Popular phones like the BlackBerry Curve and the Palm Pre are priced as low as $50.

The selection of smartphones that cost $100 or less is growing, thanks to T-Mobile's new BlackBerry Curve 8520, available today for as little as $50, and Verizon's substantial, if stealthy, price cuts to a number of its fancier phones.

The Curve, which we'll soon add to our ratings (available to subscribers), comes nicely equipped with an optical trackpad, wi-fi connectivity, and dedicated media keys on the top of the handset for convenient access to the phone's multimedia features. And like Sprint's Palm Pre, it claims the ability to sync with your iTunes library — though it, too, may be subject to the cat-and-mouse game Apple has been playing with Palm to thwart such syncing (which doesn't apply at any rate to copy-protected iTunes songs, movies, and videos you've bought). While T-Mobile's currently selling the phone for $130, it's a little under $50 at Wal-Mart. (All prices are with a two-year contract.)

Verizon has quietly slashed prices on many of its smartphones, including on some fairly popular models like the HTC Touch Pro and Samsung Omnia, both $100. And our smartphone ratings already boast a number of capable $50 models, including another BlackBerry Curve, the 8330 model (Verizon and Sprint), the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 (T-Mobile), the Samsung BlackJack II (AT&T), the Palm Centro 690 (Sprint), and the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 (Sprint).

However, these aging phones have been discounted, perhaps (as some bloggers, including The Boy Genius Report, speculate) to make room for new models, including the BlackBerry Storm 2 slated for November. We can't recall seeing a brand-new smart phone sell for as little as the new Curve.

Of course, the purchase price of a smartphone is dwarved by the cost of service to it over its contract period. That bears consideration before you snap up a $50 phone — and overlook the fact that you can easily pay twice that much a month to actually use it, particularly if you start adding the likes of third-party apps like satellite radio and GPS navigation

Nokia N91 "Most Advanced Phone on The Market"

The Nokia N91, a slider-style update to the wildly popular clamshell-style N90, is arguably one of the most advanced phones on the market. The Nokia N91 has a feature list a mile long. This high-end music smartphone sports a 4 GB hard drive, a music player, a 3.5mm headset jack for listening on your favorite headphones, a stereo FM radio, and dedicated music keys. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB 2.0 with mass storage mode. Other features include a 2-megapixel camera, speakerphone, Flash player, and EDGE data.

Audiophiles will love the N91's generous 29 MB of internal memory storage and 4 GB hard drive. The generously sized, 176 x 208 screen supports 262,000 colors, and just below the screen you'll find a thumbstick and shortcut keys for quickly navigating the Symbian S60 v3 operating system. Media control keys reside on top of the slider mechanism which, when opened, reveals a numeric keypad for those times when you want to turn the music down and make a call. High speed data transfer to and from the device is supported by the N91's USB 2.0-compatible "Pop-Port." Lastly, the 2-megapixel camera unit is housed in the rear of the phone.

The N91's address book is only limited by the amount of available memory, and it can store multiple phone numbers, as well as physical and email addresses. Meanwhile, the phone's built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear. Polyphonic ringtones are included, as is a vibrating alert, and you can use your favorite music as ringtones. Ringer IDs let you assign specific ringtones to particular callers, while picture ID technology lets you similarly assign images or pictures to callers. In addition to speaker-independent voice recognition dialing, the phone also features technology that lets you control menu functions with your voice. Lastly, the phone's Bluetooth connectivity means that your favorite Bluetooth headset is fully compatible.



The N91 is a mobile messaging and Internet powerhouse. With support for the MMS (multimedia messaging service), the phone can send picture, video and text messages, and when coupled with the phone's powerful camera, MMS opens up great opportunities for robust messaging. Instant messaging is also supported, and the phone ships with a built-in email client that supports POP3, IMAP, and SMTP protocols. And because the N91 is a Symbian smartphone, it supports opening and editing of those important attachments--documents, spreadsheets, PDFs, and more.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the N91. It supports the GPRS data protocol, as well as the high-speed EDGE wireless data service. When used with your carrier data plan and the phone's USB or Bluetooth data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs. The N91 also supports Wi-Fi connectivity, meaning you can tap into wireless hotspots for fast Web browsing.

The Nokia N91 is an intelligently designed music player - optimized for music listening Dedicated playback keys and volume control. With enhanced on the go playlist management you can edit playlists and add new music. Meta data for tracks can also be viewed and modified directly on your N91. Enhanced music features include a mixer, 5-band equalizer, loudness, music DRC (Dynamic Range Compression). You can also see what is playing when the Nokia N91 is in the idle state. The N91 allows you to answer calls while listening to music. The music pauses and then resumes again when the call is ended.

