Best android for zero dollar outlay

Forums › Android › Best android for zero dollar outlay

martyyn

1287 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

# 94483 12-Dec-2011 22:12

So here's the challenge. Our daughter would like a camera for Xmas but as shes getting older and out and about a little more its probably time for a phone.

My wife spends 40 a month with 2d and has no contract. I don't mind signing up for 24 months if I get a free phone for her or the daughter.

So what do we think is the best phone deal at the moment for no financial outlay other than a 24 month contract ?

I'm on vodafone, wife 2d. I like the 2d philosophy and daughter will be on prepay. Reality is she only needs an emergency phone if you know what I mean.

Is there anything for free with a half decent camera?

1 | 2

4536 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

# 557228 12-Dec-2011 22:41

there is not much choice (looking at the 2degrees site)

since camera is the primary reason, i would go for either xperia x10 mini or nokia c7-00

how old is your daughter? why not just get a simple camera?

Trunks2

180 posts

Master Geek

# 557231 12-Dec-2011 22:50

Slingshot give you a free Nokia C2-01 on a 6 month contract, pretty basic phone but has a 3.2MP camera on it.

http://slingshot.co.nz/mobile

jbard

1371 posts

Uber Geek

# 557233 12-Dec-2011 22:52

I think i saw a telecom ad for a wildfire s - $40 a month on a 24 month.

martyyn

1287 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

# 557277 13-Dec-2011 08:38

Im really trying to kill two birds with one stone.

My daughter is 11 and starting to get out and about by herself to see friends around the neighbourhood and town. Its primary use will be for her to send us a text when she either needs to be picked up or is on her way home. It will not be for her to use to call/text her friends etc although Ive been wanting to upgrade my wifes k610 for a few years !

We have an old digital camera but is only 3mp and needs a new battery and bigger memory card. Most phones these days can do that now so the expense of 'updating' that could probably be spent elsewhere.

So I was thinking of singing up for 24 months (we spend $40 a month anyway) and getting as good a phone as possible with the ability to take photos (she's 11, they dont need to be 12mp) or getting an Android which can do Skype, give that to my wife, and an old k800i to my daughter.

Talk about a merrygoround !

old3eyes

8193 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

# 557279 13-Dec-2011 08:42

An 11 year old on a $40 / plan. Most kids I know only have prepay with a basic hand me down fone..

Regards,

Old3eyes

martyyn

1287 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

# 557283 13-Dec-2011 08:47

Youve got the wrong end of the stick mate.

My wife spends $40 a month now but is on no plan. So signing her up for a 24 month term at $40 should get us a free phone. My daughter will just get a prepay sim.

Whether the new phone goes to my wife or the daughter is another story.

Kiwi1971

693 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 557288 13-Dec-2011 09:02

You just said she wants a Camera for Christmas? Kids usually say what they mean and if she asked for a digital camera she probably wants a digital camera, that's my 2c on that.

As for the other points
3.2MP on a phone is not that good. Unless you have bright daylight and a steady hand the pictures come out grainy and blurred. I have 5mp on mine and I still need good light and a very steady hand as the flash just washes out the colours.

Skype on Android can be very flakey, especially if you have an under powered phone. For example, on the Wildfire it was unusable. Viber works well on my HTC Desire

DLS

oxnsox

1923 posts

Uber Geek

# 557293 13-Dec-2011 09:12

martyyn: ...edit.... It will not be for her to use to call/text her friends etc although Ive been wanting to upgrade my wifes k610 for a few years !

Reality is that sometime in the next couple of years she will be using it to text her friends... it's what kids do.

With that in mind these are the things to bear in mind, based on my experience
- Kids txt more than you can ever imagine
- they will want to be on the same network as there friends (though with VF new prepay Smart plans thats now less relevant) as it's cheaper to txt their friends that way (and their friends to txt back!)
- At 11 she probably won't care too much (for a while anyway) what phone she has, as long as she has one and it can txt.

What this means is that if you're going to 'sign-up' with any telco to get a cheap phone (which I acknowledge you may give to your wife) then you're best to look at the network your daughter will want to be on... (that'll be the one her friends are on -for txting-) and then look at what options they offer.

Check with friends and colleagues on what (and how) their children use mobiles, it should confirm what I'm saying and help you look to the right telco rather than to a cheap deal now that may mean another change within that 2 year window. (If you're not on the same network as your friends then they aren't your friends... the cruel techno world of child politics)

As for the Camera... You're looking for a low cost (free?) handset, you'll have to take what you get. She's not going to be pxting, and you don't really need too much resolution, or you'll also need memory cards, nor do you want lots of large files being loaded to social network sites (this comes after the txting thing... it's social evolution).

martyyn

1287 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

# 557308 13-Dec-2011 09:41

*sigh*

Can we please lay off the lectures on what kids do and what 'my' kids will do. I know all about it and would like to think I know my daughter and her friends inside out. You could not find a more technically unaware bunch of kids in the country and we are all (friends and parents) on the same page when it comes to kids being outside playing and not sitting in front of screens. Theyve only just worked out they can pick up the phone to find out who's in who's class for next year.

