Budget Chinese cell phones

sandanbob · 2019-09-11T14:09:40.000Z

Do other members have any experience with budget cell phones from China (for me, budget is $100 or less) that work on the Verizon wireless network?

Thanks!

mattlward · 2019-09-11T14:13:37.000Z

I have no experience, but I think the problem would be working on the Verizon network. I need a new phone, old S5 getting crappy, I would love to know if they work as well.

BlueSwordM · 2019-09-11T14:19:47.000Z

Hello sandanbob.

It would be better to buy a used unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 with a replacement battery.

sandanbob · 2019-09-11T14:21:38.000Z

BlueSwordM- what would be a good source for this? Amazon? Ebay? Craigslist?

raccoon · 2019-09-11T14:30:31.000Z

I think the best smart phone under $100 is the Motorola Moto E5 Play.

That's what me and my family uses.

AdrianM · 2019-09-11T14:50:56.000Z

BlueSwordM:

Hello sandanbob.
It would be better to buy a used unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 with a replacement battery.

For sure. S7 is waterproof, has nice AMOLED display, and a fast processor - none of which you’ll get in a $100 (new) budget phone.

kuzuna · 2019-09-11T15:19:00.000Z

There are a couple problems here.

Verizon can be really picky about what they allow on their network, which is designed to get you to buy phones at a markup in their stores. I used to have Verizon and a few years ago when I was looking for a new phone I ran into that issue. I suspect it’s more of a “Verizon wants you to think your unlocked phone won’t work, but it actually will work” situation but I didn’t delve deep into it enough to really find out. I just switched carriers.
Most Chinese budget phones are not made for the American market, they’re made for Europe, South America, etc. and they are not compatible with American 4G bands. Some aren’t even compatible with American 3G bands. https://willmyphonework.net/ is an indispensable resource if you’re going off the beaten path for phones in the United States, or anywhere really. Check to make sure it’s compatible before you buy. I just assume you’re American here. If I’m wrong, your options open up considerably, but Will My Phone Work is still an invaluable resource.
When you’re buying Chinese budget phones direct from China, like on AliExpress, Gearbest, etc., sellers like to put adware on the phones before shipping them to you so they can make extra money. You can always just flash a new OS onto the phone, but if you want something that just works right out the box, it can be time-consuming to find a phone this way.

There are a lot of times when buying Chinese brands can save you money and the only “hassle” is the long shipping time, but in my experience, as an American, phones aren’t one of those times. Accessories? Oh man, all day long. Got my phone case off AliExpress for a couple bucks and it’s great. Bought some Orico and Rock cables for a few dollars each that still work great more than a year later. But phones themselves? This is one place where I won’t delve into AliExpress and the like.

wle · 2019-09-11T16:46:22.000Z

you have to do a lot of work with verizon to be sure what they want exactly

and they don’t really want you to do it

one decent option for more money is, iphone 6 from amazon, cdma, for about $150, they have to let that work
plus you can return it

and you may be able to find them specifically for verizon, unlocked

wle

sandanbob · 2019-09-11T17:05:11.000Z

An iPhone 6s is what my wife currently has. We got it with a cracked screen (given to us), and had it replaced, but soon after it started losing the backlight. Which is now off 99.9% of the time. We tried a second new screen, as well as several potential solutions from the internet, but nothing worked. She can use it if she shines a flashlight on it to read the screen. So, while an iPhone 6s would be ideal, I cringe at the prices people are asking for used, older devices, sometimes scratched and cracked. Yes, I am frugal…

I want her to have a reliable and fully functioning phone, but our budget does have some constraints.

Anybody here have an unused iPhone?

wle · 2019-09-11T17:15:25.000Z

just saying
i thought about the same thing
i’m cheap

but the android issues drive me nuts, so many versions, and then so many phones that it runs on
and i HAD androids before that
i just got tired of spending hours on the research

it;s not that i am in the apple ‘camp’ but i want a phone that works without spending a week figuring out what to get

wle

AdrianM · 2019-09-11T20:40:03.000Z

This would be a decent option, if you don’t mind going slightly over your budget:

eBay

Essential PH-1 128GB (Unlocked) Smartphone - Black Moon for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Essential PH-1 128GB (Unlocked) Smartphone - Black Moon at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

Well rated seller.

klrman · 2019-09-11T20:47:01.000Z

I use this site to check to see if the phone I want has the bands I need. On top you can input any phone and any country.

https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/US/samsung-galaxy-s7

Perpetual_Lumen · 2019-09-11T23:45:39.000Z

sandanbob:

Anybody here have an unused iPhone?

eww lol

SKV89 · 2019-09-12T00:07:08.000Z

I’m currently using the Huawei P30 Pro and the camera and battery life is absolutely stunning compared to any other flagship phones I’ve owned and I upgrade every 1 to 2 years for the past decade. The most bug free phone I’ve used thus far. However I will not trust the quality of any Chinese phone for under $100 or even under $300. Safer to just get a used Iphone. Don’t get used Samsung because anything before the S8 and Note 8 were very buggy and had poor QC (I owned many Galaxy phones) whereas even my Iphone 4 is still usable today. Iphone reliability is absolutely amazing (Ipads are not though).

BrightKen · 2019-09-12T00:41:47.000Z

I recently replaced my wife’s Nexus 5 due to a bootlooping. I found a used Samsung Galaxy S8 a cracked screen for $74 on Facebook marketplace. There is a small black spot on the bottom left corner where the phone widget is locate… no biggy.
I ordered a front glass replacement kit from ECDiy for $24.95. They also have a video on YouTube how to replace screen with their kit.
It looks easy to replace but need patience.

ECDiy

Barry0892 · 2019-09-12T01:59:36.000Z

Redmi will be a good brand for you.

sandanbob · 2019-09-12T12:53:21.000Z

Thank you for the comments!

I don’t know if that Essentials phone would work, as I believe Verizon uses different technology from AT&T and T-mobile, which are mentioned in the listing.

By “unused iPhone” I meant no longer being used.

The Huawei P30 Pro sounds nice, but seems outside our budget.

There are some Redmi phones in the $75-$100 range, but I am not sure Verizon would/could activate it for us.

I appreciate the input…

wle · 2019-09-12T19:27:05.000Z

yes verizon is cdma, att and tmobile are gsm