Best smart phone for around $200?

[russwest0]

Getting tired of my current cell service provider and noticed that T Mobile has an epic monthly deal with no contract that gives you unlimited text and a bunch of data for 30/mo. because my current phone is for verizon and cdma instead of gsm, it won't work, so I need to buy a new phone.

So far this looks like the choice I'm gonna go with:

http://www.amazon.com/BLU-Vivo-Air-Smartphone-Unlocked/dp/B00S5C3BFG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423177672&sr=8-1&keywords=blu+vivo+air

I just don't see any better options. Asus has a badass zenfone 5 for around 210 or so but the battery life on it looks like shit and it's a little too big for my tastes.

[Batz]

I was going to suggest the BLU Vivo Air, or Asus' new upcoming Zenfone 2.

http://www.asus.com/Phones/ZenFone_2_ZE551ML/

It boasts pretty high-end specs at an affordable price at $199. Set for an early Q2/Late Q1 release. (This would be my suggestion, if you can wait)

Also Xiaomi is another Chinese brand that makes pretty exceptional phones:

http://www.oppomart.com/phones/xiaomi-redmi-note-4g.html

There's also other affordable phones from the Asian market you can check on the Oppomart site. But these three are my recommendations.

[christian1923]

iphone 4s

[J Shuttlesworth]

Easily the Zenfone if you wait

[russwest0]

yes the zenfone 2 looks badass, for some reason I thought it was international only because I looked it up on amazon and saw a listing that was internationally only.

Oh wait, the screen on it is 5.5 inches? Sounds too big for me. I hate having a large ass phone in your pocket all day

[Sarcastic]

Nexus 6.

[Suguru101]

Moto G?

Thought this is not an optimal time to buy a smart phone, the Galaxy 6 and the HTC One M9 are coming the first week of March, causing their earlier iterations to lower in price.

But yeah, the Moto G is pretty good for 200, and you can update it to Android 5, which many phones aren't getting right now.

[J Shuttlesworth]

Nexus 6.
Isn't the new Nexus like $600?

[Batz]

Isn't the new Nexus like $600?
Between $600-$700, yes. It's a premium flagship phone now.

The Nexus 5 is still a neat device that's around the $250 range, but it doesn't hold up too well. The build quality is pretty piss-poor.

New Motorola phones are good too, but everyone I know who has the new Moto X says the phone is not what it's cracked up to be. With it's crap battery life the phone isn't really a viable choice for the average user.

iPhone 4s is a nice suggestion though (Apple still supports it).

[Sarcastic]

Isn't the new Nexus like $600?

If you're switching carriers, they all give deals for financing the phone. If you buy without a plan or carrier then yes it will be 600.

[Batz]

If you're switching carriers, they all give deals for financing the phone. If you buy without a plan or carrier then yes it will be 600.
Think the OP desires a phone off contract to use this bitchin' deal at T-mobile.

[Droid101]

Moto is having a deal... $35 off any $250 phone. So, close.

http://mdsupport.custhelp.com/ci/documents/detail/2/MotoLove-PostPromo

[russwest0]

If the zenfone 2 had a version that instead had a 4.5 inch screen, this choice would be in the bag.

I just really ****ing hate large ass phones. I had a galaxy s4 for a while, that was just a 5 inch screen and that thing felt too big.

might just pay 120 for the zenfone 4 and since it's so cheap not worry about a case and then have a nice light phone with decent specs

http://www.amazon.com/Zenfone-Unlocked-A400CG-Intel-1-2GHz/dp/B00L48WKIW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423181062&sr=8-1&keywords=zenfone+4

[J Shuttlesworth]

If you're switching carriers, they all give deals for financing the phone. If you buy without a plan or carrier then yes it will be 600.
Stupid post, honestly. It's not a "deal", you're paying $600 for a phone, just subsidized. If he's on contract, he can get any phone for $200, even iPhone 6, or Note 4. I'm assuming TS wants an unlocked phone for $200

[J Shuttlesworth]

If the zenfone 2 had a version that instead had a 4.5 inch screen, this choice would be in the bag.

