Android phone under $150

Shout It Out on 02/10/2012 - 22:19

Hi,

For the last year I have been using my Galaxy tablet for all my calls and emails on the go. Yet recently I started to get very annoyed by the fact that everyone around me, can hear what the person on the other end is saying to me. Not very happy with that.
Thus I am now looking for a cheap smartphone to go with the tablet as well. I know asking for a good smartphone for under $150,- is too much to ask, but surely there are still models/brands that are better than others for the same price range?

I am with Optus, so don't care if it's locked to them or if it is unlocked all together :=)

Cheers!

Find Me A Bargain

Comments

  • scrimshaw on 03/10/2012 - 02:02

    Buy a Huawei G300 (exclusive to Vodafone)
    Then buy an Unlock code from eBay for around $8 bucks.

    Total spend should be around $160. You probably won't find a 1ghz / 4inch / 480x800 reso phone for this cheap anywhere else. The caveat is that it's a 850mhz 3g device.

    If you are willing to stretch your budget to $200, then your options are significantly better (and arguably better value for money).

    Here's the dual core Sony Xperia U for $205 delivered
    I would recommend this option as it supports 900mhz YesG network. But the caveat of this phone is that it lacks an SD card slot, and only has 8 gigs of internal memory. So you might not able to tote around a large collection of audio and video on this device, however being a dual core phone it certainly punches above it's weight.

    • sane on 03/10/2012 - 09:31

      If you can find someone in the UK who can still find them, the G300s there are proper 900Mhz items - and they have been EoLing them at £65 ($100).

      Dual core G330 due out soon, but no word if it will take the G300s price point.

    • robotdad on 03/10/2012 - 11:56

      Scrimshaw, why would you go for the Xperia U over the Sola, which has a SD card slot? The Sola can be had for a very similar price.

      • scrimshaw on 03/10/2012 - 14:08

        Where? I thought the Sola was $50 more.

        edit nvm, here it is:

        $206 + delivery
        http://www.eglobaldigitalcameras.com.au/sony-sola-mt27i-unlo…

        • robotdad on 03/10/2012 - 14:32

          http://www.becextech.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?product…

          around $200+delivery ($77) Edit 2: sorry not that cheap after all.

          No idea how reputable these stores are. Edit:removed the techriffic price since delivery was $77

        • scrimshaw on 03/10/2012 - 14:38

          The shipping from BecextTech is a killer…AU$74.95 to ship a package to Sydney that weights no more than 3kg. Sounds like they must be using a limousine courier service.

          eGlobal works out to be $235 after DHL shipping.

        • Shout It Out on 05/10/2012 - 20:17

          Yikes! $77 delivery? o_0

      • Shout It Out on 05/10/2012 - 20:24

        Hmmmmm with shipping that Sola still comes down to $238, nearly 90 bucks more than I have budgeted :o(

  • _Bruce_ on 03/10/2012 - 07:36
    +1

    This is a minimal but fine phone:
    http://www.virginmobile.com.au/Shop/ProductDetails/12086/LG-…

    You can probably get a better deal than that if you look around. Or if you are keen to pay more you can get faster/bigger screen.

  • pao2x on 03/10/2012 - 07:52
    +2

    Bluetooth headset then? One advantage of the galaxy tablet is it can last weeks on standby, even w/ bluetooth on.

    • ESEMCE on 03/10/2012 - 10:59
      +1

      Yeah, if you've been Ok with the tab, why not just use a headset, bluetooth or otherwise?

    • Shout It Out on 05/10/2012 - 20:18

      Yeah I have 2 different Jabra earpieces, but they aren't very comfortable as I have tiny ears :o\

  • robotdad on 04/10/2012 - 08:28

    In the current JB HiFi Catalogue (SA):
    $149 Telstra Urbane (ZTE T22 possibly ZTE V880E or ZTE N880e (CDMA version)) Locked with slightly better specs to the the G300 as it includes a front camera + 1GHz, 4inch screen, Android 4.0, SD card slot expandable up to 32GB. Battery seems to be on the small side. I don't know how easily it can be unlocked.

    http://www.jbhifi.com.au/phones/telstra/urbane-prepaid-sku-8…
    http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1966701
    http://ausdroid.net/2012/08/17/jb-hifi-now-selling-zte-urban…
    http://www.zte.com.au/telstra/T22.htm

    JB is also selling the Sony Xperia U for $199, locked to Telstra.

