LG Stylo 2 (Boost Mobile) for $86 [limit 3]

If you like smartphones with a stylus but don’t want to pay the Galaxy Note big bucks, there’s a double-figures alternative. The new condition LG Stylo 2 in the Boost Mobile edition (under of the Sprint umbrella) is currently on sale for $86 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon actual with a limit of three per customer. There is no contract requirement, but these are locked to the specific prepaid carriers. You can of course always use them as Wifi-only devices.

This has a built-in pen, and you get some special features that are linked to the pen, but note that this is not as good as the Samsung S-Pen, which is factored in the price 🙂 But for the price and given the 5.7″ screen size, this is not a bad value under triple figures.

I purchases this a couple of weeks ago and will be reviewing it. I’ve already posted the first part, how to deal with the Activation Menus of the Stylo 2. The one in review is the Virgin Mobile version, but given the links between the two, things should be similar.

This is what’s included with the Virgin Mobile kit (excluding the ruler of course):

Motorola Moto E (Tracfone) for $20 w/free S&H

If you need a budget Android phone that is actually usable considering the price, the new condition Tracfone edition of the Motorola Moto E is on sale for $20 with free shipping by ShopCellDeals on eBay. They have a 99.5% feedback score and they ship from Virginia. Over 3650 phones got sold so far from this listing.

Tracfone is a prepaid seller, so you are under no obligation to start or transfer or continue service with them. It’s all up to you. Note however that the Tracfone is the only wireless carrier that you can use this phone with.

The specs are basic on the phone, but the Moto E was part of the earlier budget wave started by the Illinois pre-Google pre-Lenovo version of Motorola, along with the Moto G and the Moto X. It has a 4.3″ qHD screen, “q” in this case is “quarter HD”, not “quad HD”, which translates to 960 x 540 pixels. It runs on a dual core 1.2GHz processor and Android 4.4.

If you need more power, there are many great choices out there, but you won’t find them for $20 delivered and in new condition 🙂

Huawei Union (Boost Mobile) for $20 w/free S&H

For a limited time, prepaid carrier Boost Mobile (“lives” on the Sprint network) is offering the new condition Huawei Union smartphone for just $20 with free shipping. Since Huawei was selected by Google to manufacturer the Nexus 6P their profile has improved in the Western markets.

This phone is obviously no Nexus 6P, but it’s only $20 🙂 It has a 4.5″ touchscreen with 1GB RAM, 8GB on-board storage plus microSD slot, and a quad-core 1.1 GHz processor. It comes with Android 5.1 (that’s Lollipop).

HTC One M9 (32GB, Unlocked, No Contract) for $350

With current generation flagships priced so high, a previous generation flagship may be an alternative if none of the mid-tier flagships from upstarts and big names alike strike your fancy. Which brings us to the new condition factory-unlocked no-contract 32GB HTC One M9 going for $350 at amazon.com. Make sure you check that Amazon actual is the seller and not any of the iffy marketplace sellers. Amazon actual is authorized, so you get the USA warranty. The marketplace sellers, I have no clue, so don’t buy from them unless you know for certain.

Note that Amazon’s compatibility listing appears to be inaccurate. Check the reviews and answered-questions and HTC’s own website for more details.

The M8 and M9 were a bit divisive, some people did not like them and prefer the the M7/M10 releases, while others are fine with them. It’s good to have choices in the market, as long as you are willing to do the necessary research to get the phone that best fits your priorities. The M9, just like the M8 (but not the M7) support microSD cards.

LG Stylo 2 for $100 (Boost or Virgin) [no contract]

If you like phones with a built-in stylus but don’t want to pay the Samsung flagship bucks for the Note line, there is a prepaid phone by LG available at a couple of Sprint’s cousins going for $100. It is the LG Stylo 2, a second generation model, going for $100 with free shipping at Amazon in the Virgin Mobile and the Boost Mobile.

NOTE: when reading reviews and price-checking around, make sure you are looking at the second generation model. The first generation model was under-powered and plagued by performance issues. The “2” has more reasonable specs and comes with Marshmallow out of the box. It has a 5.7-inch, 2GB RAM, Snapdragon 410, 16GB on-board plus microSD, etc. 2GB RAM is a good minimum to shoot for as apps, just like the web, get bloated as time goes by.

