Amazon rumored to introduce a smart phone in July

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Atunah

Although there are times I am tired and I see 2 images of a TV for example.

That's a typical symptom of astigmatism. Might be worth your while to have your eyes checked.

[Atunah]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's a typical symptom of astigmatism. Might be worth your while to have your eyes checked.

Its amblyopia in my case, among a couple of other things.
Them babies have been checked since I was 2 years old. . The brain will usually just shut off one of the pictures, but when tired or exposed to things like 3D, its not pretty.
For example, I cannot see autostereograms, stereoscopic displays. Others see things, I can't.

That is why I hope for a regular phone from Amazon. But some of the rumors say not until September and I don't think my current phone is going to hold on that long.

Actually, Google sells their phones unlocked - you can use a Nexus 5 with Ting, and you don't pay extra for the phone compared to others (okay, you do need a special SIM card for $10 or so.) Didn't help me with the Nexus 4 - they never released a Sprint version of that phone.

Your issue is going to be your insistence on a big screen and a new device, while keeping it in your budget. The Kyocera Hydro Edge comes close - it's $188 and the screen is 4".

A used Samsung Galaxy Nexus with 32GB of storage and a clean ESN (vital for Ting) runs about $130 mint on eBay. That hits your price point and screen size desires. But obviously, those phones are used.

Well, Republic has the Moto G for 149 tomorrow, that is the kind of phone and range I am talking about. The nexus 5 looks nice on Ting, but its still $349 in the play store.

There is no way I could buy a used phone. I am pretty clueless about what ESN is or what I need or look for. I just want to get the phone, turn it on and go. I just don't know enough about that stuff to not get ripped off on ebay.
I am not even clear on what unlocked means, other than I guess it can be used with different providers. Plus, I might end up with a old battery phone like I have already now. I don't have the money to get stuck with a used phone I can't use.

If Ting had a Moto G under $200, I would get it right now.

So I am back to waiting, for something.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Atunah

So I am back to waiting, for something.

What about Boost Mobile? Best Buy has a no-contract Moto G from Boost Mobile for $100.

[TechniSol]

Don't know where you live, but I saw a new 4” Huawei (Ascend?) cellphone at Walmart for $150 from Net10(AT&T network). Their plan is around 49$ w/tax, fees, etc. included with unlimited talk, text & data(capped @ 2 or 2.5GB -I forget which...) if you sign up for automatic debit from your card or bank account.

I'm using Net10 with an HTC Inspire 4G that I got when I was under contract with AT&T and there is no detectable difference in service except my bill is about half what it was when I was under contract with them! Around here the choices are mostly limited to Verizon or AT&T networks as the others are spotty at best.

You can buy an Unlocked used HTC Inspire 4G for under 90$ in nice condition, or a refurbed or new one for not a lot more on Amazon or EBay, pick up a Net10 (BYOP -Bring Your Own Phone) sim card and $50 monthly plan online or at various stores and have a 4.3" 800x480 SVGA display cheap. I know it's not 720P or HD, but it looks pretty good for a 4.3" display. Android 2.3.5, but it works well, has gorilla glass and a mostly aluminum body. Mine is three years old and still taking a beating -plus, if you like flashing phones there are a ton of firmwares for the HTC Inspire 4G also known as the Desire HD. I'm debating buying an HTC ONE unlocked and putting it on Net10 unless I can find a better monthly deal. Hard to beat HTC's aluminum body phones for durability.

You might also look at www.merimobiles.com they have a bunch of phones around $200 or less with larger displays that will work on Net10 or similar MVNO Networks. They even have some with 4G LTE and larger displays for $3-400. Xiaomi has some nice high spec phones available through them for around $200 with larger displays. You absolutely need to speak with them about network compatibility at 3G as well as 2G, but they do have nice pricing on new devices many of which seem to work on AT&T or MVNOs using their network.

I think I'm done with contracts and will likely buy unlocked phones outright from now on, the overall savings makes it worthwhile and I love getting the benefits of AT&T's network at half the price. It makes me feel so much better about the fours years of screwing I received as a customer at twice the price and higher!

Edit: Well, if Boost Mobile or Republic on Sprint works well for you coverage-wise I suppose you could do a lot worse than that Moto G!

[frahse]

Originally Posted by pl001

For those of you who have issues with 3D, again, everything will not be in 3D. It's only used for certain apps, videos, games, etc. It's an additional feature that doesn't need to be used at all if you don't want to. I can't imagine any company would require you to use 3D for anything.

720P is interesting. I'd be fine with that in a high end phone, since unlike some reviewers I don't have superhuman vision. In fact, I'd prefer it for performance, battery, and cost reasons. Unfortunately, that is likely a sign that it will not be high-end. If it's priced accordingly, I guess that's fine.

You are right. 3D is mainly for pictures or special programs. My son got the HTC that had 3D and he thought it would be great but then no one else could see the 3D pictures on their phone when he sent them, or send him 3D pictures.

The 3D used on screen devices without special glasses depend on certain attributes of a person's vision to convert the picture on the screen to something that appears to be 3D. It is not like ordinary 3D vision that we use while walking around a park with trees, animals, dogs and children.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by Atunah

Its amblyopia in my case, among a couple of other things.
Them babies have been checked since I was 2 years old. . The brain will usually just shut off one of the pictures, but when tired or exposed to things like 3D, its not pretty.
For example, I cannot see autostereograms, stereoscopic displays. Others see things, I can't.