Price: $379.99

Samsung A820 "Pay As You Go"

Samsung A820 Prepaid Cell Phone Specification

The Samsung A820 features a lightweight clamshell design boasting an internal 65,536 color LCD display that is 128 x 160 pixels. There is also a large 96 x 96 pixel external black and white LCD display which shows time, date, signal strength, battery life while in standby mode. When the phone receives a call, the external LCD displays Caller ID. For ease of use the phone has side volume keys and a one touch access to activate the speaker phone.

There is a dedicated Press & Talk button on the side of the phone so that you can use the walkie-talkie style communications option with the flip either open or closed. Inside the phone you will find a 5-way navigation key and two soft keys that make this phone extremely user friendly and easy to operate.

Calling Features
With the Samsung A820 you can not only make cellular calls but it has the unique ability to make walkie-talkie style calls with the Press & Talk feature. You can connect with one or many STi Mobile Press & Talk users and with Sprint PCS Ready Link users. The phone also has 32 chord Polyphonic Ringtones and vibrating alert. Unique ringtones and pictures can be assigned to specific callers so that you don’t have to look at the phone to see who is calling. The built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone at your ear and the voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates easy and safe by just saying their names. There are two phone books in the phone: one for the phone and the other for Press & Talk. You can store up to 300 entries for use with the phone and up to 200 entries for use with the Press & Talk feature.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
The Samsung A820 supports both text messaging and web browsing. T9 predictive text entry is included on the phone which enables you to easily send text messages and emails. While browsing the web you can download ring tones and wall papers to personalize and customize your phone. Web browsing gives you the ability to look up sports scores; read headline news; check the weather report by zip code or city; get the latest stock quotes and financial news; or enter your own URL and browse the web.

The Samsung A820 also includes several tools to enhance your life such as a scheduler which gives you the ability to set appointments in your calendar with reminders; an alarm clock; a notepad for jotting down things you wont want to forget; a world clock; easy tip calculator; and calculator.

Imaging and Entertainment
Browse the web and download ringtones, pictures and games on sites like www.3gforfree.com.

Vital Statistics
The Samsung A820 Press & Talk phone weighs only 3.14 ounces and measures 3.56 x 1.88 x 1.06 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3 hours of talk and 190 hours of standby. It runs on the CDMA 1900 frequencies and the phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

What's in the Box
Samsung A820 handset, AC charger, lithium-ion battery, user’s manual, STi Mobile user’s guide.

Product Description
The Samsung A820 features a lightweight clamshell design boasting an internal 65,536 color LCD display that is 128 x 160 pixels. There is also a large 96 x 96 pixel external black and white LCD display which shows time, date, signal strength, battery life while in standby mode. When the phone receives a call, the external LCD displays Caller ID. For ease of use the phone has side volume keys and a one touch access to activate the speaker phone. There is a dedicated Press & Talk button on the side of the phone so that you can use the walkie-talkie style communications option with the flip either open or closed. Inside the phone you will find a 5-way navigation key and two soft keys that make this phone extremely user friendly and easy to operate With the Samsung A820 you can not only make cellular calls but it has the unique ability to make walkie-talkie style calls with the Press & Talk feature. You can connect with one or many STi Mobile Press & Talk users and with Sprint PCS Ready Link users. The phone also has 32 chord Polyphonic Ringtones and vibrating alert. Unique ringtones and pictures can be assigned to specific callers so that you don’t have to look at the phone to see who is calling. The built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone at your ear and the voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates easy and safe by just saying their names. There are two phone books in the phone: one for the phone and the other for Press & Talk. You can store up to 300 entries for use with the phone and up to 200 entries for use with the Press & Talk feature.
Price: $149.99

Motorola RAZR V3 Blue "the perfect combination of sleek design and powerful features"

Motorola RAZR V3 Blue Prepaid Cell Phone Specification

the Motorola RAZR V3 is the perfect combination of sleek design and powerful features. And with AT&T's GoPhone pay-as-you-go service, you pay for just the minutes you use without having to sign up for an annual contract--this phone even comes with $35 of airtime included. You can easily refill your minutes via prepaid cards or the Internet, or choose to prepay each month and roll over unused minutes. An impressive quad-band GSM phone (great for global travelers), the RAZR V3 includes a VGA (640 x 480) camera, Bluetooth connectivity for communication headsets, dual LCD screens, video clip playback, and up to 7 hours of talk time.

