Looking for cheap cell phones for the holidays? Here are five top picks
While we all have different priorities when buying a new cell phone, there’s one certainty we can all agree on: we always want to get a good deal and never want to spend more than we have to.
Whether you’re shopping for yourself or others for the holidays, this list of the best budget cell phones has our top five that’ll satisfy you without breaking the bank.
The budget cell phones on this list, which cost around $50, can be purchased at various carriers including AT&T, Virgin Mobile and T-Mobile.
1. Samsung Slash for Virgin Mobile
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Price: $69.99
It’s a slider phone with style, durability, the features you need and ultimately a low price. The phone cuts right to the core of everyday cell phone use with a retail price tag of only $69.99.
The Slash packs a cell phone camera, short-range Bluetooth wireless communications (i.e. for Bluetooth headsets), access to the mobile Web, a speakerphone, text messaging, ringtones, voice dialing, screensaves and more.
For this price tag, though, don’t expect a touch screen, GPS or other advanced features of phones like the iPhone from Apple or the Instinct from Samsung.
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2. Pantech C610 for AT&T
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Price: $49.99
The Pantech C610 flip phone for AT&T could very well be one of the better values you’ll find with among the most features you can have for this price.
While you should look elsewhere for high-end luxuries such as a touch screen, the Pantech C610 manages to be a high-speed 3G phone (for fast data transmission) all while packing GPS (for satellite-based navigation) and a chrome design accent.
Though the handset covers most of its feature bases, it lacks anything unique or revolutionary.
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3. Sony Ericsson W350 for AT&T
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Price: As cheap as $29.99
Dubbed the “thinnest flip phone available on the market” today, the Sony Ericsson W350 for AT&T also packs two other perks: it’s a feature-packed music phone and (like other handsets on this list) it’s affordable.
Priced at $79.99, online discounts and other specials can knock the cost down even further to a bargain-priced $29.99.
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4. LG CU720 Shine for AT&T
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Price: $49.99
The LG CU720 Shine was released in the U.S. for AT&T to great fanfare because it steps things up several notches as compared to the LG KE970 Shine, which is its Asian and European counterpart.
This Shine actually shines. It can literally be used as a compact mirror while in standby mode, and unlike the KE970, the CU720 features 3G for high-speed data transfer.
The LG CU720 Shine is also a full-featured multimedia phone. Best of all, it makes this budget cell phones list because it can be yours for only 50 bucks.
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5. Nokia 5310 XpressMusic for T-Mobile
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Price: $49.99
If the concept of the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic sounds about right but its $99.99 price doesn’t work on your budget, the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic is designed to be much like the higher-priced upgrade but for half the price.
For the lower price of $49.99, the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic features less storage space, less talk time because of the battery, a downgraded camera and it’s not a world phone. The 5310 XpressMusic, though, is lighter in weight.
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