You can now get no-contract Android phones for $100 or less with pretty decent features including a few 4G phones. One downside is that some of these companies don’t let you move the phone to another company. On the upside, here’s a way to limit your spending if you’re unfamiliar with their service.
While these aren't always the latest phones, you can still do pretty much what you need with them. Nowadays developers seem to make apps for Android as well as iOS. So you can share you photos via not just Facebook, but also Instagram and Vine. So, unless you're set on an Apple iPhone, here are some pretty good options below.
Tracfone now offers Android phones. Handsets available include the ZTE Valet, Huawei Glory, a few LG phones: the Optimus Dynamic, the Optimus Fuel, and the Ultimate 2. Also available are the Unimax MaxPatriot, the Samsung Galaxy Centura, and the Moto e.
The other smartphones available from them cost just a little more.
Straight Talk Wireless has one of the most attractive unlimited no-contract plans at $45 per month. This includes unlimited data. They have a pretty good line-up, and you can choose which major network you will use, by choosing the phone you buy.
These smartphones qualify:
NET10 monthly plans start at $40 per month. They offer many of the same phones as Straight Talk:
With the new $45 Allset plan, Verizon now offers a good selection that fits the bill:
In addition, you can also get the older iPhone 4 with for under $100 as well.
Virgin Mobile also has a few smartphones under that magic number. However, they frequently run sales so different models can cost less than $100 depending on the sale. Here's a list from 01/20/2015:
Boost Mobile has a few models that meet the criterion such as
Freedom Pop is the latest to come out with a set of attractive phones and plans. In particular, the plan offers the ZTE Force at varying price points, but all at less than our target price here. This handset is a 4G LTE phone.
Kajeet specializes in phones with parental controls for kids. Smart blocker technology addresses problems such as abusive text messages to go with attractive unlimited texting plans. The data packages do cost extra. The lineup of smartphones often includes one or two on sale at prices near the $100 mark. When I checked, these phones qualified:
This model has an upright QWERTY keyboard.
Consumer Cellular now carriers smartphones. They offer the Huawei Vision 2 and the Moto G at $100. A couple of other phones are listed as starting at $100, but those require additional payments. Note, they do not have a plan that includes unlimited data, so you will have to choose based on how much of your network use will be while you have access to a WiFi network.
The GoPhone options include these phones:
T-Mobile offers these Android phones:
Cricket offers the
MetroPCS is available in many more areas nowadays. Phones they offer include:
You have a lot of choices in no-contract Android phones even when you limit the price to $100. so pick a plan and choose your phone.
The Android robot is reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.
The choice of no-contract smart phones just over the $100 threshold is also pretty good and getting better.
Straight Talk
Smart Phones cover a wide range from $20 for a basic refurbished model to several hundred bucks for an iPhone 5 or Galaxy S3.
Sometimes you can even get Windows or Nokia smart phones though the latter are less common these days - though that could change now that Microsoft is buying out Nokia's cell phone business.
Yes I know you can get the latest contract phones for under a $100 as well as long as you don't mind paying higher rates and signing away two years. Still, some companies have introduced upgrade plans with a shorter time window though presumably those extend the contract out at the same time.
This topic is naturally covered by other sites and blogs but here are a few options that the companies send to me every now and then.
Verizon is known for its network and offers free phones with a 2 yr. contract.
I'm still a little confused by the changes that T-Mobile has made to its regular plans which they seem to advertise as not having contracts but rather involve financing. Still, they do have some good deals as well.
Sprint has struggled a bit against the other carriers and have offered unlimited data plans to compete.
AT&T has been testing whether you prefer to pay $1 or $0 for a phone with a two year contract.