Looking for a phone upgrade for a friend

[lafountain]

I got a friend on Verizon and he is eligible for an upgrade. He wants to move into a smartphone but doesn't want extremely high end. Being on Sprint I know a little about the phones on Verizon, but not a whole lot. What would be the best bet for a low-end Smartphone for him? Not sure if Verizon has any low end Androids out or on the way, but figured this would be a good place to get some ideas for him.

 

[Menno]

Verizon doesn't offer many low end android phones. ATM, the only real one they have is the LG Ally ($50 on upgrade) which isn't a bad device.

But the difference between high end and low end is only $150 dollars. I Highly recommend your friend looks at getting a "high end" phone because over the course of 2 years, it will remain usable longer.

The Ally is getting Froyo eventually, but it most likely won't get Gingerbread. It's also a much smaller screen and smaller camera (vga video, 3.2MP).

There's really not much of a difference between high end and low end devices when it comes to contract pricing anymore, so going to a "low end" phone to save some money up front is just setting yourself up to be frustrated a lot sooner.

 

[lafountain]

OK, I understand that the "high-end" phones are going to be supported more than the "low-end" ones. The Droid 2 and Droid X are going to get more support than the Ally. That much is understood. In his case, cost is something he wants to look at. With the announcement of the Motorola Citrus, that may be what he heads towards depending on contract price. Or he could change providers if he finds something else he likes.

 

[Menno]

The citrus looks to be a lower end phone than the Ally. It's slow and unresponsive. between the two, the ally still looks to be a better choice. IT's actually a decent phone as long as he's not concerned about getting the latest and greatest

I understand cost is an issue, but when you're dealing with cellphones, typically if you go for the "bargin bin" there's a reason the phone is there and not selling at a higher price.

Either the device is at EOL, or it was built cheaply.

 

[raineslc]

i don't remember if it was for new customers only but i know i saw that amazon had the fascinate for a penny...he should do some googling and im sure he can find a higher end device for a lower price.