing.) YMMV.
 
destrekor

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
126
Question:

I'm looking into this same thing, but I would be using USB. My actual phone will continue to have the Bluetooth connection to my head unit.

Would it be better to have a large USB thumb drive, or even a mini-reader with SD Card, or would a phone actually serve the purpose better?

My phone doesn't have enough storage to hold a respectable portion of my library (32gb internal storage shared with all things).

Also, do you think it might be possible to have a Bluetooth Phone connection, and a separate device holding a Bluetooth Media connection? If I'm not streaming through my phone, I suspect Navigation won't pipe into the vehicle speakers. But if I did get a cheap phone with GPS and offline maps, could I use its BT connection to stream the music and utilize navigation while my main phone holds a BT connection for incoming/outgoing phone?

I'm trying to figure out the most elegant way to handle this. I'd really love to be able to use the USB cable I ran into the middle console area (could run it to the glove box) to charge my device, but that gets interesting if I have two devices. And if I don't use Navigation on the "media-only" device, then I really have no need to interact with it, save for updating the library. I would hide it under the center console trim and secure it to the side panels out of sight (under the cup holder assembly), and ideally, program it to cut most functions when the power feed is lost but otherwise remain on. Except for long times without driving, like vacations, it should have no problem maintaining battery between drives.
That's sort of the ideal method, imho, and I'd just use the 12v accessory in the center console storage bin to charge my regular phone.
If I do go that route though (hidden media phone), I lose navigation through the speakers (I think).

Ideally I'd just have a 64gb or 128gb phone - but dammit, choices are slim and then good stock or stock-like Android phones don't offer expandable storage, and I want good signal like all Motorola phones have.
 
cronos

cronos

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 2001
9,380
26
101
destrekor said:
Question:

I'm looking into this same thing, but I would be using USB. My actual phone will continue to have the Bluetooth connection to my head unit.

Would it be better to have a large USB thumb drive, or even a mini-reader with SD Card, or would a phone actually serve the purpose better?

My phone doesn't have enough storage to hold a respectable portion of my library (32gb internal storage shared with all things).

Also, do you think it might be possible to have a Bluetooth Phone connection, and a separate device holding a Bluetooth Media connection? If I'm not streaming through my phone, I suspect Navigation won't pipe into the vehicle speakers. But if I did get a cheap phone with GPS and offline maps, could I use its BT connection to stream the music and utilize navigation while my main phone holds a BT connection for incoming/outgoing phone?

I'm trying to figure out the most elegant way to handle this. I'd really love to be able to use the USB cable I ran into the middle console area (could run it to the glove box) to charge my device, but that gets interesting if I have two devices. And if I don't use Navigation on the "media-only" device, then I really have no need to interact with it, save for updating the library. I would hide it under the center console trim and secure it to the side panels out of sight (under the cup holder assembly), and ideally, program it to cut most functions when the power feed is lost but otherwise remain on. Except for long times without driving, like vacations, it should have no problem maintaining battery between drives.
That's sort of the ideal method, imho, and I'd just use the 12v accessory in the center console storage bin to charge my regular phone.
If I do go that route though (hidden media phone), I lose navigation through the speakers (I think).

Ideally I'd just have a 64gb or 128gb phone - but dammit, choices are slim and then good stock or stock-like Android phones don't offer expandable storage, and I want good signal like all Motorola phones have.
Click to expand...

I think you had the right idea with the USB drive. You don't need a second phone. Just get a 64 GB drive, plug it in and you're done. If that's not enough, get another 64 GB drive and just switch them out as needed. And you don't have to worry about maintaining two BT connections at the same time, which I don't think is going to work anyway. No battery to worry about either.

You can navigate with your primary phone, right?
 
lopri

lopri

Elite Member
Jul 27, 2002
13,310
687
126
destrekor said:
Also, do you think it might be possible to have a Bluetooth Phone connection, and a separate device holding a Bluetooth Media connection? If I'm not streaming through my phone, I suspect Navigation won't pipe into the vehicle speakers. But if I did get a cheap phone with GPS and offline maps, could I use its BT connection to stream the music and utilize navigation while my main phone holds a BT connection for incoming/outgoing phone?
Click to expand...

Your suspicion is well deserved and no, BT can only have one active audio connection. There is a workaround using Bluetooth receiver (like the one below) but it can be temperamental.

http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Wirel...&keywords=a2dp
 
destrekor

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
126
cronos said:
I think you had the right idea with the USB drive. You don't need a second phone. Just get a 64 GB drive, plug it in and you're done. If that's not enough, get another 64 GB drive and just switch them out as needed. And you don't have to worry about maintaining two BT connections at the same time, which I don't think is going to work anyway. No battery to worry about either.

You can navigate with your primary phone, right?
Click to expand...

Well the issue I think I'll run into is the fact that Navigation audio likely won't come through the car speakers unless I'm on the Bluetooth Audio input, which would mean no USB audio will be playing.


I haven't actually confirmed that, I'll have to try even listening to radio and trying the nav. Perhaps I'm wrong.

However, ideally I'll be able to have a good phone with 64 or 128GB built in (or expandable) sometime in the not so distant future, which will help give me enough space to have local music that fits most of my moods.
 
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