[DEAD] Cheap Android phone at Best Buy

[Mike64]

[Seems to really be dead for good this time, as of 11/28]

My earlier post got wiped out by the rollback to last night's forum state and I'm too lazy to re-type the whole thing, but to cut to the chase, Best Buy has one very-good-for-the-price prepaid phone, and a few marginally-less-good-for-their-price PP phones on sale right now. Note that, as is so often the case, BB got the specs wrong for these phones and they both have 16GB internal storage, not 8GB.

I'm definitely not planning to use the Boost Mobile phone as a phone, just as a TV remote and/or household "mini-tablet"/e-reader and/or mp3 player. If I can unlock the ATT phone I'll probably keep it for similar use and as a back-up "phone", otherwise I'll return it and if they're still available, get another Tribute HD as a spare... Both have Android Marshmallow and 1.5GB RAM so, even with their low-end processors, (I think?) they should be able to run most current "utility" type apps at least...

Boost Mobile LG Tribute HD - $19.99

[DEAD] ATT GoPhone LG Phoenix 2 - $29.99 (this one may be easily unlockable, but otoh, ATT may also have changed their policy in the not-so-distant past and since I don't have mine yet, so I can't comment from personal experience. If you Google it, there are discussions about this on various websites.)

as well as a couple of other $29.99 phones with broadly similar specs.

 

[mikeford]

N41 , I haven't looked much at the Boost plans, so quality is unknown, but cost for basic 2GB of 4GLte and unlimited 2G with voice and text is $30/mo with auto pay. Sounds like no unlock for 1 year, but if we don't like coverage etc its month to month, easy to quit.

Plus side it appears at least that hotspot use is treated same as regular data, not with some artificial limit like Tmobile of 200 MB/Mo.

Anybody know if this phone updates from Android 6.0?

 

[Mike64]

Sounds like no unlock for 1 year

I didn't bother to even check on unlocking the Boost Mobile phone, but this site/page suggests the AT&T phone can be unlocked immediately after purchase, by requesting the unlock code from AT&T before ever activating the phone. Otoh, I saw another post somewhere else (can't find a link offhand) that said they changed their policy in April of this year, so I don't know if that still works. But you don't have to even open the box to try, so I figured it was worth a shot (and fwiw, although I didn't call BB's 800 number to double-check, I did specifically ask, and one of the phone salespeople in the store told me the $35 return charge for carrier-contract and unlocked phones does not apply to the prepaid phones...)

 

[Replay]

AT&T GoPhone - Alcatel Ideal 4G LTE with 8GB Memory Prepaid Cell Phone - Slate Blue

$9.99 shipped, same price, but not quite as good as last year's Verizon Moto E deal.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/at-t-go...cell-phone-slate-blue/5443800.p?skuId=5443800

Been thinking about this one just because it is ten bucks, but the $30 LG Phoenix 2 looks much better.

 

[PottedMeat]

heh i picked up the moto e last year, been using it as a camera around the house

i also got the alcatel on thanksgiving online

AT&T GoPhone - Alcatel Ideal 4G LTE with 8GB Memory Prepaid Cell Phone - Slate Blue

$9.99 shipped, same price, but not quite as good as last year's Verizon Moto E deal.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/at-t-go...cell-phone-slate-blue/5443800.p?skuId=5443800

Been thinking about this one just because it is ten bucks, but the $30 LG Phoenix 2 looks much better.

 

[Mike64]

According to someone on Slickdeals (so who knows how accurate it is), the Alcatel Ideal can definitely be unlocked, so if you're looking for one of these "as a phone", in whole or part, it would probably be worth picking up one of each, in case the Phoenix 2 can't in fact be unlocked, since returning either is always an option

If you want it as a "wifi only device", the Tribute HD seems to be the way to go, since the "computer parts"are basically the same as the Phoenix 2's, for $10 less, and noticeably better than the Ideal's... (In addition to them both having 16GB storage vs the Ideal's 8GB, there seem to be apps out there that actually require 1.5GB RAM to run at all, and the Ideal has only 1GB.) Dunno about the bloatware quotient, battery life (though the capacities are very close), or durability, though..

 

[mikeford]

Unlock only really matters if there is a better deal on plans, $30/mo from Boost Mobile doesn't seem bad for 2G 4GLTE and unlimited 2g, voice and text.

 

[smitbret]

Only get the Alcatel Ideal if you really, really hate yourself. I picked one up as a temp while I waited for parts to fix my Priv when it went for a swim. Most of the time I just left the phone home, choosing no phone at all, because it was so awful.

The screen is terrible. I have owned non-smartphones with screens that were sharper and brighter. There was very little difference between the dimmest and brightest settings on it. I could not see it outdoors at all and even in my car it was difficult to read.

It also only worked on EDGE data despite the fact I chose the phone because my carrier was AT&T and figured an AT&T GoPhone should be pretty seamless, right?

 

[Mike64]

Only get the Alcatel Ideal if you really, really hate yourself.

LOL Oh well, I guess I'll be returning that one.

