Are these the minimum specs for a usable Android cellphone for a kid?

[RockSockDoc]

What are typical minimum specs for a budget Android phone that actually works?

I had bought a T-Mobile Android phone for my kid, and it turned out to be woefully inadequate for some of the first things we tried to do with it.

a. We couldn't install Talkatone (Google Play said the phone couldn't handle it)
b. We couldn't install Temple Run 2 (It wouldn't download on the phone)
c. We couldn't upgrade the Android OS (no upgrades are available)

I just want my kid to have a cheap Android cellphone that will actually run the popular free apps. Just the stuff that all kids want (nothing fancy). It can be slow. But it's just wrong for the app to not even download. I don't want to make that same mistake twice.

Clearly the T-Mobile ZTE Concord that I had bought is woefully inadequate. Luckily, the kid broke the phone; so I am trying to figure out where I made the mistake (which spec failed? - so that I don't make the same mistake twice.

How does this look for a budget phone minimum specs for decent app compatibility?
1. Android 4.0 (or is Android 2.3 OK for app compatibility)?
2. 800x480 pixels (this seems pretty much the bare minimum, right?)
3. 1GHZ processor (does this matter for app compatibility?)
4. 4GB internal storage (can we get away with a bare minimum that is lower?)

 

[bhero]

Look at Atrix 4g. That phone will not cause you headaches and has great specs. It will not upgrade os but those are the minimum specs I would even for a child.

 

[chanchan05]

It would be better if you posted the models you are choosing from. Having certain specs doesn't make a device "good enough". Anyway you have to look at RAM as well. Temple Run 2 needs maybe at least 1GB to run smoothly. It lagged a bit on my old Galaxy S with 512MB RAM.

My old Galaxy S had Android 2.3, 1Ghz Processor, 4GB internal storage, 800x480 pixels and 512MB RAM. Sure it was able to do many things, but the more popular recent games push it quite a bit. It can run Temple Run smoothly, but put in Subway Surfers or Temple Run 2, it may lag depending on the setup of the device.

EDIT: If you're ok with a used device, someone said they got a used Galaxy SII for less than $100.

 

[AndroidFan911]

I agree with chanchan05 - it might be good to also provide the full specs as RAM and processor speed might be the problem that could cause some apps to not work and also the OS version..

 

[nickdalzell]

Instead of Talkatone try GrooveIP Lite or the full paid version of it. it's far better call quality over a wifi connection IMO.

i use a pretty low-spec phone and Talktatone gave me the same Play Store 'this isn't compatible' notice, which i have found is 99% of the time incorrect. Play hasn't yet fixed that very unnecessary app compatibility checker and i wish they would simply do away with it. if an app isn't compatible it will just say 'app not installed'

 

[funkylogik]

I think a lot of apps want a certain RAM requirement and a certain android version minimum.
Tbh, i think if you want a phone for the things you mention, you want the cpu chipset to be by a well-known manufacturer, be at least dual-core,... imo (and im using a 4-core phone with only 1GB RAM) i really think RAM is far more important than cores so go for RAM over cores :thumbup:

 

[RockSockDoc]

you have to look at RAM as well.

All I know is that the ZTE Concord was so far below the minimum spec that almost nothing we tried actually would load on it; so that's why the minimum specs were created (to prevent more similar mistakes).

What do you think a minimum RAM requirement should be to run most apps?
I'll take a shot at it to see what others think:
0. Carrier = T-Mobile (or unlocked)
1. OS = Android 4.0 (The substandard ZTE Concord was 2.3)
3. CPU = 1 GHz (The substandard ZTE Concord was an 823 MHz Broadcom BCM21553)
4. Internal memory = 4GB (The substandard ZTE Concord was 512MB)
5. RAM = 512MB (The substandard ZTE Concord was 512MB)
6. Price = ~$100 (The substandard ZTE Concord was $80 at Target & Walmart in August 2012)

RAM and processor speed might be the problem

How do these specs look for a bare minimum to run the stated applications?
0. Carrier = T-Mobile (or unlocked)
1. OS = Android 4.0 (or newer)
3. CPU = 1 GHz (or faster)
4. Internal memory = 4GB (or larger)
5. RAM = 512MB (or larger)
6. Price = ~$100 (plus or minus something around $40 or so)

Instead of Talkatone try GrooveIP Lite

That isn't the point.
The point is that the most common applications should install and run.
Talkatone wouldn't even install.

