What requirements must new phone have in order to use for WiFi use only?

BamaGrits

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I am looking to purchase two android cell phones for my granddaughters, which would be used for WiFi use only. Tablets seem to be larger than they care for so I'm thinking a couple of inexpensive phones along with Google Play gift cards and Memaws in. I am needing to spend $50 each or a little more. I do have many questions on what requirements are there in order for there to be no problems. Should phones be unlocked, carrier free, activated or not and is there something that I haven't thought of?
 
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I am looking to purchase two android cell phones for my granddaughters, which would be used for WiFi use only. Tablets seem to be larger than they care for so I'm thinking a couple of inexpensive phones along with Google Play gift cards and Memaws in. I do have many questions on what requirements are there in order for there to be no problems. Should phones be unlocked, carrier free, activated or not and is there something that I haven't thought of?
How much do you want to pay? What size are you looking for? For the money I think the Pixel 4a is an excellent value. I bought two to replace our end of life phones. Great phones with excellent photo capabilities.
 
Thank you buuut I could not afford that for myself. I have found a Simply Mobile LG Journey with 5.45 screen at $39.99 and that is looking good to me. I am not planning on keeping a carrier but I get one on prepaid just to get them started. What do you think? Are you knowledgeable on "WiFi Only" when buying a phone? I see many post on " using an old android" but they are not answering the questions that I have.
 
You GENERALLY don't need carrier service to set up a phone. SOME carrier-locked phones have also been locked to requiring an active SIM card to get them set up, we get questions on these from time to time. If you get an unlocked device, preferably a factory-unlocked device (NEVER locked to a carrier) it should be usable on just WiFi.

Depending on what the kids want to do with them, those LG Journey devices may work, but do keep in mind the mantra "you get what you pay for". They definitely won't be long-term devices.
 
If it is for Web browsing only and very few apps it should be ok. But not for much more including games. Those really low priced phones don't have much ram or storage and are very very slow. An amazon tablet may be a better deal.
 
I'm with the others. When it comes to tech related gifts (phones, computers, cameras, etc), it can be rather hard to give something adequate unless they have mentioned something specific they want. Limiting yourself to around $50 each is also going to restrict yourself to mostly bottom of the barrel throw away phones unless you get lucky and find a used one that fits the bill.

Have you discussed this gift idea with their parents? For one thing, they may have strict limits on screen time, and not be appreciative of phones as gifts. On the other hand, they may also have more insight on what would be ideal (but there's still the problem of the costs). Due to how individual these devices can be, you may want to just give them something like a home made "gift card" good for a phone with your $50 limit. Obviously they couldn't take that to the store, but it gives them something to open and they get to be a part of the process to get something they would like. Depending on their age, they may not care but my wife and I have done such things with each other in the past with tech gifts.

I would suggest revisiting the tablet idea, as well. Part of the cost for a phone is the hardware and programming needed to make use of such functions. If you buy a small tablet you'll get a little more bang for your buck by only paying for features that would be needed. They are likely going to be about as durable as a larger phone, and you may be able to get protective cases for them as well.

When it comes to Wi-Fi only use, there's not much to worry there because everything is more or less universally compatible. What is more important is processor, storage, memory/RAM, OS version, screen resolution, etc. Those are the specs that can determine how well the device will run.
 
The LG Journey has 16GB of storage, with only usable by the user (the other 8 is used by Android itself). That's not a usable device in 2020. You want something with an absolute minimum of 32GB of internal storage. (128GB or more would be better.) Buying a phone with 16GB for $40 is just throwing $40 away. (Buying on eBay is about the same thing - you have no idea whether the phone works, and whether you'll ever be able to contact the seller after he gets your money.) Be prepared to spend at least $100 on each one. (Even the cheap $50-$75 tablets are useless - and don't last more than a few months.)

