Cheap cell phones

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Kent German, Senior Editor October 13, 2009

Though no one loves cell phone contracts, signing one can knock a lot of money off the price of your phone. These service rebates can be enough to make a messaging phone affordable or a simple phone free. CNET has picked a few cheap cell phones that, as of this writing, will be easy on your wallet. Some have service rebates, but others come with additional online discounts.

The Samsung Intensity has an alphanumeric keyboard and multimedia features. The black version is just $29 and the red version is free. The latter is sold out at the time of this writing, but Verizon should get additional stock. Sprint's LG Lotus is one of our favorite messaging phones. Available in black, red, or purple, the handset will cost you nothing. Also free is the orange version of T-Mobile's Nokia 5310 Xpress Music and Sprint's Samsung SPH-M330. The eco-friendly Motorola Renew W233 for T-Mobile is just $9. At that price you'll be saving the Earth and your wallet. And for smartphones, Verizon's HTC Ozone offers great features and admirable performance for just $49.

Features
Product name	Samsung Intensity SCH-U450 - charcoal gray (Verizon Wireless)	LG Lotus - black (Sprint)	Nokia 5310 Xpress Music - orange (T-Mobile)	Samsung SPH-M330 - silver (Sprint)	Motorola Renew W233 (T-Mobile)	HTC Ozone (Verizon Wireless)
Price	$19.99	$49.99	$0.00	$0.00 to $299.99	$14.99 to $29.99	$49.99
CNET editors' rating	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)	4.0 stars Overall score: 8.3 (4.0 stars)	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.6 (3.5 stars)	3.0 stars Overall score: 6.7 (3.0 stars)	3.0 stars Overall score: 6.6 (3.0 stars)	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)
Average user rating	3.5 stars	3.0 stars	3.0 stars		3.0 stars	3.5 stars
Review date	September 16, 2009	October 27, 2008	May 30, 2008	September 29, 2009	February 03, 2009	July 10, 2009
The Bottom Line	The Samsung Intensity is a simple entry-level messaging phone with a few multimedia goodies that's very affordable and easy to use.	The LG Lotus has an eye-catching design, top-notch features, and great performance, making it one of the top messaging phones available from Sprint.	The Nokia 5310 continues the fine Xpress Music tradition by offering a satisfying blend of features and performance in an attractive design.	The Samsung SPH-M330 isn't for the active user, but it's good for infrequent callers who want a few extra features.	The Motorola Renew W233 is more than just a green device; it's also a decent phone.	Though its plastic design and photo quality are unchanged, the HTC Ozone offers a more affordable price tag, improved features, and better voice quality than its Sprint HTC Snap counterpart.
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Cellular technology	Info unavailable	CDMA2000 1X	GSM	GSM / UMTS	GSM	CDMA2000 1X / GSM
Weight	Info unavailable	0.2 lbs	2.5 oz	0.2 lbs	2.9 oz	3.7 oz
Service Provider	Verizon Wireless	Sprint Nextel	T-Mobile	Sprint Nextel	Info unavailable	Verizon Wireless
Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications
Buying choices	Verizon Wireless $19.99 In stock: Yes Price from 1 authorized store	Sprint $49.99 In stock: Yes Price from 1 CNET Certified store	T-Mobile USA $0.00 In stock: Yes Price from 1 CNET Certified store	Sprint $0.00 In stock: Yes Price from 1 authorized store	T-Mobile USA $14.99 In stock: Yes Price from 1 CNET Certified store	Verizon Wireless $49.99 In stock: Yes Price from 1 CNET Certified store