Decent Android phone with per-minute or per-day pay as you go?

[DaveSimmons]

I almost never use my t-mobile dumb phone, but I wouldn't mind having an Android phone instead, to use 99% of the time in airplane mode / using wifi for browsing, apps, music.

Are there any decent US carriers where you can get an Android phone and not pay $40+ a month for voice+data? I'm in Bellevue, WA.

 

[zerogear]

Get a Nexus 4 and a pre-paid card like StraightTalk or something?

 

[bearxor]

What's your phone $ budget?

 

[gmaster456]

Nexus 4 + the first one
or the second one.

http://www.airvoicewireless.com/plans-2/
http://republicwireless.com/

 

[DaveSimmons]

Thanks for the links.

> What's your phone $ budget?

I was thinking around $200 for the phone and some kind of plan where I only pay for minutes or days where I use it.

It seems like I was too optimistic -- a $300 nexus + Airvoice, or $249 + $19/month for Republic (but apparently the Motorola phone is awful).

Edit: I might give in to the Nexus, even though it's about $100 more than I was looking at. It looks like Airvoice has a voice plan that's as cheap as the t-mobile plan I have now.

 

[maniac5999]

T-mobile also has a $30/mo 100min ($0.10 per extra min), unlimited data (2GB HSPA+, unlimited 2G) prepaid plan, and will let you bring your own device. I'm on it with a Note 2, and am very happy with the service in NYC. If you don't want to shell out the $650 for a Note, the Nexus 4 is probably the best other phone on the market today at $300/$350. Even tho $50 for 8GB of flash memory is a ripoff, go for the 16GB Nexus, 8GB of storage is just too little for a phone today.

 

[themillak]

gosmartmobile.com from tmobile is $35 and unlimited talk/text/slow data

 

[lopri]

Are you looking for a cheep phone to play Android with? Something more "disposable"?

 

[gmaster456]

There's other android phones you can get as well if you're willing to go used. But really, the Nexus 4 is probably one of your best options. It's still one of the fastest phones out there. As for the Republic wireless phone sucking, yeah, it's certainly not the best phone out there and the specs are pretty weak at this point. Depends on how much of a budget you are on if you decide to go that route. The experience won't be anywhere near as pleasant as something like a nexus 4 but it will still run most apps and do basic things like texting, calling, email and calendar fine.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Are you looking for a cheep phone to play Android with? Something more "disposable"?

Right now I use my dumb phone maybe once a week or less, so I'm looking for something that has a cheap phone plan -- going from $10 every 3 months now up to a $30-40 a month plan doesn't make sense for my very light use.

What I'm looking for is more like a gadget - toy (music player, app player) that makes phone calls when I rarely need it to. So if I'm sitting waiting at the dentist's office I can read a Kindle book or listen to music or play a game, but still have a phone without carrying 2 devices.

So far the Nexus seems like the best way to get that.

 

[xian37]

Nexus is too expensive. I think you can buy a HTC phone

 

[ponyo]

Nexus is too expensive. I think you can buy a HTC phone

So this is what HTC meant when they said they were going to step up their marketing this year. . HTC still trying to pinch pennies I see.

OP, another vote for the Nexus. You won't find a better phone for $300.

 

[cronos]

Dave, if you want to save a little by sacrificing some power/features/customizability of the Nexus 4, the LG Optimus L9 (which is the 'little brother' of the Nexus 4) is currently on sale for $200 (recently on T-Mobile's website, but I believe currently at Target B&M), which *includes* a $50 card of T-Mobile prepaid that you can easily resell for $40+ which makes it a super deal.

Slickdeals link for this deal

If you want a cheap, decently powered, late model Android phone without any desire to root/custom roms/develop this is a perfect phone.

This phone can be unlocked, but you don't have to unlock it if you wanted to use it on T-Mobile prepaid or postpaid, or any of the several T-Mobile MVNOs. For super light user, I am suggesting the Real PayGo plan from PlatinumTel (platinumtel.com). The rate is 5c/minute, 2c/txt, and 10c/MB with $10 PIN good for 60 days, $20/90 days, $30/120 days, etc. (details are on the website).

If your native T-Mobile coverage is good, I think PlatinumTel's Real PayGo plan is much better than what Airvoice is offering (with AT&T network). In fact, for super light user on AT&T network I think H2O wireless $10 monthly is better than Airvoice's $10 monthly, because the expiration date is stackable.

Edit: If I wasn't clear enough, even if you still decided on Nexus 4, I will still suggest you to go with PlatinumTel instead of Airvoice, especially since you're used to T-Mobile coverage.

 

[Ksyder]

Edit: If I wasn't clear enough, even if you still decided on Nexus 4, I will still suggest you to go with PlatinumTel instead of Airvoice, especially since you're used to T-Mobile coverage.

This! Cheapest around if your usage is so light.

 

[Throckmorton]

Yes with Virgin you can get a smartphone for $100 and the plan is $35/month with no contract.

 

[lopri]

Hmm.. I thought the OP's need might be better served by a cheap tablet for he stated he's usually on Wi-Fi or Airplain mode. (which sounds very much like excluding everyday phone usage) I might have been wrong.

I am looking for a cheap, dirty device that I can play Android and test apps on. I used to do it on my Nexus 7 - test apps on Nexus 7 first before installing them on Nexus 4. Now that I started accumulating personal data on the Nexus 7, I'd rather keep it clean. So I'm looking for something that I can try things on. Obviously it's gotta be cheap and Nexus 4 is definitely not it. (for me, that is)

Thought about x86 emulation (Bluestack?) on a VM, and while it does run some apps, it's not the same since PC lacks many of the sensors that phones/tablets tend to have.

Is there a minimum spec to run Android 4.1+? If there is no official one, what's the consensus for acceptable (read: not fast or smooth, but minimum) specs for Jelly Bean?

 

[infoiltrator]

I Would say get a refurbished or new Kindle or Nexus, and stay with cheap phone and plan.

 

[cronos]

going from $10 every 3 months now up to a $30-40 a month plan doesn't make sense for my very light use.

What I'm looking for is more like a gadget - toy (music player, app player) that makes phone calls when I rarely need it to. So if I'm sitting waiting at the dentist's office I can read a Kindle book or listen to music or play a game, but still have a phone without carrying 2 devices.

Yes with Virgin you can get a smartphone for $100 and the plan is $35/month with no contract.

He doesn't want $30+ monthly fee

Hmm.. I thought the OP's need might be better served by a cheap tablet for he stated he's usually on Wi-Fi or Airplain mode. (which sounds very much like excluding everyday phone usage) I might have been wrong.

He does want to make phone calls without carrying 2 devices.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Yep, I have a Kindle Fire at home for tablet use, along with an iPod 120 GB for pure music playing.

I might get around to doing android development at some point, and I've used the SDK emulator (+ Kindle) for testing an app we have at work.

This is something to carry with me as a very low use phone (less than once a week) + ebook/music/app gadget. A tablet is too big for that. So far cronos' suggested plans seem like the best fit for that. But thanks to everyone for the other suggestions.