Cheap(ish) android phone for metro?

[shadows090]

So I've only used a few friends android phones but like many people here I've developed a strong liking. They're awesome, and I have an obsession for open source/distaste for M$ so I figure it would be a match made in heaven. My problem is that I'm on a tight budget and really can't afford paying a lot. I have metro pcs(in florida) which has good prices, but crappy phones. Are there any android phones that I would be able to flash/root over to metro pcs?

I'm a newbie with phones, so I'm not really sure of the difference between flashing/rooting and stuff (I know rooting on linux, but i'm not sure if it's the same as flashing).

I'm not expecting the newest and greatest, but I'd like to buy a used, android phone with a decent browser and touch screen. Wifi would be a plus too.

I'm trying to find all of the info myself, but my lack of knowledge of the terms is limiting the info that i'm getting. Any help is appreciated. Thanks guys and gals.

 

[KlaymenDK]

I don't know your provider, but I can tell you this:
1) If you buy an unlocked phone, it will work on any provider...
2) ...unless your SIM card is locked to your original phone.

About (1): Because of provider subsidies, buying an unlocked phone is usually way more expensive up front than buying a locked phone, but in the end it should be about the same (only with more freedom ). This is what I did. The caveat is that some USian providers seem to have impressive warranty deals that you won't be able to match if you buy an unlocked phone.

About (2): Call your provider and ask if your SIM card is locked. If it is, ask what it takes to unlock it. It might be just that phone call, or a fee, or having to wait for some time limit to expire.

Good luck with it.

 

[SoFLO]

MetroPCS runs on CDMA I believe.

 

[shadows090]

@KlaymenDK Thanks a lot for the reply. Metro Pcs operates in a few areas on east and west coast, but has fairly limited covered. Pros: Very cheap, reliable service w/o any contracts. Cons: Bad cust service, won't work in other states if you travel, and fairly poor phone choices.

On that note, it's a cdma phone (sorry for not mentioning that in the first post), so it won't work on gsm networks ( you can't flash a cdma phone to a gsm network or vise versa)

 

[IOWA]

@KlaymenDK Thanks a lot for the reply. Metro Pcs operates in a few areas on east and west coast, but has fairly limited covered. Pros: Very cheap, reliable service w/o any contracts. Cons: Bad cust service, won't work in other states if you travel, and fairly poor phone choices.

On that note, it's a cdma phone (sorry for not mentioning that in the first post), so it won't work on gsm networks ( you can't flash a cdma phone to a gsm network or vise versa)

Also CDMA phones do not have SIM cards, and he would need the MSL to do anything with it.

 

[shadows090]

yeah, you'd have to flash the thing, but I'd do it if it saved me $20+ per month. From what i can find..there aren't any verizon android phones that can be flashed over and have working internet and mms. I haven't seen many fixes for that either (I think in one thread I found they got the mms working). It looks like I'll just be joining t-mobile instead, since even metros "smart phones" have severely limiting firmware.

Thanks for the help though guys.