'this isn't compatible' notice... is 99% of the time incorrect.

Hmmm... if that's the case, then how would we install Talkatone or Temple Run 2 onto the stated phone?

A problem there is that it may well install and make the developer look bad.

The problem that I see is we can't tell if the common apps will even install by looking at the specs for the phone. This is crazy to not provide the user with a minimum spec that most common apps should meet (like the common Windows PC standards for Windows applications).

at least explaining exactly why an app is not compatible

I agree that Google Play should, at the very least, say "why" an app isn't installable.
Otherwise, we have no idea why these applications won't install.

emailing the dev and asking should get you a real answer

Hmmm... it's impossible to email the developer of an application that you have yet to even think of installing, in the future. And, it's highly impractical to email every developer of every application your kid is going to want to install on a basic Android phone. So, while the approach might work, it would just be tremendously inefficient, as compared to meeting minimum standards anyway.

Look at Atrix 4g

Googling, I see the Motorola Atrix 4G key specs are:
0. Carrier = AT&T (not T-Mobile) so the only thing that will work is unlocked
1. OS = Android 2.2 <= fails minimum spec of Android 4.0 for basic game playing
2. Screen = 540x960 <= meets minimum spec of 800x480 for basic game playing
3. CPU = 1 GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 AP20H <= meets minimum spec of 1GHz
4. Internal Memory = 16 GB internal storage <= meets minimum spec of 4GB
5. RAM = 1GB <== meets minimum specs of 512 MB
6. Price = $280 (must be unlocked to work with T-Mobile) <== fails to meet the ~$100 for basic kid's game playing phone

So, that won't even come close to the minimum specs; but thanks for the suggestion.
I'll keep it in mind if the minimum needs to be changed in order to find a basic usable phone that will play the stated common apps.

Info here if you want to read it.

That article on "Filters on Google Play" was interesting!
It looks like the number one filter item is screen size (so it makes sense to have that in our minimum specs).
It also looks like the API level (i.e., the OS) is important (so it also makes sense to have that in our minimum specs).

I still think Play Store looks at your device's build.prop

The reference above says it looks mostly at AndroidManifest.xml.

I think a lot of apps want a certain RAM requirement and a certain android version minimum.

That's why the Android OS is on the minimum spec, and why we just added the RAM (which was a good idea).
The question is whether these are reasonable or not for a basic phone to at least install most apps:
0. Carrier = T-Mobile (or unlocked)
1. OS = Android 4.0 (or newer)
3. CPU = 1 GHz (or faster)
4. Internal memory = 4GB (or larger)
5. RAM = 512MB (or larger)
6. Price = ~$100 (plus or minus something around $40 or so)

i really think RAM is far more important than cores so go for RAM over cores

To make progress, we'll need to state how much RAM would be the minimum for compatibility.
How much RAM do you think? 512MB? 1GB?

It works rather well for the price.

I'm assuming a basic kid's phone should be around $100 (give or take a few).

 

[MLSS]

An s3 would be a perfect phone for a youngin

 

[RockSockDoc]

An s3 would be a perfect phone for a youngin

I presume you mean the Samsung Galaxy S3, which is an excellent phones, but, it's like giving a BMW M5 to a 16-year-old first time driver, instead of, say, a Toyota Corolla - which is a more appropriate vehicle for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is cost.

The tax alone on that phone is about half what a kid's phone should cost:
$529.99 + ~$53 CA tax & fees = $575

It would be better if you posted the models you are choosing from.