New iPhone 7s invade Virgin Mobile starting at $550 and $670 respectively

If you are a Virgin Mobile USA fan, and want to get the new iPhone 7s, you may want to “camp” on their website. They have listed the new iPhone 7 models, with prices starting at $550 for the iPhone 7, and $670 for the iPhone 7 Plus. There is a limit of two per customer, and as of posting time, they are both out of stock.

iphone7_virginmobile

The prices above are for the 32GB entry-point models. The rest of the storage-options follow the typically Apple prices, you go +$100 for every storage jump. So the 32GB to 128GB jump (there’s no more 64GB; which should have been the entry-point considering the prices but I’m digressing) is +$100, and the jump from 128GB to 256GB is another +$100. The price jumps are the same for the 7 and 7+.

None of the iPhones (old or new) can be purchased with Virgin Mobile account balance. Neither can the Galaxy S-flagships, but most of the other phones they have can. The “account balance” option is no longer available on their website, so you have to call their toll-free number and order (if you want to use your account balance). This makes sense if you have build up a big account balance.

$50 Store Credit with Sony Xperia X Compact purchase

Sony is trying to make a statement that you can still have a top-tier smartphone under 5-inches tall, and their brand new Xperia X Compact is available for pre-order for its starting price of $500 at amazon.com but for a limited time, they have a promotion that gets you a $50 Amazon store credit when you pre-order it. While this offer is running, you will see it mentioned on the product page. Here’s a screenshot of that below:

sony_xperia_x_compact_storecredit

This is an unlocked smartphone, with Sony USA warranty, and no contract requirements. Make sure the seller is Amazon.com actual, and not some iffy marketplace seller.

Back In-Stock: Unlocked 32GB Honor 8 for $400

The resurgence of the mid-range flagship continues to build up momentum, while some will argue that the Nexus line was the OG of this philosophy. Regardless, to cut a long story short, both the black and white color schemes of the new condition 32GB Honor 8 (unlocked with USA warranty, no contract) are back in-stock at Amazon by Amazon actual. Make sure you double-check that Amazon itself is the seller, as some of the other sellers may not be authorized dealers or they may be offering international versions.

LG G Stylo 2 Android phone for $100 (Boost Mobile)

The first generation LG G Stylo was a bit of a disappointment, so LG upped the specs and the OS version with the second generation, aptly named “LG Stylo 2” (hey, at least they got the name right!). As the name suggests, its claim to fame from a bushel full of entry to mid range phones is the built-in stylus. It has more usable specs than the first generation, with 2GB RAM, Snapdragon 410, and Android 6.0 out of the box. It has a 5.7-inch IPS 720p display, along with 16GB on-board storage and microSD slot.

This is however locked to Boost Mobile, so if you are planning to use it as an actual phone, you are stuck with them. Later on you may be able to use it on other Sprint-affiliated networks, but don’t count on it. On the other hand if you are planning to use it as a Wifi-only device, eg as a general purpose “household remote” and “bedtime phone” type of a device, then you don’t need to worry about the cellular aspects.

By “bedtime phone” I mean you can use this at night, and save the battery life of your day-phone. I’m sure I’m not the only one who does not feel comfortable sleeping with a phone connected to live electricity throughout the night 🙂

All that brings us to the sale, it is currently going for $100 with free shipping, in new condition, by ShopCells, with the order fulfilled by Amazon (so it is Prime eligible) or from the same seller but through eBay (over 370 units sold so far).

PS: if enough people are interested, I can get this and review it. I have a lot of balance on my prepaid account, so I can get it through that. Let me know if the comments if you are interested in seeing a detailed review of this critter 🙂

Refurbished HTC One M8 for $110 [WinPhone or Android]

From the current flagship, we go to a flagship of yesteryear, it’s HTC time. It’s the One M8, the first flagship in their line to include a microSD memory card. This particular offer is “seller refurbished” which is a higher risk (and lower price) typically compared to manufacturer refurbished. So if you don’t like risks, you may want to skip this. On the other hand, if you are comfortable with the risk/reward of such offers, keep reading…

eBay seller “Quality Cellz” (99.2%) is offering the seller-refurbished HTC One M8 for $110 with free shipping, with a limit of five per customer. It ships from California.

IMPORTANT: this listing sells two different versions, Android or Windows. Make sure you select the correct OS! This is unlocked without any contract requirements.

The specs are three flagships ago, a Snapdragon 800, 2GB RAM, 32GB on-board, microSD, 5-inch 1080p display, etc. Be sure to check Bands and Network compatibility if you are planning to use it with cellular data.

Refurbished Nexus 6P (Huawei) for $350

If you want to get the latest flagship Nexus phone but don’t want to pay a flagship price, there is the refurbished option, which is more appealing when it is manufacturer refurbished. Which brings us to the manufacturer refurbished 32GB Nexus 6P (made by Huawe), unlocked without contract requirements, going for $350 with free shipping by Best Buy’s eBay store. This is an online only offer, there is no store pick up option. Limit three units per customer.

