A friend in Capitola asked me for advice on a good inexpensive Android
phone. She's on a 16GB Metro-PCS phone (she first said it was T-Mobile).

It's not T-Mobile because I told her T-Mobile would give her a REVVL for
free but she called her carrier who said they are not the real T-Mobile.
<https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone/t-mobile-revvl-v-plus-5g>

I have the Samsung Galaxy A32-5G which on Amazon seems to be over her $200
budget (it's about $275 to $300 as far as I can tell, for 64GB & 4GBRAM).

I have an old Moto-G with a broken USB port that I liked so I suggested the
Moto G series but she told me there are too many (she's kind of right).

I'm thinking the Moto G Power but even those seem to have multiple versions.
I don't know her hot buttons but I don't think it's 5G or screen size.
The only hot buttons I know are she's on Metro-PCS and 16GB is too small.

Any good suggestions that others can benefit from?

On Sun, 16 Jan 2022 02:11:09 -0000 (UTC), Andy Burnelli
<spam@nospam.com> wrote:

>A friend in Capitola asked me for advice on a good inexpensive Android
>phone. She's on a 16GB Metro-PCS phone (she first said it was T-Mobile).
>
>It's not T-Mobile because I told her T-Mobile would give her a REVVL for
>free but she called her carrier who said they are not the real T-Mobile.
> <https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone/t-mobile-revvl-v-plus-5g>
>
>I have the Samsung Galaxy A32-5G which on Amazon seems to be over her $200
>budget (it's about $275 to $300 as far as I can tell, for 64GB & 4GBRAM).
>
>I have an old Moto-G with a broken USB port that I liked so I suggested the
>Moto G series but she told me there are too many (she's kind of right).
>
>I'm thinking the Moto G Power but even those seem to have multiple versions.
>I don't know her hot buttons but I don't think it's 5G or screen size.
>The only hot buttons I know are she's on Metro-PCS and 16GB is too small.
>
>Any good suggestions that others can benefit from?

See
https://www.amazon.com/Android-Phone-Under-200-Dollars/s?k=Android+Phone+Under+200+Dollars
--
Cheers,

John B.

On 15 Jan 2022, Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> wrote in
comp.mobile.android:

> I have the Samsung Galaxy A32-5G which on Amazon seems to be over
> her $200 budget (it's about $275 to $300 as far as I can tell, for
> 64GB & 4GBRAM).

How's that A32 working out for you? I bought one in late November from
Tracfone, and I had terrible problems with it. Once or more almost
every day the display would go garbled and it would then reboot itself
multiple times. I later found quite a few negative reviews of the phone
that mentioned the exact same symptoms I had. I liked the phone when it
worked but I had to return it.

Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> wrote:
> A friend in Capitola asked me for advice on a good inexpensive Android
> phone. She's on a 16GB Metro-PCS phone (she first said it was T-Mobile).
>
> It's not T-Mobile because I told her T-Mobile would give her a REVVL for
> free but she called her carrier who said they are not the real T-Mobile.
> <https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone/t-mobile-revvl-v-plus-5g>
>
> I have the Samsung Galaxy A32-5G which on Amazon seems to be over her $200
> budget (it's about $275 to $300 as far as I can tell, for 64GB & 4GBRAM).
>
> I have an old Moto-G with a broken USB port that I liked so I suggested the
> Moto G series but she told me there are too many (she's kind of right).
>
> I'm thinking the Moto G Power but even those seem to have multiple versions.
> I don't know her hot buttons but I don't think it's 5G or screen size.
> The only hot buttons I know are she's on Metro-PCS and 16GB is too small.
>
> Any good suggestions that others can benefit from?

If she's prepared to go "off piste" then Umidigi are good value for
money.

--
Chris Green
·

On Sun, 16 Jan 2022 02:11:09 -0000 (UTC), Andy Burnelli wrote:

> Any good suggestions that others can benefit from?

Maybe have a look at <https://www.gsmarena.com/> ?

--
s|b

On Sun, 16 Jan 2022 03:25:46 -0500, Nil wrote:

> How's that A32 working out for you?

Thanks for asking, especially given I didn't chose the phone - T-Mobile did.

The answer is I love that free 64GB 8-core 4GB RAM Samsung Galaxy A32-5G!
I would have thought that a completely "free" phone would be a compromise.

But it's the best budget phone I've owned to date given my last budget phone
was a $100 Moto-G7 (on sale from Google) and before that it was an $130 LG
Stylo 3+ (on sale at Costco).

Like almost all Android phones, it has a headphone jack & sdcard slot.

So far I've installed over 700 apps on it and it works great.
I even upgraded the 64GB sdcard to 400GB ($50 at Costco, not even on sale!).

> I bought one in late November from
> Tracfone, and I had terrible problems with it.

Bummer. Almost every "budget phone" review I see has the A32-5G on it.
<https://www.androidcentral.com/best-cheap-android-phones>

Even reviews for _other_ budget phones list the A32-5G as being better!
<https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/motorola-moto-g-power-2022>

This article compares the $200 Moto G Power 2022 (unlocked) with the $275
Samsung Galaxy A32-5G (unlocked) both of are great phones.

The main difference is the free fast 5G which people may not need or want.
My net speeds are sometimes in the 200Mbps range at home in the boonies!
<https://i.postimg.cc/C5vgmtRd/speedtest15.jpg> *130Mbps to 255Mbps*

> Once or more almost
> every day the display would go garbled and it would then reboot itself
> multiple times.

Sounds like a software problem you're having - not a hardware problem.
I upgraded to Android 11 even as both Android 10 & Android 11 worked great.

I did have a _hardware_ problem (of my own doing) where I destroyed the USB
port (it's the second phone, actually third, I've done that on).

T-Mobile replaced it under warranty.
T-Mobile even gave me a credit for the $20 I had to spend at the store to
trade the old one in (since they have to physically check it out first).

> I later found quite a few negative reviews of the phone
> that mentioned the exact same symptoms I had. I liked the phone when it
> worked but I had to return it.

I have not seen even a _single_ negative review for the Galaxy A32-5G.
Can you name just one negative review for us so we can take a look please?

