Home › News ›

Holiday Gift Guide 2013

Intro Basic Flagship No Contract Comments 13

Simple phones that offer good voice performance for little cost.

This is not a list of devices for technophiles. Instead, these are for the contract-averse who need only the simplest feature set from their phone. The bulk of these phones are flip phones, though there are some entry-level smartphones (now that price isn't much of an issue for that category) and good flip phones are so rare. Many of these cost less than $100 off contract and still manage to provide a good experience.

AT&T
ZTE Z222

Boost
Kyocera Coast

Cricket
Samsung Galaxy Discover

MetroPCS
Nokia Lumia 521

Verizon
LG Optimus Zone

Virgin Mobile
Kyocera Kona

Next page: Smartphone

Related

Samsung Refreshes Galaxy S Series with S Pen, New Cameras

Feb 9, 2022
Samsung today announced its lineup of flagship phones for 2022: the Galaxy S22 series. The top-end S22 Ultra sees the biggest changes as it essentially absorbs Samsung's Note series with an integrated S Pen stylus and a more Note-like shape and design, instead of the Contour Cut design of the other models.

Hands On with the Motorola edge (2022)

Motorola has a new $500 phone and it's kind of a big deal. While Motorola has been successful with more affordable phones lately, not since 2017 have all of the big three US carriers offered a Motorola phone over $400.

JBL Puts a Touchscreen on its Earbuds Case

Sep 1, 2022
JBL's new Tour PRO 2 true wireless earbuds feature "the world's first smart charging case". The case has a 1.45-inch touch screen that lets users easily and intuitively control features like ANC and ambient sound that would normally require opening a dedicated app on your phone or remembering a complex set of touch gestures.

Google Maps Putting Search Results in AR Live View

Sep 29, 2022
Google has announced an update to the Google Maps app with several interesting new features. The augmented-reality Live View feature now works in a search mode to find and show you specific places nearby, instead of just overlaying walking directions during ongoing navigation.

Motorola Defy Satellite Link Now on Sale

Jun 29, 2023
The motorola defy satellite link from Bullitt is now available in the US for $150. In North America, the price includes a free trial of the Premium messaging plan (300 non-emergency messages per month) until October 1st, and one year of the Essential plan (30 non-emergency messages per month) for free.