That is why I hope for a regular phone from Amazon. But some of the rumors say not until September and I don't think my current phone is going to hold on that long.


Well, Republic has the Moto G for 149 tomorrow, that is the kind of phone and range I am talking about. The nexus 5 looks nice on Ting, but its still $349 in the play store.

There is no way I could buy a used phone. I am pretty clueless about what ESN is or what I need or look for. I just want to get the phone, turn it on and go. I just don't know enough about that stuff to not get ripped off on ebay.
I am not even clear on what unlocked means, other than I guess it can be used with different providers. Plus, I might end up with a old battery phone like I have already now. I don't have the money to get stuck with a used phone I can't use.

If Ting had a Moto G under $200, I would get it right now.

So I am back to waiting, for something.

I had a child with that. I was tossing a ball to her and one eye turned "in." We went through the "patching" the strong eye, the specially prescribed glasses and eventually when an adult she had an eye operation to help it.

[eschwartz]

If it was really 3D it would be a hologram coming out of the screen. All I know is, I know what I'm holding out for.

[K. Molen]

Originally Posted by Atunah

Only problem for me and Ting is that I have no phone and the ones they offer are way out of my price range.

You can get an unlocked Moto G directly from Motorola for $179.

http://www.motorola.com/us/consumers...oto-g-pdp.html

[Sregener]

Originally Posted by K. Molen

You can get an unlocked Moto G directly from Motorola for $179.

Sadly, that's the GSM model, which won't work on CDMA (Sprint's protocol.) And there's more to using a phone on Ting than having it unlocked. Sprint has to give Ting permission to use the phone model on their network. Which hasn't happened yet.

[Atunah]

Originally Posted by frahse

I had a child with that. I was tossing a ball to her and one eye turned "in." We went through the "patching" the strong eye, the specially prescribed glasses and eventually when an adult she had an eye operation to help it.

I am glad for your child that it was worked on. Mine goes out and they patched my good eye from the age of 2. Those are the only memories I have from being this young, the misery of not seeing with that patch. It didn't work in my case and I never had any operation.

And like it was said here, real life "3D" is not the same than the one being created on a screen.

And all this talk about these numbers and unlocking and all that, just shows that if amazon gets in that game, they will make it easy. I got exited for a second about buying the Moto G like it was just posted, but I would have been out of my money as I don't know about the codes or what is needed and all that. I do now that looking at the list on Ting, it wasn't there as an option even as bring your own.

I wouldn't mind a good used phone, but someone like me would just end up with an unusable and possibly old battery phone. Some of us aren't as versed in this cell phone speak.

Amazon makes things easy with hopefully the added positive of an affordable decent smart phone. Right now Ting doesn't have that, even though I like the service. Republic does, but some of the technical thingies with that service scare me, but they have a nice affordable phone now.

I'll wait a couple of more months and see if any more rumors come out about an amazon phone.

As for others listing other providers, thank you for that. But most of them are just more what I am willing to pay each month. And I don't think I have every seen a more confusing website than Boost. I still have no clue what it would cost there. . But I think it was at least $30 a month, still more than I need or want though.

Someone needs to make these things easy. I hope Amazon is that someone.

[cfrizz]

You can either pay a smaller amount each month with a plan and spiffy new phone but the monthly fee ends up to hundreds of dollars at the end of two years. Or you can spend hundreds of dollars to purchase the phone outright and have a pay as you go plan.

This is what I chose to do. I utilize T-Mobile for phone service/texting, purchase $50.00 worth of minutes per year bought my Note 2 used on Amazon, the seller even provided a new battery for the price of $400.00. Even if he hadn't a new battery is cheap on Amazon.

The phone is always with me and gets used mostly for reading and stays in airplane mode. I will have minutes left over by the time I have to buy more at the end of the period so I'll have $50.00 + worth of minutes.

For me it was an easy decision. if you look at most of these plans you are probably spending more then the full price of the phone at the end of two years. I'd rather buy one myself and own it outright.

Of course if you have to have the latest and greatest, this won't work for you.

[tubemonkey]

Another leaked image?

Amazon smartphone? New image says maybe so

Reportedly created by Amazon designers and snagged by Boy Genius Report, the new image shows a traditional-looking smartphone. But there may be more to it than meets the eye.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Another leaked image?

Amazon smartphone? New image says maybe so

Those bezels...

I want to see how Amazon markets this, without access to the Play Store this will have some shortcomings. The Amazon store is large, but not as comprehensive as Google's, and the apps there are usually several versions behind. Not to mention that it lacks some of the heavyweights, like all the suite of Google apps (Maps, Chrome, Drive, Youtube, Hangouts, ...)

[tubemonkey]

...and I hope they port newer versions of the OS to previous gen phones. For some reason, they don't like doing that with the Fires.

[wizwor]

Originally Posted by afv011

I want to see how Amazon markets this, without access to the Play Store this will have some shortcomings. The Amazon store is large, but not as comprehensive as Google's, and the apps there are usually several versions behind. Not to mention that it lacks some of the heavyweights, like all the suite of Google apps (Maps, Chrome, Drive, Youtube, Hangouts, ...)

The killer app will get you a better price from amazon for whatever you phone's camera sees that amazon sells. With a prime subscription, the products will get to you quickly for free. Of course, you'll also be able to watch amazon videos on your phone and when you watch programming supported by amazon's ad engine, the stuff you scanned in the store will be targeted to you on your Fire TV and Kindle Fire. They will probably pay attention to where you shop, offer a payment method in the stores, and be less expensive than the competition. Can't wait.