On Sun, 16 Jan 2022 10:21:53 +0700, John B. wrote:

> See
> https://www.amazon.com/Android-Phone-Under-200-Dollars/s?k=Android+Phone+Under+200+Dollars

Normally links to huge lists are usually useless copouts... but this list
has one thing I didn't know about which is a search for "<200" dollars.

That's nice to know it exists.

Before I look, I have to say that my problem is I don't _know_ Android
phones all that well. So a list will only be a price cutoff and nothing
else. It won't tell me which is the best to recommend in the least.

It's not even a superset, really, since it's just what's on Amazon.

I should point out that I need an _educated_ list - not just a list.
The fact is that I only know the phones that I use myself, and even then I
don't pick those by features so much as by price.

Case in point are my last three phones, which were good, but bought on
price, almost always in bulk as "stocking stuffer" gifts for the family.
2021 April T-Mobile free handful of 64GB Samsung Galaxy A32-5G phones.
2019 Black Friday $100 Google sale for a handful of 64GB Moto G7 phones.
2017 Christmas Eve Costco $130 sale for a handful of LG Stylo 3+ phones.

The good news is I get them back after a few years (as a family trade-in of
sorts, I guess), where I have so many Android phones now it's not funny. :)

Looking at that ad-hoc list, it doesn't tell us which is a good buy, for
example, I consider "some" pixels a terrible buy, for a bunch of reasons,
not the least of which is they screw you with their Apple-like tricks.

But it does tell us what she can get for around two hundred dollars today.
<https://www.amazon.com/Android-Phone-Under-200-Dollars/s?k=Android+Phone+Under+200+Dollars>

Here are the 16 phones on page 1 of 3 that resulted (in their order)
$195 Moto G7 Plus | Unlocked | 4/64GB | 16MP Camera | 2019 | Black
$210 OnePlus Nord N200 | 5G Unlocked Android Smartphone U.S Version |
$180 Samsung Galaxy A12 | US Version | 32GB | Black
$190 TCL 20 SE | Unlocked | 4GB RAM + 128GB ROM, US Version Android 11
$160 TCL 10 SE Unlocked,4GB RAM + 64GB ROM, 4000mAh
$100 Mode Phone Unlocked 64GB Dual SIM Smartphone 2022-6.52" HD, 13MP Tri...
$150 Nokia G10 | Android 11 | Unlocked | Dual SIM | US Version | 3/32GB
$120 Nokia 1.4 | Android 10 | Unlocked | Dual SIM | US Version| 2/32GB
$170 Ulefone Note 11P 4G Unlocked Octa-Core 8GB + 128 | Android 11
$170 Samsung Galaxy S9 G960U 64GB Unlocked GSM 4G LTE (Renewed)
$200 Nokia G20 | Android 11 | Unlocked | Dual SIM | US Version | 4/128GB
$160 TCL 20 SE Android 11 | Unlocked | 4GB+128GB 5000mAh 48MP Quad
$180 TCL 10L, Unlocked 64GB+6GB RAM, 4000mAh
$95 ZTE Blade A5 2020 (32GB, 2GB) Dual SIM GSM Unlocked US 4G LTE
$160 Ulefone Note 9P (2020) Android 10 Unlocked
$180 TCL 10L Android 11 Unlocked 6+64GB

Here are the second 16 phones on page 2 of that sort
$180 TCL 10L
$130 Blackview A80s
$170 Samsung Galaxy A21
$190 Samsung Galaxy S9+
$185 Samsung Galaxy A12 Nacho
$160 Oukitel C21
$120 Pixel 3 XL (renewed)
$130 Blackview BV5500
$85 Ulephone Note 8 (2020)
$90 Ulephone Note 6 (2021)
$110 Blackview A80
$??? Samsung Galaxy Note 8
$220 Samsung Galaxy A10s
$2125 Moto G Power 2021
$200 Blu G91 pro
$190 Samsung Galaxy A12

And here are the phones that are on that list on the last page.
$185 Samsung Galaxy S9
$30 TracFone Blu View 2
$160 Oukitel C21
$??? Nokia 5.4
$170 Blu G9 Pro
$370 Blackberry Priv STV100-1 (how did that get on the list?)
$190 Samsung Galaxy A12
$100 Nokia C20 2021
$100 TCL A30
$155 TCL 10L
$115 Samsung Galaxy A10e
$110 Vbestlife IP12 Pro+
$190 Cubot Kingkong 5 Pro
$??? Samsung Galaxy A32-5G Boost Carrier Locked
$160 Samsung Galaxy A50

What's interesting is that long list doesn't have either of the two phones I
recommended to the user (as I was in a rush for time) but she hasn't bought
anything yet.

So this list doesn't change what I recommended but it's nice to know that
what I recommended is _better_ than anything on this list (so far anyway).

On Sun, 16 Jan 2022 09:09:29 +0000, Chris Green wrote:

> If she's prepared to go "off piste" then Umidigi are good value for
> money.

She came to me because she knows that, in general, I research things to get
a good price on them based on their price-performance characteristics.

I don't really know phones though, as I buy handfuls of them as stocking
stuffers mostly, and I just keep one of those in the handful for myself.
2021 April T-Mobile free handful of 64GB Samsung Galaxy A32-5G phones.
2019 Black Friday $100 Google sale for a handful of 64GB Moto G7 phones.
2017 Christmas Costco $130 sale for a handful of 32GB LG Stylo 3+ phones.

Case in point is I have never heard of "Umidigi" (nor even "off piste")
<https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/off-piste>

Looking up Umidigi phones <https://www.umidigi.com/> it looks like there are
ten to choose from based on this "ALL SMARTPHONES UMIDIGI" link below
<https://phonesdata.com/en/smartphones/umidigi/>
Umidigi Bison GT
Umidigi Bison Pro
Umidigi Bison X10
Umidigi Bison X10 Pro
Umidigi Bison X10G
Umidigi Power 5
Umidigi A9
Umidigi X10S
Umidigi A11
Umidigi A11 Pro Max
I ended up recommending _exactly_ what is in this one review
(but at the time I was completely unaware of these "umidigi" phones!)
<https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/motorola-moto-g-power-2022>

It will be nice to see how the Umidigi phones compare in reviews.
<https://www.review-hub.co.uk/best-umidigi-smartphones/>

On Sun, 16 Jan 2022 16:20:36 +0100, s|b wrote:

>> Any good suggestions that others can benefit from?
>
> Maybe have a look at <https://www.gsmarena.com/> ?