I just created an account on T-Mobile where I have the "Value Plan" which lists these Android phones only for me to select from:
..... start of children's tier .....
Samsung Dart : $72 + ~$7 CA tax & fees ~= $80
T-Mobile Prism II : $116 + ~$12 CA tax & fees = ~$130
Samsung Gravity Q : $154 + ~$15 CA tax & fees ~= ~$170
..... end of children's tier .....
LG Optimus L9, Android 4.0.4 : $240.00 + ~$24 CA tax & fees ~= $265
Samsung Galaxy Exhibit : $236 + ~$23 CA tax & fees ~= $260
T-Mobile myTouch Q : $260 +~$26 CA tax & fees ~= $285
..... end of the low end tier .....
Samsung Galaxy SII, Android 4.0 : $336.00 + ~$33 CA tax & fees ~= $370
Nexus 4 : $428 + ~$42 CA tax ~= $470
Samsung Galaxy SIII LTE, Android 4.1.1 : $530 +~$53 CA tax & fees ~= $580
Samsung Galaxy S4 : $580 +~$58 CA tax & fees ~= $630

So, it looks like my available choices are narrowed down to just these three:
Samsung Dart
T-Mobile Prism II
Samsung Gravity Q

Of those, do you think they will run the suggested kids' games?

 

[RockSockDoc]

It would be better if you posted the models you are choosing from.

OK. Looking at the T-Mobile offerings, it seems that <=$100 is a bit too low, so I doubled that (out of necessity) to include at least the lowest-priced three phones from T-Mobile:

1. Samsung Dart : $72 + ~$7 CA tax & fees ~= $80
2. T-Mobile Prism II : $116 + ~$12 CA tax & fees = ~$130
3. Samsung Gravity Q : $154 + ~$15 CA tax & fees ~= ~$170

Here's the comparison against our bare-minimum specification for a kid's Android cellphone:

Samsung Dart (http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=3177)
0. Carrier = T-Mobile
1. OS = Android 2.2 <== fails minimum spec of 4.0
3. CPU = 0.6 GHz <== fails minimum spec of 1GHz
4. Internal memory = 0 (2GB card included) <== does this meet or fail the minimum spec of 1GB?
5. RAM = unknown <== why does phonescoop not list any RAM?
6. Screen = 240x320 <== fails minimum spec of 800x480 pixels
7. WiFi (no data plan), Bluetooth, & microUSB <== meets minimum connectivity specs
8. Price = ~$80 <== meets minimum spec of no greater than $200

T-Mobile (Huawei?) Prism II (Huawei Prism II Specs, Features (Phone Scoop))
0. Carrier = T-Mobile
1. OS = Android 4.1 <== meets minimum spec of 4.0
3. CPU = 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 MSM7225 <== meets minimum spec of 1GHz
4. Internal memory = 4 GB <== meets minimum spec of 1GB
5. RAM = 512 MB <== meets minimum spec of 512MB
6. Screen = 320x480 <== fails minimum spec of 800x480 pixels
7. WiFi (no data plan), Bluetooth, & microUSB <== meets minimum connectivity specs
8. Price = ~$130 <== meets minimum spec of no greater than $200

Samsung Gravity Q (Samsung Gravity Q specs)
0. Carrier = T-Mobile
1. OS = Android 4.1 <== meets minimum spec of 4.0
3. CPU = Single core, 416 MHz, STE U6805-Core <== fails minimum spec of 1GHz
4. Internal memory = 256 MB ROM <== fails minimum spec of 1GB
5. RAM = 128 MB <== fails minimum spec of 512MB
6. Screen = 240x320 <== fails minimum spec of 800x480 pixels
7. WiFi (no data plan), Bluetooth, & microUSB <== fails minimum connectivity specs (no wifi)
8. Price = ~$80 <== meets minimum spec of no more than $200

Drat!

 

[Davdi]

Why not look at generic chinese phones, look at Amazon or Ebay, cell phones, search for 'Jelly Bean' and get the best reviewed phone that meets the minimum specs; there are quite a few under $200

 

[funkylogik]

I hate how carriers rebrand/rename these phones. any idea what their real manufacturer names are mate.
Its a pity youre tied to a carrier. My wife fancys a galaxy s2 (unlocked) which is an excellent phone and i think its around

 

[RockSockDoc]

Why not look at generic chinese phones

I would love to look at the "generic" phones if I only knew what phone to look up, now that we have the bare-minimum specs to compare any phone against.

Of course, it would need to be unlocked.

I hate how carriers rebrand/rename these phones. any idea what their real manufacturer names are

I didn't even realize this is the case; but, I can only assume that the T-Mobile Prism II is the Huawei Prism II.

It's a pity you're tied to a carrier.

