Need to buy a cheap 3G phone for ATT w/o contract

[Nvidiaguy07]

I went out and got a microcell from ATT about a week ago and for the most part it is pretty sweet (from 0-1bar to full bars in house)

My only problem is that my dads phone is the only phone in the house that isnt 3G, and if you dont have 3G the microcell wont work for your phone. So I need to get him a new phone that will work that has 3G.

I really dont want to spend that much money, id preferably like to just go and buy one of those Go phones, but everyone i looked at doesnt support 3G.

I was thinking of just getting him a razr v3xx, from what i remember they support 3G and ive seen them on ebay for pretty cheap. Is there anything else out there?

 

[SunnyD]

So, how do you like AT&T freeloading on your bandwidth while sticking you with the bill at the same time?

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

So, how do you like AT&T freeloading on your bandwidth while sticking you with the bill at the same time?

I got mine for free. ATT sucks in a lot of ways, but at least they can offer this service. The whole reason we have ATT in the first place is that it was the only network that got some service at my house. (tried verizon, t-mobile, sprint)

Wether they should be charging people for this is debatable, but I honestly wouldnt mind if i had to pay a one time fee to make my service better in a situation where im kinda screwed without it.

ATT is basically giving these away, everyone i know has either for it free or at most paid 50 bucks. Not a bad deal.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Glad to hear AT&T is giving away Microcells. I heard about Sprint giving away Airaves; hopefully this becomes standard procedure (or at least incentive for them to improve coverage).

 

[gsaldivar]

Ideally they should be discounting the plans of people who use these, in addition to providing them free. Femtocell users reduce the load on the provider's network, and also allow other customers to piggyback off of your bandwidth without your permission. They are great devices, but people should demand more from every wireless dollar, especially in these times...

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

dammit shouldnt have mentioned the microcell lol. I agree cell phone companies really have their shit backwards and none were ready for the changes that are taking place right now.

back to my main question though- does anyone know of a cheap 3G phone besides the razr?

 

[gsaldivar]

Palm Pre?

Arguably obsolete, but fast, modern, and rootable...

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

Palm Pre?

Arguably obsolete, but fast, modern, and rootable...

will it work on ATT? more importantly-will it work on ATT's 3G network. I thought the pre was t-mobile and from what i remember they use different 3G frequencies.

also, i was kinda thinkin a little cheaper and crappier since its my dad and the pre will probably just confuse him lol

 

[boomhower]

will it work on ATT? more importantly-will it work on ATT's 3G network. I thought the pre was t-mobile and from what i remember they use different 3G frequencies.

also, i was kinda thinkin a little cheaper and crappier since its my dad and the pre will probably just confuse him lol

T-Mobile is the one carrier that doesn't offer the Pre. AT&T has the Pre Plus. Unless your Dad has some desire for a smartphone I would just stick with your plan of a dumb phone, no need to pay for another data line unless he is going to use it.

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

T-Mobile is the one carrier that doesn't offer the Pre. AT&T has the Pre Plus. Unless your Dad has some desire for a smartphone I would just stick with your plan of a dumb phone, no need to pay for another data line unless he is going to use it.

so is the razr the cheapest one i can get? His current dumb phone doesnt have 3G so thats the main reason im getting him a new one.

 

[akugami]

I'd recommend going the craigslist route to get a used phone. Just move the sim card over to the "new" phone. There are a lot of phones in the $100'ish range. Just be very careful when heading out to a prospective buyer or seller. Always meet in a well secured public place like a mall by the help desk or security office.

 

[boomhower]

so is the razr the cheapest one i can get? His current dumb phone doesnt have 3G so thats the main reason im getting him a new one.

I don't know. I haven't used AT&T in years. I was just pointing out there's no reason to get a smartphone if he isn't going to use the capabilities. A quick search on eBay shows a lot of heavily used phones but I would just spend a bit more and get a new one. You can get a Samsung A707, which is a damn decent phone for $70. Just me but I don't want someones beat to hell flip phone.

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

I don't know. I haven't used AT&T in years. I was just pointing out there's no reason to get a smartphone if he isn't going to use the capabilities. A quick search on eBay shows a lot of heavily used phones but I would just spend a bit more and get a new one. You can get a Samsung A707, which is a damn decent phone for $70. Just me but I don't want someones beat to hell flip phone.

cool, thanks. Thats exactly what i was looking for. I think id rather get him that than a razr

 

[zerocool84]

What's sad about the Microcell is that the data you use through it still counts towards your monthly cellphone amount even though you're not using their network at all, you're using your own personal internet connection.