The problem with lists of lists like <https://www.gsmarena.com/> has is they
don't seem to have the short list of a handful of phones that I seek.
<https://www.gsmarena.com/res.php3?sSearch=budget+android+best>
"No results. Searching by feature? Try this."

Given she knows whenever I buy anything, I check it out for price
performance value, she (erroneously) figured I'd know smartphones also.

But what she doesn't know is that most of my smartphones are bought in bulk
as stocking stuffers since that's when I need a handful of them each year.
2021 April T-Mobile free handful of 64GB Samsung Galaxy A32-5G phones
2019 Black Friday $100 Google sale for a handful of 64GB Moto G7 phones
2017 Christmas Costco $130 sale for a handful of 32GB LG Stylo 3+ phones

My first look was to the reviews of the best cheap Android phones such as:
<https://www.androidcentral.com/best-cheap-android-phones>
But they extoll the virtues of Pixels first and foremost, where I deplore
what Google has done in following the customer unfriendly Apple tricks.

So it would be difficult for me to recommend _any_ Pixel phone, but that
review did mention the Moto G series so then I next looked them up for her.
<https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/motorola-moto-g-power-2022>

Most people who ask such questions don't seem to want a list of lists.
What they want is a single phone that they can go out and just buy today.

To that end, I told her to get the Moto G Power 2022 as advertised above,
but even then, it apparently comes in two models, which she has to get.
a. Unlocked globally
b. Optimized for AT&T

If anyone knows _how_ to tell (just by looking at it perhaps?) which Moto G
Power 2022 any given sales offering is, please let me know as I don't know
how to tell her to make sure she gets the globally unlocked one and not the
one that is apparently optimized for AT&T.

What does that even mean to be "optimized for AT&T?"

On 16 Jan 2022, Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> wrote in
comp.mobile.android:

>> Once or more almost
>> every day the display would go garbled and it would then reboot
>> itself multiple times.
>
> Sounds like a software problem you're having - not a hardware
> problem. I upgraded to Android 11 even as both Android 10 &
> Android 11 worked great.
>
> I did have a _hardware_ problem (of my own doing) where I
> destroyed the USB port (it's the second phone, actually third,
> I've done that on).
>
> T-Mobile replaced it under warranty.
> T-Mobile even gave me a credit for the $20 I had to spend at the
> store to trade the old one in (since they have to physically check
> it out first).
>
>> I later found quite a few negative reviews of the phone
>> that mentioned the exact same symptoms I had. I liked the phone
>> when it worked but I had to return it.
>
> I have not seen even a _single_ negative review for the Galaxy
> A32-5G. Can you name just one negative review for us so we can
> take a look please?

All of these sites below, including Samsung's own (!) have reviews
that describe exactly what I experienced - screen corruption and
repeated spontaneous reboots. Could have been a hardware or a
software issue, but none of my troubleshooting actions helped.
I didn't think I should have to jump through such hoops for a
brand new phone, and my return window was going to close, so
back it went. Still have not received credit for yet, but that's
another story.

Like I said, I liked the phone when it worked - nice size, nice
expandability, great performance. One thing I hated, which I
already knew from other experiences, but this reminded me:
Samsung loads such a lot of incomprehensible, annoying, unnecessary,
unwanted goop. I disabled and uninstalled as much as I could but a
lot of their apps I have no idea what they did, and no amount of
Googling made me any wiser. I will probably avoid Samsung phones
in the future.

I wound up with a Google Pixel 5a (5G). I little smaller than I
would have liked, a bit slower than the Samsung, but solid and
reliable and blessedly free of pre-loaded "helpful" apps. Plus
at least 3 years of Android upgrades.

https://www.tracfone.com/phone/samsung-galaxy-a32-5g-prepaid

https://shop.totalwireless.com/shop/en/totalwireless/phones/tw-samsung-galaxy-a32-5g-s326dl

https://www.straighttalk.com/all-phones/samsung-galaxy-a32

https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/phones/galaxy-a/galaxy-a32-5g-unlocked-sm-a326uzkuxaa/

On Sun, 16 Jan 2022 20:06:56 -0500, Nil wrote:

> https://www.tracfone.com/phone/samsung-galaxy-a32-5g-prepaid
>
> https://shop.totalwireless.com/shop/en/totalwireless/phones/tw-samsung-galaxy-a32-5g-s326dl
>
> https://www.straighttalk.com/all-phones/samsung-galaxy-a32
>
> https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/phones/galaxy-a/galaxy-a32-5g-unlocked-sm-a326uzkuxaa/

You have a different idea of what is meant by a professional phone review.

1st link is just a tracfone sales page which sells a phone for $300
<https://www.tracfone.com/phone/samsung-galaxy-a32-5g-prepaid>
It has 183 reviews which span from 1 star to 5 stars with an average of 3.4
stars. The reviews span the gamut since they come from non professionals.

Same with the second link which has 121 reviews, also 3.1 stars average.
<https://shop.totalwireless.com/shop/en/totalwireless/phones/tw-samsung-galaxy-a32-5g-s326dl>

Same with the third link but with only 14 reviews averaging 1.3.
<https://www.straighttalk.com/all-phones/samsung-galaxy-a32>

That last link has a 2.4 rating out of 71 customer reviews.
https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/phones/galaxy-a/galaxy-a32-5g-unlocked-sm-a326uzkuxaa/

I don't doubt there are people who hate tracfones (as shown in the reviews)
but what I was asking for was a _real_ review by professional people.

Like this, only with a _bad_ rating on the Samsung Galaxy A325G
<https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-a32-5g>
*Affordable 5G in a sturdy package*
"THE BOTTOM LINE
The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G's excellent battery life, solid network
connectivity, and impressive design are a winning combination for
budget-phone shoppers."

Pros:
Handsome design
Durable Gorilla Glass 5 display
Capable cameras
Long battery life
Impressive performance for the price
Excellent software upgrade policy

CONS
Low-resolution display
Mediocre speaker
Backplate scratches easily

"The low-resolution display aside, there's very little to dislike about the
Galaxy A32 5G; it's an excellent value and a winner of our Editors' Choice
award for budget-friendly 5G phones."

Can you find even a _single_ professional review with a bad rating for it?

