Pls help. Need recommendation on where and kind of smartphone for my college son

Hi there,

Hoping someone can help. I have a son in college that needs a smartphone. We have the T-Mobile value plan so phones are not included. He is looking for a phone that he can sync his schedule, e-mail, etc. Any suggestions for a phone and also where to buy it? I went to Costco over the weekend but they said they could not sell me the phone since we are on the value plan. The T-Mobile store prices are like $600. Looking for something around $200 $250. Your help is really appreciated. Thank you.

You don't get good value in the $200-$250 price range.

The best value these days is a Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
eBay Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Galaxy-Nexus-GT-I9250-16GB-Titanium-silver-Unlocked-Smartphone-/370622340079?pt=Cell_Phones&hash=item564ad01bef#ht_5301wt_1168

unlocked iphone 3G/S. Its like 60-75 on craigslist.

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-phones get $7.50 FW Cash Back, I believe with a regular T mobile sim card you can use a prepaid phone on your plan.
You can get the Lumia 710 windows 7 phone with $50 card (you can sell that) for about $250.

turtlebug said:   Does he really need a smartphone?
no one does....but advertising corrects that

You need to switch your carrier to AT&T or Verizon so you can get your son the latest and greatest iPhone. Studies have shown that iPhone users get laid more often. It is important.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/08/10/new-report-iphone-users-have...

Palm Pixi Plus $70 @ Newegg:

Palm Pixi Plus Unlocked GSM $70 @ Newegg

Gets decent reviews. Palm is now defunct, but the phone has decent basic functionality, includes wifi browser, calendaring, e-mail and some games and other apps, but obviously nothing like Android or iPhone. The CDMA version is $30 cheaper than the GSM one and I was thinking of picking one up to replace my HTC Android phone with a horrible touch screen, but discovered on Howard Forums that my carrier (US Cellular) does not allow any sort of 3rd-party unlocked phones except those specifically designed and marked "US Cellular." I'd read all the reviews on Newegg, as several of them have important info on activating and using the CDMA phone and that may be the same for the reviews for the GSM version, too. Newegg sells some reasonably priced accessories for it, otherwise check eBay.

turtlebug said:   Bwiggles said:   Thank you. That phone looks good.

Does he need it....Well, he plays college football and is also academic all-conference. His major is enviro science. His schedule is crazy busy especially during season. If he says he needs it, I hate to question him because he probably really does need it.
I would question it. My daughter runs on the college track and cross country teams and she's an honor student with a double major, so I know she has a crazy schedule too. She has learned to keep organized w/o a smartphone. The cost of the phone + monthly data usage can really add up. Just my opinion.

College Dude #1: So what's the deal with that Turtle chick that no one seems to like? She's smart, she's a runner so she's got awesome legs and thighs that could crack walnuts. I got her number from her friend and sent her a text, but she never responded. Does she have herpes or something like that and doesn't date?

College Dude #2: Even worse than that, man - her dad's a penny-pincher and she has to use his old flip phone.

College Dude #1: Crap, you mean, like I'd have to talk to her in person or by speaking into my iPhone? No friggin' way I'm datin' some Amish-type chick like that. Forget her.

lousygolfer said:   Palm Pixi Plus $70 @ Newegg:

Palm Pixi Plus Unlocked GSM $70 @ Newegg

Gets decent reviews. Palm is now defunct, but the phone has decent basic functionality, includes wifi browser, calendaring, e-mail and some games and other apps, but obviously nothing like Android or iPhone. The CDMA version is $30 cheaper than the GSM one and I was thinking of picking one up to replace my HTC Android phone with a horrible touch screen, but discovered on Howard Forums that my carrier (US Cellular) does not allow any sort of 3rd-party unlocked phones except those specifically designed and marked "US Cellular." I'd read all the reviews on Newegg, as several of them have important info on activating and using the CDMA phone and that may be the same for the reviews for the GSM version, too. Newegg sells some reasonably priced accessories for it, otherwise check eBay.

I have my pixi cdma on pageplus. $12 month for 250 minutes/texts and wifi for email/internet. Saved me kabillions.

apnagirish said:   nixmahn said:   unlocked iphone 3G/S. Its like 60-75 on craigslist.

I would NOT recommend iPhone 3 / 3G. Instead go for iPhone 4 at least (if not iPhone 4S) as it is a much newer design and there are several iOS updates that are not available for models older than iPhone 4. Also iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S look similar you son will feel much better given that you could get an iPhone 4 for around $150-200 on craigslist. Always worth it spending that $100 - $150 extra one time.

I am not an iPhone guy, but isnt the 3 better than the 4...

I am not sure, but I thought the 4 had the antenna problem that was fixed in the 4S.

I also thought the 3 was ok for reception.