I went to Best Buy tonight to pick up the Phoenix 2 I'd ordered for in-store pick-up and although the Alcatel couldn't be ordered online for local pick-up, I had seen them there earlier and figured that given the state of phone tech at this point, even at $10 it was unlikely to sell out. Well, it had sold out, so the first thing I did when I got home was to order one for delivery, since I wasn't sure how long the price was good for, and it was already past midnight ET... Now I guess I just have to hope the woman who told me on Thursday that there's no return fee for the prepaid phones knew wherof she spoke... At least the shipping was free, so no great loss - just a little time wasted...

 

[Thump553]

Dead I guess because the Phoenix 2 is now $49.99. Query: In the event it comes back can I use this on Cricket (ATT) without unlocking?

 

[Mike64]

Dead I guess because the Phoenix 2 is now $49.99. Query: In the event it comes back can I use this on Cricket (ATT) without unlocking?

Yeah, I edited the thread title earlier this morning. The Tribute HD is also back to $49.99, and even the Alcatel Ideal, to $19.99.

And sorry, but I myself have no idea about using the Phoenix 2 (or the Ideal, for that matter) on Cricket without unlocking it. There's probably info about that elsewhere on the Web, though...

 

[Replay]

$19.99 Boost Mobile - LG Tribute HD 4G LTE with 8GB Memory Prepaid Cell Phone - White. Model: LGLS676ABB
still alive....

Cyber Monday deals coming:

$35 Moto G4 Play, 4G LTE, 16 GB 5" IPS Cell Phone, Verizon (unfortunately). Live now for Elite members.

$25 off $100 @ Best Buy now through Xmass with VisaCheckout.

 

[Mike64]

$19.99 Boost Mobile - LG Tribute HD 4G LTE with 8GB Memory Prepaid Cell Phone - White. Model: LGLS676ABB
still alive....

Cool, thanks for pointing that out, I re-edited the thread subject and edited my OP. I could've sworn I saw $49.99 when I checked this morning, but either I hit the wrong link, or they were in the process of "changing over" prices or something when I looked, and it was reduced back down to $19.99 afterward. And that VisaCheckout deal might very well come in handy...

 

[Mike64]

$25 off $100 @ Best Buy now through Xmass with VisaCheckout.

Do you have a link to the offer description? The only thing that came up when I searched Best Buy's site was this:

SORRY, THIS PROMOTION HAS ENDED
Due to popular demand, this offer is no longer available, but you can still pay with Visa Checkout on BestBuy.com anytime

Also, fwiw, the Tribute HD's price is back up to $49.99 as I write this post, but at this point I'm not re-editing anything until it stays the same for 24 hours in a row.

 

[Replay]

Visa Checkout deal got hammered, lasting only 2 days.
Word got out that it worked again and again on each account (300,000 page views and 1000 comments on SD).
"This offer is valid online through 11/27/16 through 12/25/16 or while supplies last. Limit is 1 offer per customer.", oops.

$35 Moto G4 Play, 4G LTE, 16 GB 5" IPS Cell Phone, Verizon (unfortunately). Live now for everyone.

$49 AT&T Huawei Ascent XT, 2 Gig ram, 6" IPS, 16 GB, octo-core phone is very tempting (likely unlockable). Back in stock for shipping or pickup, free shipping at $50.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/AT-T-Huawei-Ascend-XT-Prepaid-Smartphone/54306979#about-item

 

[uallas5]

$49 AT&T Huawei Ascent XT, 2 Gig ram, 6" IPS, 16 GB, octo-core phone is very tempting (likely unlockable). Back in stock for shipping or pickup, free shipping at $50.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/AT-T-Huawei-Ascend-XT-Prepaid-Smartphone/54306979#about-item

That didn't last long, page shows OOS, though I guess YMMV depending on in store stock in your area. Nothing in 50 miles around Boston.

 

[Mike64]

Visa Checkout deal got hammered, lasting only 2 days.
Word got out that it worked again and again on each account

Oh, well. What freaking morons... They would've done themselves less PR harm by never offering the deal in the first place than by screwing up its implementation so badly...

 

[Crotulus]

Thinking of heading to Best Buy to pick up a Moto Z. Although not as cheap as above they are offering it for $4.99 a month (24 month plan) on Verizon and throwing in the JBL SoundBooster and Incipio battery Mods. My old Droid Turbo still works fine but the phone and two mods for basically $120 sounds like a deal to me.

Any thoughts on this one?

 

[Mike64]

Just for the record, I finally got around to requesting the unlock code for the Phoenix 2 from ATT, and it duly arrived via email on the second business day after I requested it. So although a few SD posters reported failure, there doesn't seem to be any sort of "general" problem unlocking the Phoenix 2s Best Buy was/is selling.

The unlock request page is here, I requested the code as a non-ATT customer - which is perfectly true - but (of course?) I did "agree" (with fingers proverbially crossed behind my back...) that the phone "met all of AT&T requirements" for unlocking. But for whatever their reasons, apparently they don't actually check to see if they've been used for ATT prepaid service for whatever the required time period is before they hand over the code. My phone, for example, isn't even out of the box yet...