On 16 Jan 2022, Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> wrote in
comp.mobile.android:

> On Sun, 16 Jan 2022 20:06:56 -0500, Nil wrote:
>
>> https://www.tracfone.com/phone/samsung-galaxy-a32-5g-prepaid
>>
>> https://shop.totalwireless.com/shop/en/totalwireless/phones/tw-sam
>> sung-galaxy-a32-5g-s326dl
>>
>> https://www.straighttalk.com/all-phones/samsung-galaxy-a32
>>
>> https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/phones/galaxy-a/galaxy-a32-5g-un
>> locked-sm-a326uzkuxaa/
>
> You have a different idea of what is meant by a professional phone
> review.
>
> 1st link is just a tracfone sales page which sells a phone for
> $300
><https://www.tracfone.com/phone/samsung-galaxy-a32-5g-prepaid>
> It has 183 reviews which span from 1 star to 5 stars with an
> average of 3.4 stars. The reviews span the gamut since they come
> from non professionals.
>
> Same with the second link which has 121 reviews, also 3.1 stars
> average.
><https://shop.totalwireless.com/shop/en/totalwireless/phones/tw-sams
>ung-galaxy-a32-5g-s326dl>
>
> Same with the third link but with only 14 reviews averaging 1.3.
><https://www.straighttalk.com/all-phones/samsung-galaxy-a32>
>
> That last link has a 2.4 rating out of 71 customer reviews.
> https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/phones/galaxy-a/galaxy-a32-5g-unl
> ocked-sm-a326uzkuxaa/
>
> I don't doubt there are people who hate tracfones (as shown in the
> reviews) but what I was asking for was a _real_ review by
> professional people.
>
> Like this, only with a _bad_ rating on the Samsung Galaxy A325G
> <https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-a32-5g>
> *Affordable 5G in a sturdy package*
> "THE BOTTOM LINE
> The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G's excellent battery life, solid
> network connectivity, and impressive design are a winning
> combination for budget-phone shoppers."
>
> Pros:
> Handsome design
> Durable Gorilla Glass 5 display
> Capable cameras
> Long battery life
> Impressive performance for the price
> Excellent software upgrade policy
>
> CONS
> Low-resolution display
> Mediocre speaker
> Backplate scratches easily
>
> "The low-resolution display aside, there's very little to dislike
> about the
> Galaxy A32 5G; it's an excellent value and a winner of our
> Editors' Choice award for budget-friendly 5G phones."
>
> Can you find even a _single_ professional review with a bad rating
> for it?

"Professional reviews" are what convinced me to buy this lemon in the
first place. They mean nothing now. I DO care about the many reports
from otherwise unrelated users who see the phone misbehaving in EXACTLY
the same way I did, and have pictures (that look just like mine) to
prove it. That is undeniable proof that there is a general problem with
this model phone.

"For just over 2 months it worked quite nicely until about 2 weeks ago.
The phone suddenly began to repeatedly turn itself on and off, BY
ITSELF, and when it�s actually on now, the screen pixelates and goes
black."

"Then about a month ago it started having a screen with digital static
and would lock-up. The phone will go into a series of reboots taking 19
to 30 minutes."

"when I reboot the phone all it does is pixcelate and restarts by
itself again and again."

"All of a sudden, a strange pattern of boxes and x's appeared on the
screen for about 20 seconds while blinking the whole 20 seconds, and
then the screen went dark."

"The phone suddenly began to repeatedly turn itself on and off, BY
ITSELF, and when it�s actually on now, the screen pixelates and goes
black."

"THE PHONE TURNED ON AND OFF BY IT SELF,THERE ARE PICKCELS AND BLACK
OUTS."

"During initial setup the phone display became garbled and it rebooted
itself several times before finally stabilizing. A couple of days later
it did it again. And next day again. And so on. I see several other
reviews mentioning these exact same symptoms, so I have to conclude
that there is a general problem with this device."

"I've had the pixilated screen and then it just shuts off and won't
turn back on. Luckily, I kept my old phone so I could use that while
trying to get this one to reboot. I've had this happen about four
times."

"Just received this phone (Galaxy A32 5g) and as I was trying to get it
activated, it keep rebooting to the factory reset screen AND with
garbage colors on the screen."

"Screen went into "matrix" mode and died 30 sec later..got a picture of
it before it died second time around."

"Both phones have gone into endless reboot looping multiple times
requiring a hard reset. My wife's phone I've been able to recover from
this, my phone I've had to do a factory reset on twice now. Both phones
have gone into "Matrix Mode", it took me a while to be able to grab the
other phone to be able to catch a picture of it before it started boot
looping again."

"was so happy with it until I turned it off to go to sleep and it went
into Matrix mode. screen goes all pixels can't push any buttons stays
on and then turns on and off like 10x in a row before coming back to
home screen. We returned it and got a brand new A32 and not even 3 days
later same thing this phone does NOT like to be turned off at all. If
you turn it off it will go into Matrix mode and continue to restart
itself and you can't do anything until it's burning hot and decides
it's done. It turns off and turns on turns off and turns on all by
itself without even going all the way to the home screen it's like it's
frozen in reboot."

"it keep resetting and the screen has scrambled 3 times. I called Total
Wireless and they were no help. They wanted to do factory reset on a
new phone otherwise they wouldn't replace it. The phone hasn't
scrambled again, but it has reset itself several time."

"screen went black (2nd time doing this) and the did a "matrix" pattern
on the screen (again, 2nd time doing this), and then shut off. It would
not come back on, even with the customer service rep's directions."

"It reboots itself whenever it wants, and sometimes it incessantly
reboots, shuts off, turns on, and goes through that cycle a few times
before settling down and functioning properly. Many times it has
stopped in the middle of whatever I was doing and freezes. The screen
looks like the old TV test screens."

"The phone crashes ALL THE TIME!! Turn off and on its own ALL THE
TIME!! I have issues getting the phone to turn back on. When I get it
to turn back on the screen is messed up and AGAIN11 I have to fight
with it to turn it back on."

"Phone crashes all the time, turns on and off on its own."

"Screen gets all jumbled up. phone now turns off and on until battery
goes dead."

"Would work for 2/3 days and then would get pixels and it would turn
itself off and then couldn't turn on for 3 days!!"

