Refurbished LG G4 (Verizon) for $85 [UPDATED]

UPDATE 3/1/18 at 10pm ET: the price has dropped from $100 to $85. Same seller and shipping situation…

If you are looking for a former flagship that is running on the Verizon network, and $100 is all you are willing to pay, then head on over to Amazon where marketplace seller Kanga Supply is offering certified refurbished LG G4 (Verizon) smartphones for $100 with free shipping.

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Tuesday: LG Stylo 3 (Boost Mobile) for $95

For Tuesday, until 11:59pm pacific time, NewEGG is offering the new condition LG Stylo 3 smartphone for $95 with free shipping. This is a no-contract phone but it is locked to Boost Mobile. You can always use it as a Wifi-only device without any Boost mobile account or service. Limit two units per customer during this sale.

I don’t have this model, but I have the previous model, the LG Stylo 2 (for Virgin) which uses a similar Pen technology (nowhere near as good as Samsung’s S-Pen). We have here a useful text and pictures unboxing of the Stylo 2, along with tips on how to deal with the pestery activation process. I do not know if Boost Mobile uses the same activation process, as far as I can recall, I never had a Boost Mobile locked phone.

LG Stylo 2 for $75 (Boost or Virgin)

The new condition LG Stylo 2, without contractual requirements but locked to the prepair carrier it comes co-branded with, is on sale for $75 with free shipping by NewEgg actual in your choice of Boost Mobile or Virgin Mobile. Limit three of each per customer.

They also have a bundle for the Virgin Mobile unit bundled with a power bank (Powerocks Cirrus).

Virgin Mobile is not accepting new non-iPhone customers, but existing customers can still buy new phones and replace their existing ones. There’s even a secret place to buy Android phones at the Virgin Mobile USA website for existing customers.

I have the LG Stylo 2 and I’m using it as an indoors PDA of sorts. Performance wise it’s a step behind the Nexus 6. But once you go Knock Code with the LG phones, you then begin double tapping on every screen and window you see 🙂

I have two posts on the Stylo 2 with more in the works: the Unboxing (only text and pictures, nothing annoying or noise-making), and a walk-through on how to deal with the pestering activation menus (if you don’t plan to activate it for cellular service).

LG Stylo 2 (Virgin Mobile) drops to $80

The Virgin Mobile USA official online store has the new condition LG Stylo 2 Android smartphone on sale for $80 with free shipping.

You have no contractual obligation, so you can buy it and use it as a Wifi-only device if you want to. However, every time you reboot it will try to activate. You cannot stop that but you can counter it – see our detailed post on this.

This comes with Marshmallow out of the box, but a Nougat over-the-air update is already available for it. I have this phone, and I will post a review of it as a Marshmallow phone, and once I do that, I will upgrade it to Nougat.

One thing that makes me delay the Nougat update is that Nougat blocks the various Task Managers apps, so it makes it harder to monitor and kill misbehaving apps (if you like to do this sort of thing). This is particularly relevant for this device because LG is almost TouchWiz level of having all kinds of apps you can’t turn off or uninstall.

The phone is versatile compared to many of today’s phones, it has both a microSD and a removable battery. See what’s included in the box in our LG Stylo 2 unboxing post. Fear not, it’s only text and pictures, you won’t be bombarded with annoying videos and slideshows and whiny voices 🙂

As the Stylo in its name suggests, this comes with a built-in Stylus, HOWEVER, this is not the same level of a stylus and stylus integration as the Samsung S-Pen. Then again, the phone sells at a small fraction of the price of a Galaxy Note 🙂

LG G Stylo 2 (Boost Mobile) for $50 with free S&H

If you are looking for a Wifi-only smartphone with a basic built-in stylus, this is a pretty, pretty, pretty good deal for $50 with free shipping! It is the LG Stylo 2 for Boost Mobile sold for a limited time at this price by Best Buy on eBay. Limit one per customer. Free store pickup is also an option where possible.

I have the Virgin Mobile USA version of this. I haven’t finished writing the review yet, but at $50, this is a slam dunk buy. So far I posted the Unboxing (text and pictures only; no annoying video), along with a walk-through how to deal with activation pestering.

Here’s what you get in the Virgin Mobile kit:

This is a no-contract phone, but it is locked to the carrier it comes from.

LG Stylo 2 (Virgin Mobile) for $80 [no contract!]

This is a great bang for the buck phone, whether you need one for Virgin Mobile or want to use it as a Wifi-only device, or having it grab internet from a hotspot or another connected phone. It is the new condition LG Stylo 2 for Virgin Mobile, on sale for $80 with free shipping, with a limit of up to three units per customer, at Amazon by Amazon actual. This comes with a Stylus that is included/stored in the phone’s body. It also has a removable battery and takes microSD cards. It has 2GB RAM of which is almost a must for today’s Android phones. It comes with Marshmallow out of the box.

