A cheap, basic Android phone?

A

alatheia

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I am interested in buying an Android phone <R1500 and all it needs to be doing is to handle perhaps 2-5 calls per day, can do basic email and run Whatsapp. Nothing fancy and ideally with a QWERTY keypad.

It could also be a slightly used one but how reliable are HTC, Samsung & Co? :confused:

Battery life and good audio quality for voice calls are the most important factors. It will be used as a phone and not as a theme park! :D

It has to be something that I can buy in a retail store on prepaid in Cape Town CBD environs.
 
Qwerty is going to be tough. Touch screens - Mtn steppa and Huawei has sine good ones in your price range.
 
akescpt said:
Qwerty is going to be tough. Touch screens - Mtn steppa and Huawei has sine good ones in your price range.
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Steppa will most likely be network locked but I helped our domestic assistant with setting up hers the other day and it seemed OK. Huawei - I will also take a look at that. I see that ComX Computers are selling them as well. And Prestigio, a brand that I don't really know.
 
If you're flexible on the Android part you can pick up a new Lumia 520 for R1500. Much better specs and features than any Android phone for that price as far as I know.
 
Frikkenator said:
If you're flexible on the Android part you can pick up a new Lumia 520 for R1500. Much better specs and features than any Android phone for that price as far as I know.
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How does the Lumia 520 sync with Google? As long as I can sync my contacts/calendars/tasks/notes via Google, I am a happy man.
 
Frikkenator said:
.. you can pick up a new Lumia 520 for R1500.
Click to expand...

No basis for this statement yet, IMO.
Cheapest I've seen from retail outlet is still rip-off R1,800 (and most still charging more than this).

alatheia said:
How does the Lumia 520 sync with Google? As long as I can sync my contacts/calendars/tasks/notes via Google, I am a happy man.
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You'd need someone who's setup a Windows Phone recently with GMail etc. to post whether this still works, as it's from Dec.2013 :

Sync Google Gmail and contacts?
http://forums.wpcentral.com/windows-phone-8/253173-sync-google-gmail-contacts.html
Click to expand...
 
I O U said:
No basis for this statement yet, IMO.
Cheapest I've seen from retail outlet is still rip-off R1,800 (and most still charging more than this).
Click to expand...

Have you seen the specs for the 520? There is nothing from the other reputable brands that come close to it. Most definitely not a rip-off at R1800, Hi-Fi corp had them on special a while back for R1499.


I O U said:
You'd need someone who's setup a Windows Phone recently with GMail etc. to post whether this still works, as it's from Dec.2013 :
Click to expand...

Yep it works after the GDR2 update which is now pre-installed on the new handsets.
 
There are low cost android Samsung phones like the Galaxy Ace/Fame you should check out.
 
I bought a Huawei Y300 from Edgars for R999 while i wait for my insurance company to pay out for my stolen phone.

Specs: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_ascend_y300-5386.php

Comes with a 4gb memory card. What surprised me is the vast improvement in build quality compared to the Vodacom branded effort I got a while back for my youngest daughter. It has a surprisingly good 4 inch screen for a phone in this price range. call quality seems good as well.
 
My wife replaced her BB with an Y300. While I installed the necessary apps and e-mail I realized that I could easily live with this phone and it cost less than replacing the screen of my P6 did. The S2 was not too bad but why buy it seconded hand if you can get a new Y300 for less with a one year warrantee?
 
And if you must have QWERTY get a usb-otg cable and a RII mini keyboard (or use a full size keyboard).
 
Piet Le Roux said:
My wife replaced her BB with an Y300. While I installed the necessary apps and e-mail I realized that I could easily live with this phone and it cost less than replacing the screen of my P6 did. The S2 was not too bad but why buy it seconded hand if you can get a new Y300 for less with a one year warrantee?
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Y300 is what I bought last night before I could get here to read - I am duly impressed as it works much smarter than the iPhone 5! And it has extra functionality such as being able to adjust ISO and other settings in the camera, Linux plays it well and it even came with a 2-year warranty. I was going to buy a Lumia 520 but I saved myself R900 and the cheapie works well, same as do every Huawei 3G/HSDPA dongle I ever owned.

With Landcruiser 200 and other vehicles, the Chinese don't always get it right. They can and do make lots of junk, but this one seems to be a tad better. (TLC200 is built across the sea in China and same goes for about half of the 70 series. And S-class Merc for RHD markets.)

Others risk well over a million bucks on Chinese built cars so I can risk just short of R1k on a phone and see how it goes in terms of reliability.
 
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