"After 1 week it started constantly rebooting. The screen would
Pixelelate like an old defective VGA card in a computer. The only way
to shut it down is to hold power and volume up keys. Would only power
back up if I plugged it in. Finally was able to get into setup and
reset the phone. Worked for 2 days then started again."

"Keeps turning on and off and eventually after five minutes or so it
doesn't turn on at all."

On 1/17/2022 12:06 AM, Nil wrote:

<snip>

> "Keeps turning on and off and eventually after five minutes or so it
> doesn't turn on at all."

One lemon of a phone might not mean much.

However, for mid-range phones, it's probably best to wait for phones
with the Qualcomm 780G 5nm chipset which will be higher performance and
run cooler than the 778g 6nm chipset. Mass production of the 778g
chipset has been delayed due to fab capacity issues.

For a $200, unsubsidized, Android phone, at this time, I'd probably not
go the 5G route and stick with a 4G LTE phone. 5G phones run hotter
(unless you turn of 5G) with poorer battery life, for no real benefit to
the user in most cases (unless your carrier has capacity issues with 4G
LTE).

Once you eschew 5G there are a lot of decent $200 or less phones out there.

I recently got a Samsung Galaxy A51 4G phone for $88.99 (+ tax) from
Tracfone (with a year of service on Verizon. It's been fine though I
only bought it so after a year I can get it unlocked and provide it to
one of the people on my Verizon/Total Wireless family plan that is hard
on phones.

The major drawback of the A series, for me, is the lack of wireless
charging. Another weird thing is that Samsung Pay is no longer
officially supported on A series phones but you can download and install
the Samsung Pay apk file and Samsung Pay works just fine (even MST
works!). I only care about Samsung Pay for its MST capability since I
can use it at many merchants that don't take Apple Pay or Google Pay.

On 1/16/2022 1:09 AM, Chris Green wrote:

<snip>

> If she's prepared to go "off piste" then Umidigi are good value for
> money.

Yes, at $200 it'll probably be necessary to go to an off-brand for an
unsubsidized phone. Every time I see "Umidigi" I think of the bizarre
rip-off "Freedom Phone," <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umidigi_A9>
where the A9 Pro is being sold for 3x what it sells for elsewhere (see
<https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001468394552.html>).

What the person could do, if they are staying on Metro, is to first port
their existing number to Google Voice then sign up as new customer to
Metro and take advantage of a subsidized phone
<https://www.metrobyt-mobile.com/shop/phones>. I'd get the OnePlus Nord
N10 5G.

The person should consider switching to a different carrier, with a
subsidized phone, considering that she lives in Capitola. While
T-Mobile/Metro has good coverage in the city of Capitola, when you look
at the surrounding area the situation is very different. I ran the FCC
maps for that area, see <https://i.imgur.com/tMBlHcC.png>. I added this
to the document "Coverage Differences Between AT&T, T-Mobile, and
Verizon" <https://tinyurl.com/ATVCoverageComparisons/>.

On 1/16/2022 1:09 AM, Chris Green wrote:

<snip>

> If she's prepared to go "off piste" then Umidigi are good value for
> money.

Whatever she buys, if she's staying on T-Mobile/Metro she should ensure
that the phone supports Band 71, i.e.
<https://www.ebay.com/itm/283935841338>.

On Mon, 17 Jan 2022 03:06:23 -0500, Nil wrote:

> "Professional reviews" are what convinced me to buy this lemon in the
> first place. They mean nothing now. I DO care about the many reports
> from otherwise unrelated users who see the phone misbehaving in EXACTLY
> the same way I did, and have pictures (that look just like mine) to
> prove it. That is undeniable proof that there is a general problem with
> this model phone.

I get it you want to rant against the $280 Samsung Galaxy A32-5G phone.
Or maybe you just want to rant against "tracfone" (whatever that is).

All I'm asking you to find is even a _single_ bad review from the pros.
*Name just one*

> "For just over 2 months it worked quite nicely until about 2 weeks ago.
> The phone suddenly began to repeatedly turn itself on and off, BY
> ITSELF, and when it�s actually on now, the screen pixelates and goes
> black."

Given nobody can find even a _single_ bad professional review of this phone,
and given all your complaints are apparently from the tracfone (whatever
that is), maybe it's the carrier software added to the phone you have?

Or, maybe it has something to do with the additional added software?
Did you even bother to do a factory reset, for example (as a test)?

> "Keeps turning on and off and eventually after five minutes or so it
> doesn't turn on at all."

I've seen so many reviews of something as simple as a brake pad where the
reviews from the boy racers out there run the gamut and yet not a single one
of those reviews mentions the most important factor possible for any brake
pad, which is the friction coefficient (both cold & hot) that is printed on
_every_ pad ever sold in the United States (because it _is_ important).
<https://duckduckgo.com/?q=brake+pad+friction+coefficient+edge+code>

Worse, you find these boy racers complaining that, oh say, Axxis pads stop
better than PBR, when the brake codes show they're the _exact_ same pads!
<http://www.safebraking.com/decrypting-brake-pad-edge-codes/>

My point is that any review that doesn't mention pad cold/hot friction
coefficients that still says it stops better (or worse) than some other pad
(where they also don't mention the friction coefficients), is a review from
a moron - just like the reviews you're quoting appear to be from morons.
<https://duckduckgo.com/?q=axxis+versus+pbr+brake+pad+reviews>

The fact remains all you can find are tracfone (whatever that is) reviews.
Where are your professional reviews of the phone you deprecate so easily?
*Name just one*

> "Would work for 2/3 days and then would get pixels and it would turn
> itself off and then couldn't turn on for 3 days!!"

If you can find even a _single_ professional review of the Samsung Galaxy
A32-5G that you claim says it has these problems out of the box, name it.
*Name just one*

> "Phone crashes all the time, turns on and off on its own."

