Nicole Lee, Associate Editor October 2, 2008
In these hard economic times, it's important to save and spend wisely--even when it comes to gadgets. So we've compiled just a small sampling of the free or nearly free cell phones out there from the four nationwide carriers as well as Virgin Mobile, a nationwide prepaid carrier. From basic phones to multimedia handsets, you can get a deal if you shop smart.
First up, we have the Sony Ericsson W580i, which is available for free from AT&T with a two-year contract. It's a nice Walkman phone with a music player plus a 2.0-megapixel camera. Next is the Samsung Blast from T-Mobile, which has a 1.3-megapixel camera plus a SureType keypad for easier texting. The Blast is available for free with a two-year contract.
If you want a CDMA phone, we like the Samsung M320 from Sprint--it has Bluetooth, voice dialing, and a VGA camera, plus it costs about $19.99 with a two-year contract. For Verizon, we like the LG VX5400 for its simplicity and good call quality. It, too, has a VGA camera, Bluetooth, and voice dialing, and is available for free with a two-year contract while supplies last.
Of course, if you want to save money, you should look into affordable cell phone plans, too. However, if you want to do away with cell phone contracts altogether, you can opt for a prepaid phone, such as this LG Aloha phone from Virgin Mobile, that's available for $9.99 with no contract.
| Product name | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $109.99 | Pricing not available |
As Reviewed: $19.99 | Pricing not available |
| CNET editors' rating | ||||
| Average user rating | ||||
| Review date | August 27, 2007 | August 08, 2007 | September 16, 2008 | December 17, 2007 |
| The Bottom Line | The Sony Ericsson W580i is a stylish multimedia cell phone with good performance on all fronts. | The sexy Samsung Blast SGH-T729 is a great messaging phone with good call quality, but we were hoping for a speedier data network as well. | The Samsung SPH-M320 has a decent camera and nice design, but its call quality could be just a bit better. | Though it is a basic camera phone, the LG VX5400's well-designed keypad and great performance makes it a good choice for those who don't need a cell phone with a lot of features. |
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| Features | ||||
| Cellular technology | GSM | GSM | CDMA2000 1X | CDMA2000 1X / AMPS |
| Band / mode | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband) | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband) | CDMA2000 1X 1900/800 | CDMA2000 1X 1900/800 / AMPS 800 |
| Talk time | Up to 540 min | Up to 300 min | Up to 264 min | Up to 280 min |
| Wireless Interface | Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Bluetooth |
| Weight | 3.3 oz | 2.8 oz | 2.7 oz | 3.2 oz |
| Service Provider | Info unavailable | T-Mobile | Sprint Nextel | Verizon Wireless |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
| Buying choices | | Pricing not available | As Reviewed: $19.99 | Pricing not available |