I have this phone, and I am reviewing it in progress right now:

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):

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.

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 🙂

LG G Stylo for $90 [Prepaid; Boost or Virgin]

I should preface this by saying that this is a phone with many trade-offs, so be sure to read up on the various reviews before buying it. Don’t buy it just because the price is low! If you are comfortable with its trade-offs, then it’s not a bad deal.

For $90, you can get the new condition LG G Stylo prepaid (no contract) smartphone running in either the Boost or Virgin Mobile network, both of which are “living” on Sprint’s network. The sale is by a marketplace seller but the order is fulfilled by Amazon, so you get some extra protection by dealing with Amazon’s shipment facilities and customer service.

You don’t have to sign up for any service with this phone, you can simply use it as a Wifi-only device. Size is not everything, just because it has a 5.7-inch screen it doesn’t mean it’s a flagship. It has only 1GB of RAM but comes with a built-in stylus, which is its main draw ~ eg if you want a note-taking type of a phone.

If you like the idea, but you find this too under-powered, a second generation is rolling out, out of the gate going for twice as much (perhaps the sale price is not a coincidence).

LG Stylo (Boost Mobile) for $100 [no contract]

We have yet another discount on the big screen LG Stylo. You can get in the Boost Mobile (part of the Sprint family) version for $100 with a limit of three per customer at Amazon by Amazon actual. You don’t have to sign up for a plan or contract, just add to cart and checkout. You can use it as a Wifi-only (perhaps as a note-taking?) device. It comes with a stylus, but please note this is not as advanced of a stylus technology like the Galaxy S-Pen or the ones used by MSFT’s Surface tablets. Despite its size and features, this is a mid-tier phone, it only has 1GB RAM and 8GB on-board storage.

Amazon also offers the Virgin Mobile version for $110, with no commitment and no contract. Or you can get that for $100 from VM’s own website as part of their holiday sales.

[DEAD] New discounts at Virgin Mobile’s USA website

This sale ENDED in 2015…

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LG G Stylo (Virgin Mobile) for $100

IF you are suffering from smartphone hoarding, this is a very good/bad time, because there are so many specials and so many phones to have and try and compare and such 🙂 One more temptation is in right now, Virgin Mobile’s Cyber Monday offering is the new condition LG G Stylo for $100. No contract. You can only use it on Virgin Mobile (or any other compatible sister MVNO carriers) if you want a cellular plan. But if you only plan to use it as a Wifi device or mooch off your hotspot or other phones, then you can’t go wrong, especially if you like having a stylus.

Granted, the stylus is not at the level of the Samsung S-Pen or the Surface Pen, so you don’t have advanced features. But you can still scribble on that big 5.7-inch screen.

Refurbished 16GB Nexus 5 (unlocked) for $170 [was $150]

The 16GB Nexus 5 (made by LG) Android phone that is part of the Marshmallow wave is available in “certified refurbished” condition for $170 [was $150] with free shipping by two different sellers “BuySPRY” and “Magic Mobile Partners” with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so you get free Prime shipping (if a member) and you get to deal with the Amazon customer service in case of problems. This “certified refurbished” comes with a minimum 90-day warranty and testing/inspection according to the product listing over there… UPDATE 11/19/15: the price jumped from $150 to $170 🙁

From the same seller with similar terms you can get the 32GB version for $180. This does not have a microSD slot, so it’s a trade-off to consider. On the other hand, this is a 4G LTE phone, so if you have a fast connection and access to reliable Wifi, you may not need more than 16GB – at least for media purposes.

I haven’t yet bought any items that are part of Amazon’s Certified Refurbished category, so I can’t tell you what to expect. I am tempted by this Nexus 5 price though because I don’t currently have an officially sanctioned Marshmallow phone.

There are no customer reviews of either one of these listings, so perhaps this is for the more brave shoppers who don’t mind taking a risk.

LG G Stylo (Boost Mobile) for $130

The new condition LG G Stylo, in the Boost Mobile configuration, is currently on sale for $130 with free shipping and no-contract at Amazon by Amazon actual. This is the CDMA version of the phone, that doesn’t have as good of a spec-sheet as the TMobile/MetroPCS version. The phone has a giant 5.7-inch IPS screen with Gorilla Glass 3. The processor is the Snapdragon 410, which ranks #797 at notebookcheck (this ranks all processors, not just smartphones).

However, it only has 1GB RAM and 8GB on-board storage and microSD (up to 32GB). It has a built-in stylus, but keep in mind, this is a basic stylus, it’s not at the level of the Samsung S-Pen. On the plus side, it has a 3000mah removable battery. It comes with Android 5.1 out of the box. It averages 4.2 out of 5 based on 120 customer reviews, and it has 90 questions answered by customers over there. This is a prepaid phone, no contract, you own it as long as the payment clears.