The fact remains that this thread is about choosing a budget phone in the
$200 range where there are a few good ones, almost all of which have the
industry standard headphone jack & an industry standard sdslot & most have
batteries so huge that you seemingly can jumpstart your car off of them.
<https://duckduckgo.com/?q=best+budget+android+or+apple+phone+2022>

*The Best Cheap Phones for 2022*
<https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-cheap-phones>
$200 Motorola Moto G7 Plus 64GB Unlocked $199.76 (List $249.99)
$600 Google Pixel 6 5G 128GB Unlocked ($599.00)
$600 Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G 128GB Unlocked for $599.99 (List $699.99)
$700 Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G 128GB With $100 Gift Card (List $799.99)
$1080 Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max 128GB With $100 Gift Card ($1,080.00)

*The best cheap phones in 2022* <== they defined "cheap" as under $400
<https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-cheap-phones>
$275 Moto G Power
$280 Samsung Galaxy A32-5G
$300 OnePlus Nord N200
$350 Google Pixel 4a
$400 Apple iPhone SE

*Best cheap phones in the US 2022*
<https://www.techradar.com/best/best-cheap-phones>
Under $200 -> Moto G Fast
Under $300 -> Moto G Power (2020)
Under $400 -> iPhone SE 2020
Under $500 -> Google Pixel 4a 5G
Under $600 -> Samsung Galaxy S10e

*The best budget phones of 2022* (they range from under $200 to under $500)
<https://versus.com/en/phone/budget>
Moto G Power
Moto G Stylus
TCL 20 Pro 5G
Samsung Galaxy A71 5G
iPhone SE (2020)
OnePlus Nord N10 5G

I've already made my recommendation, which, to keep it simple and to keep it
within the requirements of a great phone under $200, it's the Moto G Power
2022 (but others would fit that requirement that are almost as good).

If she wants 5G, I'll add $75 over her $200 limit for the Samsung Galaxy
A32-5G; but that depends on whether or not she even has a data plan.

Luckily, _everyone_ on T-Mobile USA postpaid gets not only a free 5G phone
but everyone postpaid who had _any_ data is upgraded for free to unlimited.

But she's on a T-Mobile MVNO apparently, so all bets are off on that deal.

On 19 Jan 2022, Andy Burnelli <spam@nospam.com> wrote in
comp.mobile.android:

> All I'm asking you to find is even a _single_ bad review from the
> pros.
> *Name just one*

Why? Is that what makes you think there is no problem with this phone.
Do not dozens of user reports mean anything to you?

Nice attempt to change the goalposts, by the way.

> Given nobody can find even a _single_ bad professional review of
> this phone, and given all your complaints are apparently from the
> tracfone (whatever that is), maybe it's the carrier software added
> to the phone you have?

They are not all from Tracfone. If you had looked at the links I
provided you would know that. Some of the reviews are from Samsung's
own store.

On Wed, 19 Jan 2022 15:54:11 -0500, Nil wrote:

> Why? Is that what makes you think there is no problem with this phone.
> Do not dozens of user reports mean anything to you?

Dozens of similarly moronic users report Axxis pads better than PBR when the
only difference is that Axxis pads cost more (due to marketing reasons).
<https://duckduckgo.com/?q=review+compare+axxis+versus+pbr+brake+pads>

What many of the reviews suggest for a 5G budget phone is the Galaxy A32-5G.
<https://duckduckgo.com/?q=best+5G+budget+smartphone+2022>

What many other reviews suggest are Pixels and at the low end, a Motorola.
<https://duckduckgo.com/?q=best+android+budget+smartphone+2022>

To be fair, there are a few different Motorola budget phones with similar
sounding names which makes suggesting a Moto phone to others a bit harder.
*What does it mean for a phone to be "optimized for AT&T's network"*
<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android/c/zXLGKZ95WwM>

> Nice attempt to change the goalposts, by the way.

It's always the trolls claiming the goalposts are changed when the goal post
is written in big bold letters in the SUBJECT line of this (& every) thread.
*Good $200 Android phone please*

What does _your_ tracfone rant have to do with that clarion clear goalpost?

>> Given nobody can find even a _single_ bad professional review of
>> this phone, and given all your complaints are apparently from the
>> tracfone (whatever that is), maybe it's the carrier software added
>> to the phone you have?
>
> They are not all from Tracfone. If you had looked at the links I
> provided you would know that. Some of the reviews are from Samsung's
> own store.

Since the tracfone is a 5G phone, the reviews we should be seeking are:
<https://duckduckgo.com/?q=best+5G+budget+smartphone>

Where these reviews will help others make the same type of choice I did.
*Best cheap 5G phone 2022*
<https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-cheap-5g-phones/>
Samsung Galaxy A32-5G
Samsung Galaxy A13
OnePlus Nord N200 5G
Apple iPhone 12, 13 mini
Google Pixel 6

*The best budget 5G phones in 2022*
<https://www.phonearena.com/news/best-budget-5G-smartphones_id125833>
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
- The phone that makes all those 5G phone pricing arguments instantly
moot.
Samsung Galaxy A71 5G
- Awesome screen, camera & long-lasting battery life, you know the song.
Google Pixel 4a 5G
- You'd be amazed how great of a camera this munchkin has.
OnePlus 8 5G
- High refresh display, beautiful design, excellent battery life.
OnePlus Nord N10 5G
- One of the most affordable brand name 5G phones out there.
Motorola One 5G Ace
- Our review found amazing battery life and decent camera performance.
LG Velvet
- Beautiful design, fast chipset, excellent display.
Orbic Myra 5G UW
- Verizon's own 5G midranger.
TCL 10 5G UW/T-Mobile REVVL 5G
- One of the few budget offings on Verizon or T-Mobile's 5G networks.
OnePlus Nord N200 5G
90Hz 1080p display, 5000mAh battery, 5G connectivity for $240, bazinga!
T-Mobile REVVL V+ 5G
- Rock bottom $199.99 price and 5G, need we say more?
AT&T Fusion 5G
- The most affordable 5G phone on AT&T.

*Best Budget 5G Phones*
<https://phoneaqua.co/best-budget-5g-phones-2021/>
#1 Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
#2 Samsung Galaxy A71 5G
#3 Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
#4 Google Pixel 4a 5G
#5 Motorola one 5G UW ace
#6 OnePlus Nord N10 5G
#7 Nord 2 5G
#8 Realme 8 5G
#9 Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
#10 Xiaomi Poco F3

*The best cheap 5G phones for 2021 *
<https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-cheap-5g-phones/>
Samsung Galaxy A51 5G
Google Pixel 4a 5G
OnePlus Nord
LG Velvet
iPhone 12 Mini

On Mon, 17 Jan 2022 10:24:42 -0800, sms wrote:

> Yes, at $200 it'll probably be necessary to go to an off-brand for an
> unsubsidized phone.