I'd also look at the SoC or CPU for the device. A Mediatek? (It normally has an MT at the beginning of the number.) I wouldn't take one for free. My time is worth more than I'd spend on constantly repairing the phone. Look for Qualcom. (And stick with a brand name. LG isn't bad, but the Journey is a TracFone "minimum to make a call" phone. It's not for kids who want to run apps.)
 
If you're only budgeting $50 per device, I'd recommend you abandon getting them smartphones or tablets and get something more appropriate. A mobile device in that price range will either be sub-standard if you buy it outright, or be tied to a pricey (more than $50) contract if you buy them subsidized. Buying them subsidized may be cheap up front but once you cancel the contract early you'll still have to pay a penalty fee (likely to be more than $50).
By substandard, I'm referring to the phone won't have adequate system resources (too little RAM, too little storage space) to be practically useful. If your granddaughters are toddlers, than it might work out as all they need is something that's more about tactile engagement than practical tasks, but if they're pre-teens or teens a substandard phone will be more about frustrating usage than anything. If their peers have better, more appropriate mobile devices, than problem just gets amplified as embarrassment gets added into the mix.
You don't need to spend a lot of money for a flagship model but even a viable, budget class phone will cost more. Here's a good article to give you more details on what you need to look into. The 'Who should get this' section appears to be a pertinent summary for your query.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-budget-android-phone/
If you're thinking of tablet, most table models don't even include cellular connectivity support, they're WiFi only. There are several that do but you need to do need to specifically be sure whatever you buy is in that category. Price is still going to be an issue though. You can get an Amazon Fire tablet that's in your stated price range, just keep in mind any Fire tablet is heavily branded by Amazon and is by design intended to prioritize Amazon services. They're a good option for usable, low-cost, subsidized tablets though, especially with all the seasonal sale price cuts going on.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-android-tablet/

How old are your granddaughters? That's a big factor on what may or may not be a good option.
 
Any phone can be wifi only as long as there is not any type of contract - locked or unlocked. Just take the sims card out. Check out some of the prepaid phones like tracfone or net10 or whatever prepaid service you have in your area, You don't have to use the phones with their service.

One thing though, for the price you said you are willing to pay, if you want an uptodate phone, it would have to be used.
 
My granddaughters are 3 1/2 and 7 years old. They seem to like the size of a phone over a tablet. They watch video and movies most. The 7 year old is just now starting with games.
 
OK, so they are pretty young then. So you're thinking they'd prefer something more phone-sized than tablet-sized. I was thinking just the opposite, a larger screen being the eye-candy lure and factoring in the kids' varying dexterity levels, but whatever. There's a basic Parental Control feature that's already available to use that you should look into setting up right away:
https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1075738?hl=en
Or install Google's Family Link for more Parental Control features:
https://www.pocket-lint.com/apps/ne...ly-link-and-how-do-its-parental-controls-work
There's several other non-Google Parental Control services too.

That $50 budget limit is going to be an issue. Any phone model you buy will have limited system-resources, hardware limitations that are inherent to sub-spec devices. So set your expectations accordingly, and be sure the parents are OK with this. It's going to be one of them having to maintain and do frequent maintenance tasks. With a below-par phone, using it as a daily usage device requires frequent interaction by the user, in this case the parents. At least with a reputable, name-brand phone it's more a matter of setting up properly and then just using it. There are subsidized phones in your price range, or even free, but read the details carefully. If you think you're going to trick a carrier into selling you a phone at a massive discount, that kind of loophole isn't an option. You may be able to 'buy' a phone really cheap from them, but you're still going to pay for it eventually -- either stretched out in monthly bill they send you or an early termination fee that you owe them if you cancel your account with them before the phone is paid off.


Toys for 3yr olds
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/gifts/best-toys-gifts-for-3-year-olds/
Toys for 7yr olds
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/gifts/best-toys-gifts-for-7-year-olds/
 
might want to consider an 8" fire tablet from amazon. The price is about right and though they are not as small as a phone, they are smaller than normal tablets.
 

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