AT&T GoPhone Service
AT&T's pay-as-you-go GoPhone plans are wireless plans made easy. Simply pay in advance for what you need. No long-term contracts, credit checks, or surprise bills--just all the benefits of wireless, with no complications. In addition, AT&T's Rollover Balance feature lets you carry over your unused account balance when you purchase refill minutes before your balance expires. Other great features include no long distance or roaming fees across AT&T's national service area, the ability to track usage via text messages with an updated balance after each call, and the ability to refill your minutes 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. You can also cancel any time without penalty.

With the Pay As You Go option, you'll choose the rate plan that fits your needs and then start dialing. Your balance is lowered each time you make or receive a call or use services such as text messaging. You can then refill the minutes in your account via the Internet, using your phone (by calling 611 from your cell), or purchasing a pre-paid card in denominations up to $100.

With the Pick Your Plan option, you'll set up monthly, automatic payments with your credit/debit card or checking account. If you need to make more calls or you use up your balance during the month, just add minutes to your account at any time--you'll pay the same per-minute rate as your plan. You can buy more minutes in increments of $15 and $25 using your credit/debit card or checking account.

Phone Features
The RAZR V3 has a large 176 x 220 color display with 262,000 colors dominates the inside of the top cover, and a supplementary 96 x 80 full-color display on the outside that can display pictures, time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's backlit control pad, which is precision cut from a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy. A charging port and USB data cable port is placed on the bottom of the phone.

The RAZR V3's internal phone book can hold up to 1000 contacts, while the phone's picture ID system allows you to assign pictures to your most common callers. It also supports polyphonic ringtones as well as MP3 ringers, allowing you to use portions of your favorite songs to alert you to incoming calls. There's even an included application, MotoMixer, that lets you mix your own ringtones. For times when you want to be discreet, there's a vibrating alert. A built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear while voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names.

The RAZR V3 is a messaging and wireless Internet powerhouse. Support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Instant messaging is also included (with support for AOL, Yahoo!, MSN, and ICQ), and the phone ships with a built-in email client with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the RAZR V3 including a voice memo recorder, a calculator with currency converter, a calendar and an alarm clock. Use the phone's Bluetooth capability to set up a wireless link with a Bluetooth accessory or connect to a computer or hand-held device to exchange and synchronize data. The phone also supports the SyncML PC synchronization standard, can be used with Motorola's Mobile Phone Tools PC application to manage and synchronize contacts, calendar and other data with your PC.

The phone's VGA camera features a 4x zoom, image quality options, and an auto-timer so you can be in your pictures, too. Capture stills and then send them to your friends via MMS messaging or email, or to your PC via USB or Bluetooth. The phone is capable of MPEG4 video playback when you receive a video message, or if you upload video to the phone via USB or Bluetooth. The RAZR V3 also supports custom graphics for wallpapers so you can dress up the phone to suit your fancy.

Vital Statistics
The Motorola RAZR V3 weighs 3.35 ounces and measures 3.86 x 2.09 x 0.54 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 6.67 hours of digital talk time, and up to 250 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies.
Price: $129.99

Nokia 6085 AT&T's GoPhone pay-as-you-go service

Nokia 6085 Specs


Nokia 6085 GSM mobile phone is great for global travelers. And with AT&T's GoPhone pay-as-you-go service, you pay for just the minutes you use without having to sign up for an annual contract--this phone even comes with $35 of airtime included. You can easily refill your minutes via prepaid cards or the Internet, or choose to prepay each month and roll over unused minutes.

Getting on the Internet is easy with support for the high-speed EDGE wireless data service. Emphasizing ease-of-use and enduring design, this straightforward clamshell phone is packed with handy organizational and communication tools as well as multimedia features such as a VGA camera (with video capture), digital audio player, Bluetooth connectivity for stereo headphones, and an FM radio. Other features include a full duplex speakerphone, MicroSD memory card slot, and a long battery life with up to 5 hours of talk time.

AT&T GoPhone Service
AT&T's pay-as-you-go GoPhone plans are wireless plans made easy. Simply pay in advance for what you need. No long-term contracts, credit checks, or surprise bills--just all the benefits of wireless, with no complications. In addition, AT&T's Rollover Balance feature lets you carry over your unused account balance when you purchase refill minutes before your balance expires. Other great features include no long distance or roaming fees across AT&T's national service area, the ability to track usage via text messages with an updated balance after each call, and the ability to refill your minutes 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. You can also cancel any time without penalty.

With the Pay As You Go option, you'll choose the rate plan that fits your needs and then start dialing. Your balance is lowered each time you make or receive a call or use services such as text messaging. You can then refill the minutes in your account via the Internet, using your phone (by calling 611 from your cell), or purchasing a pre-paid card in denominations up to $100.