Why do you consider Motorola an "off brand" smartphone Steve?
$190 Moto G Power (2022) unlocked

> What the person could do, if they are staying on Metro, is to first port
> their existing number to Google Voice then sign up as new customer to
> Metro and take advantage of a subsidized phone
> <https://www.metrobyt-mobile.com/shop/phones>.
> I'd get the OnePlus Nord N10 5G.

This is an interesting suggestion which is something I'd consider myself.
I don't want to complicate her life - but I love the suggestion. Thanks!

> The person should consider switching to a different carrier, with a
> subsidized phone, considering that she lives in Capitola. While
> T-Mobile/Metro has good coverage in the city of Capitola, when you look
> at the surrounding area the situation is very different. I ran the FCC
> maps for that area, see <https://i.imgur.com/tMBlHcC.png>. I added this
> to the document "Coverage Differences Between AT&T, T-Mobile, and
> Verizon" <https://tinyurl.com/ATVCoverageComparisons/>.

I'm glad you looked at the coverage for Capitola, where originally she told
me she was on T-Mobile but when I told her about the free 5G Revvl, she
found out that the MVNOs don't offer the same phones as does the parent.

I don't know what her coverage is but I know she's on Cruzio Internet for
her Wi-Fi but I don't know if that gives us any better coverage data.

To those who are unaware, those FCC maps are generally fine for 4G accuracy
even as they're completely calculated (nothing is measured for an FCC map).

But they are completely lacking in 5G coverage; so if you're ever
considering a 5G phone (and since they're free, why not?) then don't even
look at the FCC maps as a map of 5G coverage on the moon would be the same.

Still, I appreciate Steve's helpful suggestion that with a few maneuvers,
she can get a free phone with a new plan at no additional cost to her.

Thanks for those suggestions for a better price and better coverage.
It's too complex for her - but the rest of us can take note of the choices.
--
It is odd though the machinations Steve goes through for MVNOs when Steve
himself has loudly proclaimed that downloading freeware is too much trouble
(he'd rather pay for the first payware he finds that does the same job).

It's odd when a person (like a used car sales person) who doesn't use the
same argument and instead uses an argument of convenience which shows, in
the end, that they are simply cherry picking arguments to suit the answer.

A classic case of that cherry picking of arguments which is illogical is:
a. When it's some medical procedures - it's my body, my choice.
b. But for other medical procedures - it's my body, not my choice.

That shows, for example, the Democrats don't give a shit about their own
argument if they can change their entire foundation on a convenient whim.

On Mon, 17 Jan 2022 10:24:42 -0800, sms wrote:

> The person should consider switching to a different carrier, with a
> subsidized phone, considering that she lives in Capitola. While
> T-Mobile/Metro has good coverage in the city of Capitola, when you look
> at the surrounding area the situation is very different. I ran the FCC
> maps for that area, see <https://i.imgur.com/tMBlHcC.png>. I added this
> to the document "Coverage Differences Between AT&T, T-Mobile, and
> Verizon" <https://tinyurl.com/ATVCoverageComparisons/>.

Steve's point that coverage matters is valid where this lady doesn't even
own a car so I don't know how ambulatory she is (she's in assisted living).

I think she's on MetroPCS for a reason, unknown to me of course, but it's
probably price or maybe she got a good deal on a phone at one point.

All I know is I was asked to pick out a phone for her which was greater than
her 16GB phone, which in today's day and age would be at least 64GB for me.

Then the next question for her was the price, which she was hoping to get
around $200 which automatically knocks off a _lot_ of phones from the list.

Even though she told me she was on T-Mobile, it turns out that she can't get
the free Revvl 5G phone that T-Mobile currently offers as she's on an MVNO.

I don't have a clue what her data plan is, if any.
Nor the 5G coverage in Capitola so I didn't take 5G into consideration.

However... be careful with the FCC maps that Steve loves to propose because,
Steve should be telling us the FCC maps have no 5G coverage on them at all.

You could compare the FCC 5G coverage in San Francisco to that of the moon
on those FCC maps and they'd come out with the same 5G coverage conclusion.

It's a little weird Steve doesn't mention this fact as I know he knows this.
Basing your _entire_ argument on worthless data is what politicians do.

Not friends.

On 1/19/2022 12:54 PM, Nil wrote:

<snip>

> They are not all from Tracfone. If you had looked at the links I
> provided you would know that. Some of the reviews are from Samsung's
> own store.

I'd definitely avoid the A32 5G. When the Cnet review says "We tested
Samsung's cheapest 5G Galaxy phone, and it's not bad"
<https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/we-tested-samsung-cheapest-5g-galaxy-phone-its-not-bad/>
that's hardly a ringing endorsement.

The biggest drawbacks are: a) low resolution display (1600 x 720
compared to 2400 x 1080 on the A52 (both 4G and 5G), b) the
low-performance processor, c) the 64GB of storage, and d) no IP rating.

Those on a budget would be better off sticking with a 4G LTE phone for
now. Remember, the A32 5G doesn't support mmWave 5G so the 5G data
speeds on T-Mobile/Metro are not going to be any faster than the 4G LTE
speed on Verizon or AT&T.

I know that the original poster said "$200" but the reality is that at
$200 he's just below the sweet spot of around $250 where you can buy a
mid-range phone instead of a low-end phone.

The A52 5G might be a better option. If you stay on Cricket for 180 days
they will unlock the phone and they sell the A52 5G phone for $259.99 if
you port in a number. The Cricket $30/month plan is a much better deal
than the Metro $30/month plan, (5GB high speed data on Cricket versus
2GB on Metro), plus AT&T network coverage instead of T-Mobile.

Of course "Andy" doesn't care about any of this. He bought the A32 5G
and hence everyone else should also buy it.

In article <ssa358$s8s$1@dont-email.me>, sms
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

> Remember, the A32 5G doesn't support mmWave 5G so the 5G data
> speeds on T-Mobile/Metro are not going to be any faster than the 4G LTE
> speed on Verizon or AT&T.

yes they will.

On Wed, 19 Jan 2022 18:06:46 -0500, nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid>
wrote:

>In article <ssa358$s8s$1@dont-email.me>, sms
><scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:
>
>> Remember, the A32 5G doesn't support mmWave 5G so the 5G data
>> speeds on T-Mobile/Metro are not going to be any faster than the 4G LTE
>> speed on Verizon or AT&T.
>
>yes they will.

