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.

October 4, 2016 Filed Under: android Tagged With: , , , ,

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.

July 1, 2016 Filed Under: android, windows phone Tagged With: , , , ,

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.

June 2, 2016 Filed Under: android Tagged With: , , ,

[DEAD] Motorola Moto G (3rd gen) drops to $120 (VM)

The new year came (2016) and with it, all the Virgin Mobile USA phone discounts got washed away… But I’m sure they’ll have more sales in the next few days… CES is already underway and more phones are getting announced, so it’s natural for the existing models to eventually go through the discounting and clearance cycle…

[Read more…]

December 29, 2015 Filed Under: android Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

HTC Desire 626S (Virgin Mobile) for $90

Phone discounts left and right! If you are using Virgin Mobile or if you simply need another Wifi-only device as an in-home remote control or media player, the no-contract HTC Desire 626s (the “s” is part of the name, it is newer than the 626) is currently on sale for around $90 at Amazon.com. This price is a by a marketplace seller fulfilled by Amazon (eligible for 2-day Prime), while Amazon’s own price is around $93. You own the phone immediately and you are under no obligation to sign up for a Virgin Mobile plan.

But keep in mind, this runs on the Sprint network (which is what Virgin uses), so you can’t use it with other providers as a cellphone. You can of course use it as a Wifi device anywhere.

December 2, 2015 Filed Under: android Tagged With: , , , ,

32GB HTC One M7 (AT&T Unlocked) for $150

Things move fast in the world of smartphones, which means you can get previous flagships for less a couple of years later. But they also rarely run the latest version of Android, so you have a tug-of-war of trade-offs to make. Be that as it may, among the latest offers on eBay you can get the new condition unlocked 32GB HTC One M7 for $150 with free shipping, in either the black or silver color schemes. The seller of record is QualityCellz (99.2%).

This is the last HTC flagship before they re-embraced microSD cards with the M8. So if 32GB is enough for you, and you don’t care for a microSD slot, keep on reading. The listing describes it as “factory unlocked” but it says multiples times this is “AT&T unlocked”. So if you are planning to use it with other GSM carriers that do not operate in the AT&T universe, you may want to check the bands or your favorite Android phones first.

As a quick refresher, this is powered by Snapdragon 600 processor with 2GB RAM, a 1920 x 1080 Gorilla Glass 2 screen, and such. It originally came out during the reign of Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean).

November 21, 2015 Filed Under: android Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Seller-Refurbished HTC One M8 (model 6525) for $170 [Verizon with Unlocked GSM]

If you are comfortable with beat-up smartphones (an anti-euphemism for seller-refurbished), all it takes is $170 (was $150) to get the seller refurbished 32GB HTC One M8 (model 6525) from eBay seller BidAllies (98.7%). The description over there calls it “This is a B+ Stock item, meaning unit is in good cosmetic condition and may have minor scrapes or scratches since it’s been handled.”… Price updated in this post on 11/10/15…

Now if you only want to use it as a Wifi-only device, you don’t have to worry about the cellular part. But if you do, keep in mind, this is a Verizon Wireless model, with the GSM part unlocked. Some recent Verizon phones have GSM so you can use it while traveling abroad. So if you are planning to use it on GSM, make sure you check the bands, and check various forums, to make sure it will work to your satisfaction on your chosen GSM network.

Over 4900 units got sold from this offer so far. Only the Gray color scheme remains in-stock. The rest are sold-out. Some prefer the M8 to the newer M9 flagship, but that depends on preferences. The M8 was the first HTC modern-era flagship to bring back the microSD slot (the M7 does not have it).

No contract, you own it right away. You don’t have to use it wirelessly, you just have it as a Wifi-only device, such as a media player, or remote control, or have it feed off your hotspot or your other phone’s mobile hotspot.

The price is very tempting, but make sure you understand the risks of a “seller refurbished” item, and the potential band issues if you are planning to use it on a GSM network.

November 8, 2015 Filed Under: android Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Open-box HTC One M9 (former AT&T, unlocked) for $350 (was $300)

Things are heating up in the world of smartphones, the flagships from the established phone manufacturers are getting a lot of pressure from upstarts (companies big and small that don’t have the gravitas of the Samsung, LG, HTC, etc). That means discounting across the board. Including the open-box (new-other condition) HTC One M9 (32GB, Unlocked, was AT&T) for $350 (was $300) with free shipping. The seller is QualityCellz (99.2%), and claims it is under HTC warranty but does not provide further details… Price updated in this post on 11/10/15…

The “new-other” part says it may have cosmetic imperfections. Sounds like open-box. eBay really needs to clean up their “item descriptions” as people seem to be finding loopholes to “prettify” their listings.