With the Pick Your Plan option, you'll set up monthly, automatic payments with your credit/debit card or checking account. If you need to make more calls or you use up your balance during the month, just add minutes to your account at any time--you'll pay the same per-minute rate as your plan. You can buy more minutes in increments of $15 and $25 using your credit/debit card or checking account.

This phone operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"), with availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135 Kbps), including full picture messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.


Phone Features
Featuring subtle, organic design lines, a clear keypad and an uncluttered menu structure, the elegant Nokia 6085 is further complemented by sophisticated detailing such as black soft touch paint and chrome accents. The internal 1.8-inch passive LCD has a 128 x 160-pixel resolution and 262K colors, while the external FSTN window offers a monochrome display and measures 96 x 68 pixels. The blue light display on the cover makes it convenient to see who is calling, check the time and signal/battery strength without the need to open the phone.

The digital audio player is compatible with a wide variety of formats (MP3, MP4, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA) as well as protected WMA files purchased from AT&T Music and streaming 3GPP video. The 6085 also includes the Bluetooth A2DP profile, so you can listen to your favorite tunes and the built-in FM radio over a pair of Bluetooth-enabled wireless headphones. The built-in camera captures VGA (640 x 480-pixel) still photos as well as video clips up to 15 seconds in length. It has a 4x digital zoom, and the phone includes in-camera editing features.

Pictures, videos and music can be stored and shared using the optional hot-swappable microSD memory card, which offers up to 2 GB storage (the phone, itself, offers only 4 MB of memory). The 6085 offers wireless connectivity via Bluetooth technology, making communication--such as synchronization between phone and PC, transferring images or usage of wireless enhancements--with other devices quickly and easily.

Samsung t219 TMO to Go Prepaid Phone

Price: $99.99
The buttons are nice, with a good tactile feel so you know when they're pressed. The phone also supports Instant Messaging.

This phone can only be used with a compatible service plan.

Samsung t219 TMO to Go Prepaid Cell Phone Specification
- Size (LWH): 3.84 inches, 1.91 inches, 0.94 inches
- Weight: 4.16 ounces
- Network Compatibility: GSM
- Phone Book Capacity: 1000 Entries
- Minimum Rated Talk Time: 390 minutes
- Minimum Rated Standby Time: 200 hours
- Battery Type: Lithium Ion

Kyocera Wildcard Prepaid Phone "QWERTY keyboard and a large internal display."

Kyocera Wildcard Prepaid Cell Phone Specification "Price: $94.99"

Because the Wild Card is Bluetooth enabled, wireless communication headsets can be configured with the phone. It also incorporates a jack for an earphone as well as a speakerphone for total hands-free operation.

Support for basic text messaging and multimedia messaging (MMS) are built into the Wild Card. When used in combination with the phone's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Instant messaging chat is also supported, thanks to an embedded AOL Instant Messenger client. A built-in wireless web browser lets you surf Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) 2.0 sites via the Virgin Mobile Web service. eZiText text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

The phone looks like just another candybar style handset. Flip it open, though, and you've got a QWERTY keyboard and a large internal display. It's also one of the first handsets available from Virgin Mobile with Bluetooth wireless connectivity for communication headsets. Other features include a 1.3-megapixel camera, mobile web browsing, and mobile IM and email capabilities (via AOL and Yahoo!). It runs on the 1900 MHz CDMA network with Virgin Mobile's prepaid service, which requires no annual contract.

Phone Features

The Wild Card's face features a large, 1.5-inch 65K-color screen with a 128 x 128-pixel resolution. You'll also find a dialpad here and a five-way center button that controls most of the phone's on-screen menus. Flip the phone open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, another five-way center button, and call control buttons. The design allows for calling functions to be performed with the phone open or closed. A horizontally oriented 1.8-inch screen (with a 160 x 128-pixel resolution and 65K colors) is placed above the keyboard between the phone's dual speakers. It can hold up to 500 personal contacts, with six numbers as well as fields for email, street addresses, URL, and notes.

A number of handy tools ship with the Wild Card, including an alarm, a calendar, and a calculator with a tip calculator. There's also a voice memo application for recording quick notes or numbers.

The built-in 1.3-megapixel camera captures great stills and comes equipped with an LED flash, multi-shot adjustment, and a self-timer. Because the Wild Card supports Java applications it is compatible with many Java-based games. Many games are available from Virgin Mobile's wireless download service. You can also customize the phone with custom graphics and wallpapers, many of which are also available from Virgin Mobile.

The phone fully supports Virgin Mobile's wireless content service, VirginXtras. Use the pay-per-use service to download ringtones, get content and vote in TV-based polls via the MTV area of your phone, or get jokes and updates from Comedy Central. Pick a celebrity voice to answer your voicemail, or get a Sponge Bob thought of the day.