But 5G is expected to cause airplane problems. As the news article
states "International airlines suspend some flights to US over 5G"
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/1/19/international-flights-suspend-some-flights-to-us-over-5g-woes
Which reports, in part, that:

"On Wednesday, Emirates announced it would halt flights to several US
cities due to “operational concerns associated with the planned
deployment of 5G mobile network services in the U.S. at certain
airports”.

"Japan’s All Nippon Airways said that the FAA “has indicated that
radio waves from the 5G wireless service may interfere with aircraft
altimeters”.

“Boeing has announced flight restrictions on all airlines operating
the Boeing 777 aircraft, and we have cancelled or changed the aircraft
for some flights to/from the US based on the announcement by Boeing,”

Japan Airlines similarly said that it had been informed that 5G
signals “may interfere with the radio altimeter installed on the
Boeing 777”.
--
Cheers,

John B.

On Wed, 19 Jan 2022 14:25:42 -0800, sms wrote:

> Those on a budget would be better off sticking with a 4G LTE phone for
> now. Remember, the A32 5G doesn't support mmWave 5G so the 5G data
> speeds on T-Mobile/Metro are not going to be any faster than the 4G LTE
> speed on Verizon or AT&T.

Can someone tell me why Steve endlessly spouts how fast Verizon is in the
same mountains that I live in all the while Steve owns both a T-Mobile &
Verizon phone & yet Steve never spends the 30 seconds to screenshot results?

I'm not afraid of facts (as nobody pays me to shill Verizon or T-mobile).
<https://i.postimg.cc/4dDhFK5F/speedtest01.jpg> *125Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/vT68k3BW/speedtest02.jpg> *181Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/pdXF4Mtz/speedtest03.jpg> *125Mbps* to *181Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/gcsyc4Vn/speedtest04.jpg> *82Mbps* & -88dBM
<https://i.postimg.cc/mggy315q/speedtest05.jpg> *254Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/43KvqkZQ/speedtest06.jpg> *255Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/zf9w1tGZ/speedtest07.jpg> *255Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/Bb3xjjFm/speedtest08.jpg> *255Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/GhZKX0vZ/speedtest09.jpg> *130Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/28yZdQJR/speedtest10.jpg> *81Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/ydnDcxy8/speedtest11.jpg> *79Mbps* to *81Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/5y063Jsq/speedtest12.jpg> *96Mbps* to *109Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/fbNyPmHb/speedtest13.jpg> *109Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/5tSyWyGS/speedtest14.jpg> *88Mbps* to *102Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/C5vgmtRd/speedtest15.jpg> *130Mbps* to *255Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/W3GgYJtZ/speedtest16.jpg> *125Mbps* to *181Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/nVs0Smw8/speedtest17.jpg> *54Mbps*
<https://i.postimg.cc/N0fx62rz/speedtest18.jpg> *60Mbps* & -85dBm

Why is it Steve has _never_ shown a screenshot backing up any of his claims?

> I know that the original poster said "$200" but the reality is that at
> $200 he's just below the sweet spot of around $250 where you can buy a
> mid-range phone instead of a low-end phone.

The person who wants the budget phone is the one who put in the $200 limit.
I don't disagree that every $50 above that tranche opens up more phones.

For $180, the Moto G Power (2022) seems like the best choice though.
What $200 phone does Steve feel is _better_ than that Moto G Power (2022)?

> The A52 5G might be a better option. If you stay on Cricket for 180 days
> they will unlock the phone and they sell the A52 5G phone for $259.99 if
> you port in a number. The Cricket $30/month plan is a much better deal
> than the Metro $30/month plan, (5GB high speed data on Cricket versus
> 2GB on Metro), plus AT&T network coverage instead of T-Mobile.

Thanks for letting us know about this option. The person we're talking about
in Capitola has Internet with Cruzio but I don't have her email address.

But I can let her know (through an intermediary as she's not directly my
friend). She only asked her friend to ask me because she knows I get good
value for almost everything that I purchase (based on price:performance).

I was hoping she could get the free 5G Revvl V+ when she told me she was on
T-Mobile but it turned out she was on a T-Mobile MVNO which is different.

Too bad, because T-Mobile will _still_ give everyone postpaid in the USA
a free 5G phone which isn't all that bad considering it's a free phone.
<https://www.tmonews.com/2021/07/rumor-revvl-v-5g-next-free-phone-offer-t-mobiles-5g-campaign/>

I'm not sure about the free Nord N200 5G from T-Mobile though...
<https://www.phonearena.com/news/t-mobile-oneplus-nord-n200-revvl-v-plus-free-5g-phone-any-trade-in_id133833>
> Of course "Andy" doesn't care about any of this. He bought the A32 5G
> and hence everyone else should also buy it.

It's odd that people like Steve come to conclusions nobody intelligent
would. I expressly recommended the Moto G Power (2022) for example.

It's odd that Steve, whom I assume has at the very least a bachelor's
degree, can't comprehend that simple fact even as it was said many times.

Why are people like Steve oblivious to the most basic of obvious facts?
a. Are they really _that_ stupid?
b. Or, are they just playing childishly silly games with us?

On 1/19/2022 3:16 PM, John B. wrote:

<snip>

> But 5G is expected to cause airplane problems. As the news article
> states "International airlines suspend some flights to US over 5G"
> https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/1/19/international-flights-suspend-some-flights-to-us-over-5g-woes
> Which reports, in part, that:

<snip>

In other countries they simply banned C band 5G cells near airports,
establishing "exclusion zones." It's pretty much a certainty that the
same thing will happen in the U.S..

In any case, this thread was about $200 phones, not specifically 5G
phones. But buying one of the cheapest 5G phones, with all its
drawbacks, is probably unwise.

As I pointed out, the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, a mid-range 5G phone, can
be purchased, locked for 180 days, for $259.99 with the monthly plan
cost about the same as Metro, but with more high speed data on a better
network. After 180 days the A52 5G can be unlocked and used on other
carriers, if desired.

In another six months or so there should be a slew of mid-range 5G
phones available, including the next revision of the iPhone SE, and the
next rev of the Galaxy A series with a newer Qualcomm chipset.