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If you're on a budget, consider these reasonably priced -- and sometimes even free (after you sign a carrier agreement) -- handsets for the holiday season.
Lynn La
Lynn La covers mobile reviews and news. She previously wrote for The Sacramento Bee, Macworld and The Global Post.
If you're on a budget, consider these reasonably priced -- and sometimes even free (after you sign a carrier agreement) -- handsets for the holiday season.
Free after you sign a two-year agreement and purchase it online, the Samsung Galaxy Stellar from Verizon offers Android 4.0, a decent screen, and a snappy CPU.
You simply cannot find a more affordable high-end unlocked phone than the LG Nexus 4, which Google is offering for $299 and $349 for the 8GB and 16GB versions, respectively. Though we knocked it down for not having 4G LTE, it still delivers a pure Android Jelly Bean experience, NFC, a slew of new photo options, and a decent 8-megapixel camera.
For about $50 and a carrier contract, owners of the Pantech Flex can get 4G LTE speeds on AT&T's network, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and an interface that's great for smartphone beginners.
The Droid Razr M is one of the newest phones from Motorola. Offered by Verizon for $99.99, the M's attractive build complements its lovely screen, fast data and internal speeds, and impressive battery life.
AT&T's Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate has a dual-core processor, 4G LTE network speeds, and a nice 4-inch screen. But its best feature is its price -- the carrier is currently selling the Exhilarate for the rock-bottom price of 99 cents.
If you want to get a contract-free handset with no service agreement, consider the Kyocera Hydro on Boost Mobile. For $100, you get a waterproof phone with Android 4.0 and excellent call quality.
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