It is as usual a never-ending cycle, do you buy the latest phone now, or wait for the new Nexus phones in the fall that will likely come out to coincide with the release of Android 7.0 (aka Nougat)? This is where refurbished may be a good option, since we are closer to the future models than we are not.

Subsidized Phone: BLU R1 HD for $60 (Prime members only)

There’s a new development in the world of phone-buying and this time around it’s not T-Mobile that is changing things up, but rather Amazon. This new promotion is available to Prime members only, and borrows from the Kindle e-reader Special Offers philosophy. You get the phone at a discounted price and for that you get Special Offers on your Lock Screen, below your Notifications and have Amazon apps pre-installed on your device. This is still a no-contract unlocked phone, with the only exception being the Amazon subsidy restrictions.

The first phone to participate in this promotion is the brand new Blu R1 HD. It is available as either a 1GB RAM with 8GB on-board storage for $50 subsidized (or $100 unsubsidized), or 2GB RAM with 16GB on-board storage for $60 subsidized (or $110 unsusbisized). The decision between the two is crystal clear. For an extra $10, you have to to get the 2GB RAM and 16GB on-board storage. You will have fewer performance and multi-tasking restrictions with twice the RAM and internal storage!

[Read more…]

Free 128GB microSDXC card with new Sony X Unlocked Smartphone for $550

Sony’s new line-up of X-series smartphones has arrived in the US market, and the mainstream option of this line, the “Sony Xperia X” is now available for $550 in four different colors, but that’s not all! Amazon.com is bundling this with a 128GB Sony-brnaded microSDXC memory card for the same price of $550. This is pretty good since the phone can take microSD cards up to 200MB! This particular combination is in-stock and shipping as of the time of writing.

This is their flagship deputy (or sidekick, choose your own analogy here), with a 5-inch 1080p display, 3GB RAM, 32GB on-board storage plus the aforementioned microSD slot. It is running Android 6.0, and is powered by the Snapdragon 650 and Adreno 510 combination. Its camera has a decent size sensor for a smartphone, a 1/2-inch Exmor RS.

The big decision for Sony fans may be between this and the X Performance flagship. Many of the specs are similar between the two, but the X Performance has the Snapdragon 820 and Adreno 530 combination and a slightly larger battery, along with IP68 water resistance certification (one of the early signature characteristics of Sony flagships). This goes for $700 and does not come with a free memory card. It is expected to ship in mid July.

The product pages mentioned above have a detailed list of compatible GSM providers as this is a factory unlocked phone with a USA warranty. The USA market has the usual suspects, AT&T, T-Magenta (okay, T-Mobile), their prepaid sidekicks (Cricket, MetroPCS), Straight Talk, Net10, H20 Wireless, and more.

Nextbit Robin drops to $300 again [limit 3]

The cloud-friendly NextBit Robin smartphone is on sale again for $300, in new condition, with a USA warranty and without any contractual obligations, in two different colors, at Amazon by Amazon actual. Limit three per color per customer.

It averages 3.9 out of 5 based on 80+ customer reviews so far, its hype is more inner-circle of Android fans than the general mythical average consumer. This was a phone born out of Kickstarter after it brought it over $1 million in pledges.

Double Figures Virgin Mobile Sale on the HTC Desire 626s and Moto G

If you like budget no-contract Android phones but want to avoid the super basic models, two of the reasonable trade-off type models are on sale for double figures at Virgin Mobile. The HTC Desire 626s (the “s” is part of the model name, it’s not plural) goes for $80 with free shipping, while the entry-level version of the Motorola Moto G (3rd generation) with 1GB RAM and 8GB on-board (but it has microSD) goes for $90.

There’s also the recently released LG Stylo 2 dropping to $150, however, LG just announced a newer version of this with 3GB RAM and 1080p screen and 32GB on-board storage and fingerprint support that will eventually come to North America but does not specify which carriers or when. See Phone Area for a spec comparison of the two models. I have no clue what the price of the new Plus will be though.

You can see these and other eligible phones on sale at the Virgin Mobile website. Many of the budget phones can be purchased with Account Balance, although after their website remodeling, you may have to call-in if you want to pay with account balance. It doesn’t seem to have an option when you order with the new website. Note however that some phones are not eligible for Account Balance pay. All the iPhones are excluded, and flagship-type phones (eg the Galaxy flagships of each year) are also excluded.