My contract with T-Mobile has another year to go - and then I won't be tied to them.
But, even so, I'd be tied to either T-Mobile or AT&T (realistically), and AT&T's prices are far worse than T-Mobile's; and, worse yet, AT&T will force me to have a data plan on all of my kid's smartphones (even though I do not want my kids on data outside the house!).

So, in the states, there really is only one choice for a GSM carrier that doesn't force you to have a data plan for your kids.

electronics are much cheaper in the US

Here's the complete report of the prices at T-Mobile for the dozen phones that are available to me from them, given the "Value Plan" that I'm on (which nets out, including Federal and California taxes and fees, at about $70/month for 5 phones for a combined 1,000 minutes and unlimited texting);

a. Samsung Dart is $72 + ~$7 CA tax & fees ~= $80 <== FAIL
b. T-Mobile Prism II is $116 + ~$12 CA tax & fees = ~$130 <== FAIL
c. Samsung Gravity Q is $154 + ~$15 CA tax & fees ~= ~$170 <== FAIL
d. Samsung Galaxy Exhibit is $236 + ~$23 CA tax & fees ~= $260
e. LG Optimus L9 is $240.00 + ~$24 CA tax & fees ~= $265
f. T-Mobile myTouch Q is $260 +~$26 CA tax & fees ~= $285
g. Samsung Galaxy SII is $336.00 + ~$33 CA tax & fees ~= $370
h. Nexus 4 is $428 + ~$42 CA tax ~= $470
i. Samsung Galaxy SIII LTE is $530 +~$53 CA tax & fees ~= $580
j. Samsung Galaxy S4 is $580 +~$58 CA tax & fees ~= $630
k. HTC One is $580 +~$58 CA tax & fees ~= $630
l. Samsung Galaxy Note II is $650 +~$65 CA tax & fees ~= $715

Since the first three failed, it looks like I'll be forced to move on to the next three.

LG Optimus L9 (LG Optimus L9 / Optimus 4G Specs, Features (Phone Scoop))
0. Carrier = T-Mobile (my choice)
1. OS = Android 4.0.4 <== meets minimum spec of 4.0
3. CPU = Dual core, 1 GHz, ARM Cortex-A9 <== meets minimum spec of 1GHz
4. Internal memory = 4 GB <== meets minimum spec of 1GB (isn't this just ROM?)
5. RAM = 1 GB <== meets minimum spec of 512MB
6. Screen = 950x540 <== meets minimum spec of 800x480 pixels
7. Connectivity = WiFi, Bluetooth, & microUSB <== meets minimum connectivity specs
8. Price = ~$240.00 + ~$24 CA tax & fees ~= $265 (user choice)

Except for price point, this is the first cellphone to meet the bare minimum specs!

Q: Do you know of any others around this price point that meet the bare minimum specs?

 

[chanchan05]

Its more difficult for you to look for phones since US carriers tie you up. Honestly, why just not get a used Galaxy S2 from Ebay? The S2 can be upgraded ti 4.1 officially, plus exceeds all your other specs and costs less than $200 when bought used. Other than that, get the L9.

 

[funkylogik]

^^ or a Galaxy Nexus. dont they work on all carriers? There must be a few of them kicking around really cheap. Or my mums phone Galaxy Ace 2 (small screen but attractive to teens i think. Looks very iphone)

P.s, a Toyota Corolla was the first car i ever actually owned and it was too much car for me lol. I wrapped it within 2 weeks. It was the lil twin-cam 1.6 16valve GTi hatchback version (1988 model i think) in black. Mmm i loved her but she could have killed me in 4seconds

 

[RockSockDoc]

Its more difficult for you to look for phones since US carriers tie you up.

You understand well, as I'm trying to find a T-Mobile (or unlocked) phone, first and foremost. The problem with used phones is that you really need to see them to buy them (safely), and even then you can get fooled (caveat emptor), so, that's why I'm looking at new phones only.

