What is the best ridiculously cheap phone that works on Verizon?

July 6, 2011 7:23 PM

I need a super cheap stopgap phone. Which one should I get?

My old candy-bar style phone recently went through an entire cycle in both the washer and the dryer. Not surprisingly, it no longer works. I really didn't like the phone at all. It felt terribly user hostile to me, so I haven't shed any tears over its demise.

My plan is to get an iphone 5 in the Fall. The moment they are released, if it is when the rumors say it'll be, should correspond to the moment when I'll be in a better financial position to afford it. That leaves me, however, with the question of the stopgap phone. I went to a Verizon store today, and even the feeblest clamshell phone was around $200 without a contract. I am past the two year point with the phone that just died, but signing up again now for a cheap phone would mean I would have to pay full retail for an iphone later, right? Or do I have another option?

So I guess my question is: What is my best really cheap option for a phone that I'll only use for three months or so?

Or alternatively: Is there a way for me to not have to pay full retail for a phone now and for me not to have to pay full retail for an iphone in three months or so? If so, how?

posted by umbú to Technology (19 answers total)

Buy a used phone off craigslist that will work on your network. I bet the SIM card in your dead candybar is still good, too. Pop it in and go.
posted by tapesonthefloor at 7:29 PM on July 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

Tons of options:

1. Get a used phone. Thousands on craigslist or ebay. Look for just a candy-bar style phone and you can get something for . Someone on AskMeFi even sent me their phone in the mail (I paid for shipping) when I asked a question on here. Plus here is that it can be your backup when you do the same thing to your Iphone

2. Get the Palm Pixi Plus. I bought this three months ago when I lost my phone. If you want, you can probably sell it for .75 cents on the dollar when you get your iphone. Not the best phone in the world, but does the job and is a smartphone
posted by sandmanwv at 7:31 PM on July 6, 2011

If you aren't already on Verizon, don't switch right now. Save the switch, and the retail subsidy contract, for your iPhone.

In any case, you should simply buy a used phone on ebay to tide you over. Get one branded to your existing network, and pop your SIM in it. If you're already using Verizon, you'll have to take the phone into the Verizon store to get it activated--and they will give you shit about "are you sure this isn't stolen?".
posted by Netzapper at 7:36 PM on July 6, 2011

To add, I did a search on Craigslist >> For Sale in my area using the search terms "Verizon Cell Phone", capped at $25 and got these results.


Additionally, asking your friends on facebook, etc if they have used Verizon phones laying around is a good way to get 'new' used phones.


Lastly, you can easily activate your 'new' used phone from the Internet. If it's Verizon and not a Smartphone or a blackberry, you will be fine.
posted by sandmanwv at 7:36 PM on July 6, 2011

Boost Mobile has a few $50 phones; these work with prepaid accounts, so you drop another $50 into your account, but you don't have to pay anything more until it expires. Prepaid may be the cheapest way to go with a stopgap like this.
posted by jenkinsEar at 7:38 PM on July 6, 2011

I paid $20 at CVS for a Virgin mobile top-up that I use in a pinch.
posted by patrad at 7:53 PM on July 6, 2011

I'd also add that it may be useful to get google voice now. . link it to your cheap pre-paid/top-up phone. . then when you get your shin new iPhone, you don't have to change your number. Just transfer your google voice number to that.

I've found that super helpful to keep my personal number as google voice. . .then foward to whatever phone I have at the time. . .work cell, shiny iphone, etc.

plus you get google voice. . free texts, voip, online access, etc.
posted by patrad at 7:56 PM on July 6, 2011

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16875101038&cm_re=palm_pixi-_-75-101-038-_-Product

$58 for a new Verizon "smart phone".
posted by SirStan at 7:56 PM on July 6, 2011

Disposable mobile's, or "burners":

Tracfone
Net 10
AT&T GoPhone

Cheapest ones can be as low as $15-$20.

Or better yet, if your phone had a SIM Card, just put it into the cheapest used GSM phone you can find.
posted by FJT at 7:59 PM on July 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

Verizon is a CDMA technology network, while AT&T and others are GSM. If you intend to use this phone with your current Verizon account, make sure you get a CDMA capable phone, as a lot of phones, particularly those with SIM cards that allow you to easily move from one phone to another are GSM. Generally, you can activate your third party CDMA phone on the Verizon network over the Web.
posted by paulsc at 8:03 PM on July 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

paulsc is right! I'm on T-Mobile with a Hong Kong grey market import Nokia 630, GSM.
posted by FJT at 8:08 PM on July 6, 2011

nthing "back of your friends' cupboards". Or Goodwill, though it's often harder to distinguish between GSM and CDMA phones (and their carriers) when they're on the $3 old electronics shelf.
posted by holgate at 8:14 PM on July 6, 2011

If using the phone with your current Verizon account/phone number isn't a big priority, and you don't use a lot of minutes (so paying a high per minute fee isn't ridiculous), and you live within their coverage area, companies like Consumer Cellular offer free phones with no minimum contract term. The per minute/per message fees are high, but if you don't use a lot of minutes, you might still come out ahead financially, while you wait for your Verizon iPhone.
posted by paulsc at 8:15 PM on July 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

Any Verizon phone you find at a thrift store is more likely than not either stolen or never had its contract properly closed out, and therefore can't be activated.
posted by The Lamplighter at 9:27 PM on July 6, 2011

SirStan: "http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16875101038&cm_re=palm_pixi-_-75-101-038-_-Product

$58 for a new Verizon "smart phone""

Here it is for $40. However, it sounds like Verizon will insist you buy a $30/month data plan to use it.
posted by alexei at 11:50 PM on July 6, 2011

Of note: As of today, Verizon is no longer offering unlimited data for their smartphones. If you had unlimited data on your previous plan, you could keep it. If not, you're out of luck. But, if you *change* your plan in any way, you lose unlimited data (if you had it).

Keep this in mind as you think about what phone you want. If you downgrade to a feature phone, you may end up paying a lot more for data when the iphone 5 comes out.
posted by Citrus at 5:34 AM on July 7, 2011

Probably just nthing something or another here - but if you're using a phone with a SIM card, and can buy a "pre-paid minutes" phone off the rack from the same or a compatible carrier, you should be able to insert your SIM card and presto- you're back in business with the old number, no change of service or signup required. I've done this with my FIL's phone.

And yeah, for God's sake don't drop your existing Verizon data plan if you plan to stay in the smart phone game long term.
posted by randomkeystrike at 7:02 AM on July 7, 2011

I know you have Verizon, but for others that have ATT and your SIM card is still good, the Go Phones are as cheap as $10.00 and all you need do is install your SIM.
posted by Gungho at 7:58 AM on July 7, 2011

I was about to reply that you should check with friends and family to see if anyone has an old Verizon phone lying around, but then I looked at the post again and saw that it's YOU! Good thing we met at the MeFi meetup a few years ago at Mimis! I have a Verizon flip-phone that should be in good shape. I'll MeMail you.
posted by radioamy at 10:15 AM on July 7, 2011 [2 favorites]