SteveG

Motorola ATrix is 260 @ Newegg right now. Though it wont be able to access 3g/ faux 4g on tmobile's network until the fall/winter because it doesnt contain aws 1700mhz band. If he doesnt really need to use apps , a basic android phone is pretty cheap @ tmobile prepaid. The samsung dart and huawei prism is just 150, they use slower processors and not so hi res screens. I gave a dart to my mother-in law and she is fine with it. Though i know shes not a heavy smartphone user, just email and texting.

seriously ..i am trying to convince my daughter that she will be better off with a flip phone

gaffer said:   lousygolfer said:   

College Dude #1: So what's the deal with that Turtle chick that no one seems to like? She's smart, she's a runner so she's got awesome legs and thighs that could crack walnuts. I got her number from her friend and sent her a text, but she never responded. Does she have herpes or something like that and doesn't date?

College Dude #2: Even worse than that, man - her dad's a penny-pincher and she has to use his old flip phone.

College Dude #1: Crap, you mean, like I'd have to talk to her in person or by speaking into my iPhone? No friggin' way I'm datin' some Amish-type chick like that. Forget her.

Well, in that case, Dads might get the lamest dumb phones for their little princesses to ward of the College Dudes.

Current generation smartphones without a contract are in $500-600 range (just as you saw at T-Mobile). With a contract, you're locking yourself into $60/month for 24 months plus about $200 to get a current generation phone (i.e., over $1500).

If your son really needs a smartphone, you'll have to look at something without a contract: a used phone. If he's planning on using cellular data, and not just WiFi, then you're still looking at $60/month on a 24 month contract. (i.e., just under $1500), or counting bytes every time he turns on the cell data connection. If he doesn't need cellular data, wants the portable form factor, and can get away with using WiFi, why not just get him the iPod Touch at $200, and be done with it?

If he needs to be cool and a phone that does all this, then just go get him a phone on contract and tell yourself how he's worth $60/month for the next couple of years. (Sprint just released some family data plans, and talk is the other cell services are going to do the same soon, so if you're going this route, and its not urgent, you might wait a few months to see the offerings from T-Mobile.)

His life is crazy now? What will he think when he actually has a life? I second the Palm Pixi Plus on PagePlus route. Even if you go "expensive" and get the $55 plan (unlimited calling, texting, and 2 gb data). When he drops it in a pile of barf at a frat party, you won't be sad that you didn't spend big money on Siri.

lordoffire said:   turtlebug said:   Does he really need a smartphone?
no one does....but advertising corrects that

Do you really need internet, computer? Or this site? No. But it does bring certain benefits to life.

Bwiggles said:   Hi there,

Hoping someone can help. I have a son in college that needs a smartphone. We have the T-Mobile value plan so phones are not included. He is looking for a phone that he can sync his schedule, e-mail, etc. Any suggestions for a phone and also where to buy it? I went to Costco over the weekend but they said they could not sell me the phone since we are on the value plan. The T-Mobile store prices are like $600. Looking for something around $200 $250. Your help is really appreciated. Thank you.

Best budget options
- Unlocked iPhone 3GS (get it on Craig's list for about $100) on WalMart Straight Talk plan. Or Android phone from their web site ($ 170) - $45 a month for a plan
- Virgin Mobile plan with Android phones. $70-$300 for a phone, $35-$45 for a plan.

Any big provider (T-Mo, ATT, VZ) will charge you serious $$$ for a plan with data.

On a related note. It would be best if you give your son a budget, let him do the research, buy his own phone/plan and manage it. I know that you would like to help, but he is at the point where these decisions need to be left to him regardless of how busy he is. Please, don't be offended, but his peers will be in much better position to help him choose the best phone than you are.

fatxman said:   Studies have shown that iPhone users get laid more often.

Yea quantity not quality.

Might want to check out the Samsung Exhibit II at WalMart for $189.

Bwiggles said:   
Does he need it....Well, he plays college football and is also academic all-conference. His major is enviro science. His schedule is crazy busy especially during season. If he says he needs it, I hate to question him because he probably really does need it.

You definitely don't want to question your son and prevent him from getting a smartphone.

Link

For the sake of humanity, i really hope this is a troll.

i think its mandatory for high school and coLlege students to not have anything less than a 600 DOLLAR smartphone with the unlimited everything plan paid for by the parents,,i believe its a law that was passed last year..if you are caught with a cell phone that you can only "talk on' THEY WILL BE EXPELLED,,ITS A NO TOLERANCE SITUATION...after all a preschool child would be embarrassed beyond repair if he didnt at least have an iphone...paid for by mummy and dada

MechanicalMan said:   I think it's ridiculous that some of you are making it sound like a smartphone is some kind of insane luxury item for a college kid. Last year, I bought a $150 Android phone that I use with T-Mobile prepaid. It can do sooooooo much more than my crappy flip phones, and in my case, the phone pays for itself by offering free Wi-Fi calling with Google Voice and GrooVe IP. I'm not a heavy cell phone user, and it was still a purchase that I am VERY happy with.

OP, buy an Android phone. The aforementioned Samsung Exhibit II from Amazon wouldn't be a bad choice if you want something new, although that phone doesn't have official Cyanogenmod support.

well there's a big difference between a $150 phone (that you can use the prepaid with) and a $300-400+ one...especially if we're talking about a certain cult