    Comments? Is the Urbane worth tracking down and unlocking (maybe for $12 via ebay)?

    • _Bruce_ on 04/10/2012 - 09:08

      Unlocking won't solve the problem that it doesn't support UMTS 900, so no good for Optus.

      Also note that the xperia U is Either 850 or 900, not both, so a telstra model is no good for optus.

      • robotdad on 04/10/2012 - 09:55

        Just to clarify -are you only discussing the Xperia U here in that the Telstra model won't be functional on the Optus mobile network?

        I am interested in using the Telstra Urbane on the Optus(Amaysim) network.
        Urbane's specs (from http://www.zte.com.au/telstra/T22.htm):

        3G UMTS: 2100 MHz with 7.2Mbps data [+ 850 MHz for O/S]

        2G GSM: 900, 1800 [+ 1900 MHz for O/S]

        So as far as I can tell this phone will be perfectly fine to use on Optus. Let me know if there is anything I have wrong with my thinking here.

        Mobile frequency specs for Australia:
        http://www.accesscomms.com.au/reference/mobnet.htm

        • _Bruce_ on 04/10/2012 - 11:59
          +2

          For 2G (Edge) it will work fine. For 3G (WCDMA/UMTS) it will not.

          Telstra use UMTS 850 (and a little 2100), Optus use 2100 and 900

          That phone does NOT support UMTS at 900 Mhz. In urban areas you might still get 3G, but certainly not in rural areas and even in suburbs 900 has better travel and fast being used everywhere by optus. Worse still, they are changing towers to 900 UMTS at the cost of 900 Edge signal, so not only will you not get the 3G signal but your 2G signal will be affected.

          In short: Don't use this phone with Optus.

    • ryang on 04/10/2012 - 21:02

      I've been seriously looking at the Xperia U for my wife. They have it at OfficeWorks, so I can price match against Crazy Johns and get it 5% cheaper.. :)

      http://www.crazyjohns.com.au/sony-xperia-u/black/prepaid/

      Read reviews saying the battery life is excellent.

      • robotdad on 07/10/2012 - 09:06

        I doubt that OW would price-beat as one is a CJ pre-paid mobile and the other is an OW unlocked phone. They also might be different model numbers ST25A vs ST25i. I was at OW yesterday and they only had a picture of the phone and no model info out on display.

        As an aside I note that the Xperia U has a forward camera, while the Xperia Sola does not.

  • Shout It Out on 05/10/2012 - 20:21

    So the Experia U that ryang posted on the Crazy Johns site, will that be suitable for Optus? It's not a Telstra mobile, but their own brand thing. Not sure what network it rides on though. If they still use Telstra, than it's useless for me…..

    • _Bruce_ on 05/10/2012 - 21:30

      From the site:
      Phone Specs:
      Android 2.3
      1 GHz dual-core processor
      3.5" LED-backlit LCD display
      5MP camera & HD video

      Most. Useless. Specs. Ever.

      You'll probably have to ask them. And they will probably not know what you are asking and just guess or lie to you (this is my experience with most mobile retailers anyway).

      Edit: Some quick checking suggests crazy john's uses Vodaphone network now. Voda have a mix of 2100/900/850 (it's really broken. Most new phones from voda are 850 over 900, but really, who knows?

    • ryang on 06/10/2012 - 12:44

      It depends on the model of Xperia U unfortunately…

      http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_u-4437.php

      HSDPA 900 / 2100 - ST25i
      HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 - ST25a

      You'd have to check with CJ as to which model they are selling..

      Some of the online retailers mention which model they are selling, some don't. Not very helpful! :(

  • Shout It Out on 05/10/2012 - 21:35

    Hmmmmm it's a hard one then. I can't go much over the $150,- Maximum would be $175,- with post included. If it was a device I'd use all the time, I would go for a Samsung S3, but it's just a back up phone to use with the tablet

    Bummer. Might wait for the launch of the Huawei G330. Just to see the pricing on it. The G300 wont work as Optus uses the 900/2100 and not 850mhz.
    I'm not in a huge rush, but still…
    Perhaps I'll just wait until closer to Christmas as I'm sure there will be a few sales happening around that time. Well, here's hoping anyway…..

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