Moving on down the list, here is the comparison against our bare-minimum specs for the next three phones in the T-Mobile list:

Samsung Galaxy Exhibit (Samsung Galaxy Exhibit (2013) Specs, Features (Phone Scoop))
0. Carrier = T-Mobile (my choice)
1. OS = Android 4.1.2 <== meets minimum spec of 4.0
3. CPU = 1 GHz STE U8420 dual-core <== meets minimum spec of 1GHz
4. Internal memory = 4 GB <== meets minimum spec of 1GB (isn't this just ROM?)
5. RAM = 1 GB <== meets minimum spec of 512 MB
6. Screen = 800x480 <== meets minimum spec of 800x480 pixels
7. Connectivity = WiFi, Bluetooth, & microUSB <== meets minimum connectivity specs
8. Price = $236 + ~$23 CA tax & fees ~= $260

LG Optimus L9 (http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=3830)
0. Carrier = T-Mobile (my choice)
1. OS = Android 4.0.4 <== meets minimum spec of 4.0
3. CPU = Dual core, 1 GHz, ARM Cortex-A9 <== meets minimum spec of 1GHz
4. Internal memory = 4 GB <== meets minimum spec of 1GB (isn't this just ROM?)
5. RAM = 1 GB <== meets minimum spec of 512 MB
6. Screen = 950x540 <== meets minimum spec of 800x480 pixels
7. Connectivity = WiFi, Bluetooth, & microUSB <== meets minimum connectivity specs
8. Price = ~$240.00 + ~$24 CA tax & fees ~= $265

NOTE: Since the LG myTouchQ is apparently discontinued (http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=3375) I'll assume T-Mobile is currently selling the Huawei myTouchQ:

T-Mobile myTouch Q (http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=3795)
0. Carrier = T-Mobile (my choice)
1. OS = Android 2.3.6 <== fails minimum spec of 4.0
3. CPU = 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 MSM8255 <== meets minimum spec of 1GHz
4. Internal memory = 4 GB <== meets minimum spec of 1GB (isn't this just ROM?)
5. RAM = 1 GB <== meets minimum spec of 512 MB
6. Screen = 800x480 <== meets minimum spec of 800x480 pixels
7. Connectivity = WiFi, Bluetooth, & microUSB <== meets minimum connectivity specs
8. Price = $260 +~$26 CA tax & fees ~= $285

Summary:
a. LG Optimus L9 ($265) ==> pass
b. Samsung Galaxy Exhibit ($260) ==> pass
c. T-Mobile myTouch Q (presumably Huawei) ==> fail

Toyota Corolla ... was too much car for me

Ooops. Sorry for deprecating the Corolla. What I meant, literally, was that a Samsung Galaxy SIII (at net $630 USD) certainly would meet the minimum specs, but, it's not what I'd give my third and fourth graders (it's not that it's too much phone, it's just that it's too high a price for a kid's phone).

 

[funkylogik]

Lol i know man i just had some nostalgia i had to share :beer:

 

[RockSockDoc]

^^ or a Galaxy Nexus. dont they work on all carriers?

Hmmmmm... the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (LTE) seems to only work for Sprint and Verizon and it's apparently discontinued by both (Samsung Galaxy Nexus (LTE) Specs, Features (Phone Scoop)).

It's apparently CDMA, which means that it won't work on T-Mobile.
Unless I'm missing something, it has no slot for a GSM SIM card.

But I do appreciate the advice, as I very much wish to find an appropriate kid-friendly baseline Android cellphone, that does work with GSM frequencies.

 

[RockSockDoc]

i just had some nostalgia i had to share

Speaking of nostalgia, my first three or four cars were free!

Then, I had to put tires on them, new brake shoes (yes, shoes), new distributor cap & condensor (yup, I'm that old), etc.

In the end, each "free" car cost me then, about as much as this phone will cost for my kids now!

 

[funkylogik]

Lmao i think you may be a bit older than me with the drum brakes mate

I know what you mean about the price of tech. It really annoys me how my 16yr old niece and 10yr old nephew get top of the range tablets etc from "santa claus" and really dont appreciate what they have.
Are you letting your son/daughter (cant remember sorry) have a choice in what phone they want? If so, its better because if it turns out to be a dudd, you can say "well you chose it" :beer:

 

[RockSockDoc]

Are you letting your son/daughter (cant remember sorry) have a choice

One of each and they both want an iPhone!
Apparently it's more cool in school than Android.
But I abhor Apple products - so - it's going to be an Android phone for sure.
Just don't know which one yet.

It looks almost impossible to find a minimum spec GSM Android phone for under $200. That's sad.