All I wanted to know was what we consider to be the best featured phone (preferably Android) on the market currently which I could get for signing my wife up for 24 months. My daughter will get a prepay sim and thats it.

Im on VF for the 3Gb of data and am more than happy. My wife is on 2D for the free mins and couldnt be happier, but her usage could just as easily fit VF and Telecom. She has family in The Netherlands and friends in Rarotonga and Skype on my Nexus has worked a treat but if it was on 'her' phone it would be even better.

Our 'need' is for an emergency phone for my daughter to take when she is out. She is 11, not 16, and she will not be sending a thousand texts a day. She fancies playing with a camera and I tell you its going to be used for a few months to take photos of our cat and will then be put away and forgotten about.

So if there is a half decent camera on a phone Id like to know about it. I know all about the high end phones but I dont want that and I know little to nothing about the low end phones. I appreciate the camera is not going to be stunning but it doesnt need to be. Every camera Ive had on a phone since my k800i has been good enough for what she wants.

Perhaps Im asking the wrong kind of people, after all were all looking to using the latest and greatest at everything right ?

Now, back to the free phones :)

tigercorp

634 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

# 557313 13-Dec-2011 09:57

martyyn: *sigh*

Can we please lay off the lectures on what kids do and what 'my' kids will do. I know all about it and would like to think I know my daughter and her friends inside out. You could not find a more technically unaware bunch of kids in the country and we are all (friends and parents) on the same page when it comes to kids being outside playing and not sitting in front of screens. Theyve only just worked out they can pick up the phone to find out who's in who's class for next year.

All I wanted to know was what we consider to be the best featured phone (preferably Android) on the market currently which I could get for signing my wife up for 24 months. My daughter will get a prepay sim and thats it.

....

Now, back to the free phones :)

Lol, well said :D

Check out the Acer Liquid Mini on 2D - http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/pay-monthly-deals - free on their 24month $39.99 plan. 5MP camera, Android 2.2.

martyyn

1287 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

# 557320 13-Dec-2011 10:14

tigercorp:
Lol, well said :D

Thank you. Whilst I value the opinions I did feel we were going a little off topic !

I suppose my next question is has anyone got any experience of the phones being suggested ?

I see the deals on the various websites but it would be nice to know if someone has any personal experience with them.

I like the look of the Wildfire S for sure, the Acer and the Xperia. It also looks like my requirements may change. My wife gets the new phone to Skype the world and my daughter gets the k800i with a prepay sim to play with. If the camera gets reasonable use then a standalone camera for her birthday, otherwise it stays as an emergency phone and nothing lost.

oxnsox

1923 posts

Uber Geek

# 557323 13-Dec-2011 10:18

martyyn: *sigh*

Sorry to offend

martyyn

1287 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

# 557332 13-Dec-2011 10:29

None taken oxnsox, they were all valid points which are a few years away before I need to consider :)

stevenz

2785 posts

Uber Geek

# 557350 13-Dec-2011 11:06

Any phone you buy with any camera on it will be of reasonable use. I've got 5 year old phones laying around at home that still take surprisingly good photos.

FWIW the LG Optimus P500 is a nice little phone, for a $200 android it seems surprisingly snappy & functional. Obviously $200 > free though.

The Huawei Ideos is okay and has the advantage for an 11 year old of having colourful backplates on it.

There doesn't seem to be any good deals that I can see from Telecom or 2Degrees for "free on a 24month contract" phones. If you want a "free" phone then it looks like Vodafone might be your cheapest bet, but they're still $65/month contracts which is an awful lot. None of the TelCo's seem to have anything at the free-for-$40/month end that I can see (although their websites are bloody awful to navigate so I may have missed something).

I'd be suggesting the hand-me-down route and a 2degrees prepay SIM.

Edit: Looks like TigerCorp has found the magic answer. Personally I usually avoid Acer products due to quality issues, but YMMV.

@KnightNZ

gzt

10907 posts

Uber Geek

# 557600 13-Dec-2011 21:01

Make sure you explain to your daughter that txt is not guaranteed delivery, but it works almost all the time.

Most people believe if a text is 'sent' it will therefore 'arrive' because this is experience. And they do arrive almost all of the time.

Safety aside, have heard some very nasty friend breakups having origins in missing messages, silly people. And that's adults we are talking about...

1 | 2