When the Motorola Razr first appeared in back in 2004, the angular marvel retailed for $500 from Cingular, and even that was only after a $100 rebate. Business execs swooned over them, celebrities flaunted them, and regular Joes emptied their bank accounts to get them. Little more than a year later, you could get one for free.So it goes in the fast-progress world of handsets, where yesterday’s Ferrari becomes today’s Festiva, but still does zero to 60 in under three seconds. It’s easy to fixate on the latest week-old darling of the media world, and lay out most of next month’s rent check for it, but those with patience will find the wake behind these trailblazers the easiest place to comfortably float by in the tech world, where performance meets practicality. With that in mind, we’ve tracked down 10 phones that deliver the best bang-for-the-buck out there. They may not all be free, or even the cheapest your carrier offers, but we think they features they offer stack up quite favorably against the dollar signs.
Apple iPhone 3G 8GB ($99 with contract on AT&T)
Remember the Razr story? Here’s part two. It’s almost beyond comprehension that a phone which cost $600 at its introduction only two years ago now goes for a fraction of it in an even faster form, but that’s exactly the case with the $99 iPhone 3G. Scoop one up while you can, and don’t worry about the ever-so-slightly-faster iPhone 3GS. You can safely skip the upgrade knowing you got a steal.
Check out our Apple iPhone 3G 8GB Review.
LG Neon ($30 with contract on AT&T)
As a simple texting platform, the Neon offers everything a budding mobile socialite could ask for: a vibrant 2.4-inch touch screen (but only for dialing), a workable 2-megapixel camera with vanity mirror, and most importantly, a large, easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard that slides out from the below. Who said you need an iPhone to swap text messages?
Nokia E71x ($100 with contract on AT&T)
Although not quite as easy to use or trendy as the fabled iPhone at the same price point, Nokia’s E71x offers a similarly capable phone packaged into one of the most solid metal cases we’ve ever handled. Heavy text messagers and those upgrading from QWERTY-equipped BlackBerrys will also prefer the exceptionally firm and clicky keyboard, which beats on-screen tomfoolery any day.
LG enV 2 ($30 with contract on Verizon)
The dated nature of LG’s Env2 explains the $30 price tag, but given its capabilities, it remains a solid phone at this price point. It uses an unusual dual-screen design with a smaller LCD and full numeric dialpad outside for handling phone calls, along with a full QWERTY pad and larger screen inside for more involved usage. The best of both worlds.
HTC Ozone ($50 with contract on Verizon)
HTC may be best known for its well-known Touch line and Android-based smartphones, but this BlackBerry lookalike actually makes a likeable and affordable substitute for the real deal. It offers a 2.4-inch QVGA screen, 2-megapixel screen, full QWERTY keyboard, and surprisingly good build quality. Windows Mobile 6.1 may not be our favorite OS, but for the price, it’s hard to beat.
The trendy teen-targeted messaging device that preceded the iPhone still makes a great bargain in its latest generation. The Sidekick is a snap to use, has an unbeatable QWERTY keyboard that will let you text until your thumbs burn, and can even be equipped with customizable shells you can build online to truly tweak the look to your specifications.
Check out our T-Mobile Sidekick Review.
BlackBerry Curve 8520 ($48.88 with T-Mobile contract at Wal-Mart)
A BlackBerry for under $50? Though previously unheard of, Wal-Mart has made it happen, and we’re happy to report that RIM didn’t have to cut too many corners in the progress. The lack of 3G support may irk some media-happy Internet addicts, but otherwise it’s a full-featured BlackBerry for a fraction of the price.
Check out our BlackBerry Curve 8520 Review.
LG Lotus ($50 with contract on Sprint)
The squared-off look of the Lotus may look quirky, but it also endows the strange little folder with an incredibly pocketable form factor and enough room for a nice wide screen. A full QWERTY keyboard, superb sound quality and speedy Web access make a phone as powerful and useful as it is fashionable.
Check out our LG Lotus Review.
Palm Pre ($149 with contract on Sprint)
It may set the high water mark on our list for price, but there’s no denying that the Pre makes one attractive and capable smartphone for the money. It uses the same sensitive multi-touch technology as the iPhone and layers in a forward-thinking operating system with support for multiple applications at the same time – something the iPhone can’t claim to do. A blossoming app store also makes it one of the most flexible phones in Sprint’s current line up.
Check out our Palm Pre Review.
Samsung Rant (Free with contract on Sprint)
It can be tough to find a free phone we would actually recommend, but the Samsung Rant pulls it off. Much like the competing LG Rumor2, the Rant offers up a full numeric dialpad on the outside and a full QWERTY keyboard inside, without bulking up too much from having both. We think that makes it an obvious utilitatarian choice over any number of freebie flip phones.
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