 

[rabidhunter]

One of each and they both want an iPhone!
Apparently it's more cool in school than Android.
But I abhor Apple products - so - it's going to be an Android phone for sure.
Just don't know which one yet.

It looks almost impossible to find a minimum spec GSM Android phone for under $200. That's sad.

Ha, good man.
To kids: No iCrap for you! You'll take Android and love it.

 

[RockSockDoc]

You'll take Android and love it.

What they like about the iPhone is the perceived ease of use and the available applications; but they don't know that the same thing is available in Android, at better prices, and, get this, you can pull the battery out of the phone to reset it.

Anyway, I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that the only decent phone of the first half of the dozen that T-Mobile sells, is either the LG Optimus L9 or the Samsung Galaxy Exhibit:
a. LG Optimus L9: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_optimus_l9_p769-5025.php
b. Samsung Galaxy Exhibit: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_exhibit_t599-5468.php

Of those two, the Exhibit has the better operating system, but the Optimus L9 has the better display. I'm leaning toward the Optimus, but the price (for two of them) is pretty steep - so my next step will be to find the Optimus L9 for a good price, perhaps online (although I'm not very experienced with online purchases of phones so I don't know who is reputable and who is not).

Thanks for all your advice. I think the most important thing was figuring out the bare minimum specs.
0. Carrier = (your choice)
1. OS = minimum spec of 4.0
3. CPU = minimum spec of 1GHz
4. Internal memory = minimum spec of 1GB (isn't this just ROM?)
5. RAM = minimum spec of 512 MB
6. Screen = minimum spec of 800x480 pixels
7. Connectivity = minimum spec of WiFi, Bluetooth, & microUSB
8. Price = (your choice)

Had I known how to properly buy a basic bare minimum Android phone, I never would have bought the ZTE Concord (http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=3875):
0. Carrier = T-Mobile (pre-paid phone but used on a monthly plan)
1. OS = Android 2.3 failed minimum spec of 4.0
3. CPU = 823 MHz Broadcom BCM21553 failed minimum spec of 1GHz
4. Internal memory = 512 MB failed minimum spec of 1GB (isn't this just ROM?)
5. RAM = 512 MB met minimum spec of 512 MB
6. Screen = 480x320 failed minimum spec of 800x480 pixels
7. Connectivity = met minimum spec of WiFi, Bluetooth, & microUSB
8. Price = ($80 at Target & Walmart in August 2012)

After establishing the minimum spec, all I needed to do was compare the available T-Mobile phones to that minimum spec:
a. Samsung Dart is $72 + ~$7 CA tax & fees ~= $80 <== FAIL
b. T-Mobile Prism II is $116 + ~$12 CA tax & fees = ~$130 <== FAIL
c. Samsung Gravity Q is $154 + ~$15 CA tax & fees ~= ~$170 <== FAIL
d. Samsung Galaxy Exhibit is $236 + ~$23 CA tax & fees ~= $260 <== PASS
e. LG Optimus L9 is $240.00 + ~$24 CA tax & fees ~= $265 <== PASS
f. T-Mobile myTouch Q is $260 +~$26 CA tax & fees ~= $285 <== FAIL
g. Samsung Galaxy SII is $336.00 + ~$33 CA tax & fees ~= $370
h. Google (LG) Nexus 4 is $428 + ~$42 CA tax ~= $470
i. Samsung Galaxy SIII LTE is $530 +~$53 CA tax & fees ~= $580
j. Samsung Galaxy S4 is $580 +~$58 CA tax & fees ~= $630
k. HTC One is $580 +~$58 CA tax & fees ~= $630
l. Samsung Galaxy Note II is $650 +~$65 CA tax & fees ~= $715

The one thing I'm still confused about, is that I can buy the (locked) LG Optimus L9 from T-Mobile for about $265, or, I can get it just under $200 online - but is the online phone locked or unlocked?

 

[MLSS]

You should search EBay and Amazon. I bet you will find a deal once you settle on a phone.

 

[RockSockDoc]

You should search EBay and Amazon. I bet you will find a deal once you settle on a phone.

thanks to all your help, I've finally settled on the LG Optimus L9.

Now it's time to find a good price for a T-Mobile (or unlocked) version of that.

I'm guessing reputable suppliers are T-Mobile, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, etc.?