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Help Android Phone Recommendation: Up to $150; to work on MetroPCS or other carriers.

roseuz

Newbie
Dec 25, 2011
15
0
So, MetroPCS is forcing me to get a new phone because my phone, the LG Motion, operates on the CDMA network, which they are shutting down.

I would like some recommendations with the following info / criteria in mind:

1. A phone that works well after owning it for a year to a year and a half and downloading a lot of programs. I like to download lots of apps, try them out, keep them even if I am rarely using them to see what they might evolve to when upgraded. So far, with the two Android phones I have owned in my lifetime, they seem to get extremely slow after about a year to a year and a half. Right now, with my LG Motion, I experience the following problem: I try to make a call by holding a digit in order to dial via SpeedDial. Nothing happens. I try this few times. Minutes later, the phone makes the call. As I am talking, about 1/2 a minute later, the phone makes another call to the same number I called and am connected to. If I disconnect and re-dial again, and if that call goes through, at some point, the other calls go through. All my attempts are known by the phone and executed in a delayed manner.
I often find myself ending programs via the Task Manager, which does seem to help.

I am thinking a phone with more than 1 GB of internal RAM would help with this problem, but that seems impossible with the budget I am setting for a new phone.

2. A non KitKat (4.4) phone because that version can't write to the sd card. So, anything after 4.0.4 is fine, meaning 4.1, 4.2, 5.0, but not 4.4.

3. Any carrier that offers a $50 or less plan that offers one the best bang for your buck. I switched over from Straight Talk to MetroPCs because my phone was getting slow but mostly because I was saving $5 per month (from $45 to $40) and being offered the same or more.

From what I have read online, Straight Talk slows one speed after a certain limit or for certain tasks like viewing movies or tethering--something along those lines, so I think Straight Talk would not be a choice.

Others like Cricket and maybe Sprint, or others that I don't know about, might be good options.

Ideally I would like a phone that can be used on multiple carriers--i.e. an unlocked phone, but that then limits my options.

Also, so far I have been happy with MetroPCs, plus, if I stick with them, I am looking forward to getting my 1GB of 4G speed per month, which is what one gets for my $40 plan AND a GSM phone. With my CDMA, I only get 500MB.

4. A LTE phone. Right now, the LG Leon from MetroPCs is looking like a nice choice. It's also has Android 5.0 Lollipop!

5. A phone that costs $150 or less. I dislike the idea of paying more than that for a phone. $99 is a price I prefer. I would however pay up to $200 for very compelling reasons, something like: Phone X offers such and such features, which will allow you to do such and such and is only found in pricier phones, which won't come down in price at least for a year or more or most likely won't be available in newer lower end phones for a while, or Phone X offers such and such in terms of performance and you will see and appreciate the difference.

6. A New Phone; Not used and not refurbished.

7. A phone with more than 5 GB of internal memory / ROM

8. A phone with expandable storage / it has a microSD card slot.

To those that read all of this and provide recommendations, I thank you very much. It is truly appreciated.
 
Hi roseuz, I moved your thread to the Device Comparisons forum :)

Of the MetroPCS phones the LG Leon looks like a contender for you, although it's only going to have 5GB of user storage. If the ZTE Zmax gets an upgrade to Lollipop that would also work, but it's at KitKat right now.

If you don't buy from Metro the Moto X would be a good choice, not sure if you could find a new one under $200 though.
 
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