Since this was an AT&T phone, if you are planning to use it on some other GSM carriers, make sure you check the bands and frequencies to make sure it works to your satisfaction.

It is contested in some Android forums as to whether one should get the M9 or go for the M8, so it’s up to you to prioritize features and prices.

November 6, 2015 Filed Under: android Tagged With: , , , ,

Refurbished HTC One M8 (Windows Phone; Verizon, unlocked GSM) for $190

IF you are a fan of Windows Phone and want Android-flagship hardware, there’s a compromise for that. The Windows Phone versions of the HTC One M8 is offered seller-refurbished for Verizon with its GSM cellular unlocked, going for $190 with free shipping, with a limit of five per buyer, offered by seller “MobilePros1” (97.5%). No contract!

NOTE: this is the Windows Phone M8, not the Android!

July 29, 2015 Filed Under: windows phone Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Refurbished HTC One M8 (unlocked, no contract) for $210

While the previously mentioned $100-ish prices for the HTC One M7 are tempting, if you want/need a microSD memory card, the M8 is a must, and it is among the latest eBay offers! The Seller Refurbished 32GB One M8, factory unlocked with clean ESN, but functional despite scratches and scuffmarks, is offered for $210 with free shipping, in the gray color scheme (the others sold out), by eBay seller “GuaranteeCellular” (98.7%). Limit five per customer. Nearly 1400 units sold from this so far.

As always, keep in mind that seller refurbished is a higher risk than manufacturer refurbished, so if you are a risk averse type of shopper, keep that in mind! No contract, this is a GSM phone.

July 28, 2015 Filed Under: android Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Refurbished HTC One M7 (former Verizon, GSM unlocked) for $100

How low can you go? How about $100? That’s what it takes to get you the seller-refurbished 32GB HTC One M7. This was a Verizon phone that its GSM component has been unlocked for any GSM carrier. The listing says clean ESN and already over 300 units got sold from this particular offer. Limit five per buyer with the silver color being the only one offered. The seller is GuaranteeCellular (98.7%). As usual with seller-refurbished items, the risk is higher, so keep that in mind if you don’t like taking risks or having to return items. No contract!

July 24, 2015 Filed Under: android Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Refurbished HTC One M7 for $118 [no contract]

If you don’t care for microSD cards, and prefer to get previous generation flagships instead of middle of the road more recent smartphones, among the latest eBay offers you can get the seller refurbished HTC One M7 for $118 with free shipping. This is a former Verizon Wireless phone, unlocked, with 4G LTE and 32GB on-board which is important since it doesn’t have microSD (it was added with the M8).

[Read more…]

July 20, 2015 Filed Under: android Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Refurbished HTC One M7 (unlocked GSM) for $150

With the latest wave of flagships coming out, more deals can be found in the previous-flagships, and even more so in the previous-previous flagships. Case in point, the HTC One M7 (unlocked GSM, formerly an AT&T phone, 32GB) is available for $150 with free shipping and no contract as manufacturer refurbished by ebay seller QualityCellz (99.2%). You have a choice of black or silver color scheme.

NOTE: the M7 does NOT have a microSD slot. HTC added a microSD slot to the M8.

Needless to say, this is a pretty good bang for the buck former-flagship phone! You can use it as a Wifi-only device (eg media player) or with any compatible GSM provider.

June 11, 2015 Filed Under: android, smartphones Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Refurbished HTC One M8 (Verizon, no contract) for $220

If you are comfortable with the increased risk of seller refurbished smartphones, last year’s HTC One flagship, the M8 is currently offered seller-refurbished, unlocked for the Verizon network, with clean ESN for $220 with free shipping by eBay seller “GuaranteeCellular” (98.9%) with three color choices and a limit of five per customer. They offer a 14-day money back warranty (with approved RMA). No contract!

As it is often the case, carrier-centric phones go for less than unlocked GSM phones since you have a lot more options and flexibility with GSM. But if you want to use this as a Wifi-only device, that’s a discount!

May 11, 2015 Filed Under: android Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Refurbished HTC One Mini for $145 (GSM unlocked, no contract)

If you are comfortable buying seller-refurbished smartphones with their increased risks (versus new or manufacturer refurbished), among the latest eBay offers, you can get the seller refurbished HTC One Mini for $145 with free shipping with a limit of five per buyer. This is currently a GSM unlocked smartphone, which used to be an AT&T phone. No contract, you own the phone right away and you can use it with any GSM provider of your choice or just keep it as a Wifi-only option.

Keep in mind, Mini in this case also refers to the specs. It is not the original One flagship internals on a smaller phone. For example, this Mini is powered by the Snapdragon 400. It has a 4.3-inch screen.

May 7, 2015 Filed Under: android Tagged With: , , , , , , ,