I just really ****ing hate large ass phones. I had a galaxy s4 for a while, that was just a 5 inch screen and that thing felt too big.

might just pay 120 for the zenfone 4 and since it's so cheap not worry about a case and then have a nice light phone with decent specs

http://www.amazon.com/Zenfone-Unlocked-A400CG-Intel-1-2GHz/dp/B00L48WKIW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423181062&sr=8-1&keywords=zenfone+4
I could be wrong, but isn't there 2 versions of the zenfone coming out, one being smaller? I think pretty much all phones are big these days. Try the Moto G

[russwest0]

I could be wrong, but isn't there 2 versions of the zenfone coming out, one being smaller? I think pretty much all phones are big these days. Try the Moto G

The Moto G is what I have now, and it's literally the perfect size and does everything I need, and I haven't had a case on it and have dropped it a dozen times with pretty much no visible signs of it... it's a tank, but it's CDMA so it won't work with T mobile.

[Batz]

The Moto G is what I have now, and it's literally the perfect size and does everything I need, and I haven't had a case on it and have dropped it a dozen times with pretty much no visible signs of it... it's a tank, but it's CDMA so it won't work with T mobile.
Moto X?

[rezznor]

moto g is probably one of the best budget phones

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2689334/moto-g-2014-review-the-best-smartphone-under-200.html


Motorola Moto G (2014)
$180.00
This is absolutely the best mid-range smartphone you can buy at a decidedly low-tier price.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/moto-g-2-2014-review

http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/moto-g-1199218/review


$180 is the price off contract.


on contract you can get a moto x for $200

[russwest0]

Moto X?

a little bigger than I'd like and seems to have more problems than the moto g.

honestly might just buy a GSM version Moto G. Mine is also an older gen, since I only paid 130 for it, so it'd probably be even faster and shit too.

[russwest0]

**** why did they make the Moto G 2 have a bigger screen.

Eat a ****ing dick man you had the perfect sized screen.

[rezznor]

Moto is having a deal... $35 off any $250 phone. So, close.

http://mdsupport.custhelp.com/ci/documents/detail/2/MotoLove-PostPromo


i posted a $140 off deal a few days ago for motorola phones

[Droid101]

i posted a $140 off deal a few days ago for motorola phones
Yep, went to find that one but it just expired. :(

[imdaman99]

If you made this thread yesterday, you could have got an HTC One M7 for $150 from BestBuy. And bought an unlock code for about $4 and have it up on T-Mobile already by now. It's all about timing.

[enayes]

I just bought a mint condition iPhone 4S off eBay for $90 and activated it on PagePlus' prepaid service (under Verizon's network) for $12 per month. Can't be beat.

If you use data often they have a $30 a month plan (1GB of data, unlimited everything else) or you can get a more expensive plan with more data. All of their plans are way better than any contract carriers.

[J Shuttlesworth]

If you made this thread yesterday, you could have got an HTC One M7 for $150 from BestBuy. And bought an unlock code for about $4 and have it up on T-Mobile already by now. It's all about timing.
Looks like the deal is still alive:

http://slickdeals.net/f/7638166-32gb-at-t-htc-one-m7-4-7-1080p-no-contract-smartphone-various-colors-150-free-in-store-pickup

russwest, it's hard to find the size of phone you want these days. Only newer phone you can get that's small that I can think of is the Z3 compact, and that will cost you well over $200

[rezznor]

a little bigger than I'd like and seems to have more problems than the moto g.

honestly might just buy a GSM version Moto G. Mine is also an older gen, since I only paid 130 for it, so it'd probably be even faster and shit too.
moto x is not really that big, but then again i went from a m7 > nexus 5 > m8 > moto x > nexus 6 each one feels big the first day or 2 but then you get used to it and cant go back. won't ever go past the size of the nexus 6 though :oldlol: