If I have a Galaxy S4 Mini, how does this compare?
Yes it’s old, slow, and I’m overdue to replace it, I just don’t really care about my cell phone, so I use them til they break. Mine’s currently obnoxiously slow and doesn’t hold charge more than 8 hours on idle, or about an hour of active use.
@Jamileigh17 This… would be an improvement. But so would nearly anything. I would recommend something a little more modern/powerful, like a used Galaxy S7. I’ve seen them under $200.
@Jamileigh17
Have you checked out the Motorola Moto G line? I had a G4 for a while and it was cheap and spry. They’ve beefed up the G5 plus and G6 even more
If you’re feeling particularly cheap, Amazon will knock $50 off if you let them put ads on the lock screen
I still have my Moto G4.
Last time I looked Costco had the unlocked G5 for cheap. They might have the G6, I haven’t looked.
I have a prepaid plan that I’ve had for 15+ years so I pay roughly $100/year for all the cell phone I need.
@Jamileigh17 lg g4 is what i chose as my cheap phone
i paid $60 on swappa for it and you can get extended batteries for cheap for it
it MUCH MUCH faster better than this offering and if you buy the version for your carrier you get all the carrier features like VOlte/HD voice and correct 4g LTE support
Sometimes they offer an additional $50 off, on their service for a month, when purchasing a phone and @medz or I have a code for an additional $20 off on a month’s service.
I just signed up for Project Fi and bought a Moto G6 from them. So far, I’m really liking it. And I think their price on their service is pretty good.
Thanks folx. I decided to just use the upgrade option I have and go with one of my carrier’s options vs this. Longer battery life and better RAM. (We’re on a family’s plan on verizon, so mostly was just too lazy to hit the store half a mile away to get the one we want)
@narfcake I love/hate Android. My LG V20 (which was a flagship but a mere 2 years ago!) just updated to 8.0, which has been out for over a year and isn’t even the newest version of Oreo!
@narfcake Yeah, my phone is still stuck on Lollipop, so this is almost an improvement. I think my carrier is hoping it will disintegrate so that I buy a new one, but I’ve been a stubborn cheapass about it.
@cpierce@narfcake I am yet to get 8, and I am never buying LG again. I can get 2 more years out of this I hope and then I am switching to either pixel or Samsung
All I have to say is that their was a random ad with Medicare plans on this page touting $0 deductibles. I most definitely read it as Mediocre Plans and was prepared to pay whatever was necessary for the $0 Mediocre Plan.
Now I’m just disappointed since this deal is meh and The Cleveland Clinic isn’t selling Mediocre Plans.
@nolrak I’ve had a mediocre healthcare plan for years, but I work for a mediocre company. I wish I worked for Mediocre, but it would be lo-o-ong commute!
@mgraczyk that would be the way to tell. From the article @mzkhadir linked:
Verizon Wireless was the first to arrive to the 4G LTE race and it has also built its nationwide network based on 700 MHz spectrum, but the primary band for Verizon is band 13. Bands 2 and 4 are used to strengthen the signal in the densely populated urban areas. One important thing to note about Verizon Wireless is that many phones are built specifically for the carrier, including its 4G LTE bands. In other words, the common case is that you will not be able to use an AT&T device on Verizon’s 4G LTE network.
Band 13 is Verizon’s primary band unless you are in an urban area. Band 13 is not supported by this phone.
To those who say this phone runs slow: How many gigs of RAM is considered fast?
I got my first smartphone (LG Tribute HD) back in May for $40. It has 1.5 GB RAM and doesn’t seem slow at all. In fact, it runs noticeably faster than my other tablets which have 1 GB RAM. Something about that extra half really seems to make a difference.
@JT954 Memory helps, but more important will be the processor.
And this one doesn’t even say what it is; if it’s a Qualcomm or even a MediaTek, they’d probably say it because they’re known companies. Quad core by itself means squat.
Except, pal: you’re on Meh right now, and you’ve read almost the entire write-up. So let’s tap the brakes before we judge how everyone else is using their time.
@josh42390 I’ll +1 you: I still have a pay-as-you-go flip phone. Anyone care to share a link or two on how to understand how to get service for this phone should I decide to buy it? (up to now I haven’t needed to learn about smartphone options, so a $100 phone seems enticing.)
@josh42390@Kerig3 Cricket or PagePlus are a couple other outlets which might support this phone.
That’s the thing. Sure this phone is inexpensive, and you might get lucky and port it onto your existing super cheap legacy prepaid account, or you might not.
The issue is that even in a relatively propellerhead environment of bargain hounds such as this, no one has ever heard of this phone, let alone this brand prior to today. Expect that when you call your (or any other) service provider to activate this phone, they’ll respond with “what kind of phone did you say it is again?” Eventually followed by a “we’re sorry, that’s not on our list of supported devices.”
Even if you do manage to get service, you’re running an older version of Android on unknown hardware. So if you find that the Facebook app always crashes, or just trying to set an alarm locks up the phone; you’re not going to find an online support community to help you troubleshoot the issue. If there’s even a technical support line for Envic at all, will you be able to reach anyone knowledgeable (or anyone at all?)
Fine, you say, You don’t even have maps, e-mail, nor even a flashlight or a QWERTY keyboard on your flip phone. If any of that works at all on this phone, that’s a big step up anyway, right? Perhaps. It depends if they work well enough not to frustrate you.
It’s only a hundred bucks if you want to give it a go, so not the end of the world if you eventually end up chucking it against a brick wall in aggravation, or merely adding it to that box of abandoned electronic gadgets in the closet.
@ciabelle Thanks for the explanation, great points! Could be why very few of these have sold so far. I really don’t need more headaches in my life when I really only use my phone for emergency calls at a fraction of the cheapest of those data plans. Probably an up-to-date phone with a contract would be best for me once I decide to join the 21st century!
@josh42390 I don’t want to discourage anyone from buying from Meh… I mean… well…, you know… but…
If you can hold out until Black Friday, every year Walmart has a smart phone or two on sale that are really ok phones. Last year I bought 2 Samsung smartphones for relatives. They were usually $150 -$200 and I paid less than $50 for them. The year before I bought one and I still use it. Different models, but still a decent phone. You need to specifically look for them, but they’re there.
@josh42390 Go to Walmart and get a Straight Talk phone that you know will work on the system and will be cheaper - I’ve seen some listed around $50. Plus it’s right there so you can touch it and fondle it to see if you like it.
@ciabelle@josh42390@Kerig3 PagePlus won’t. This looks to be GSM only, and PagePlus is CDMA.
As an aside, all of the Verizon-based MVNOs seem to be extremely restrictive on bringing your own device.
I just attempted to buy a brand new Motorola Moto E5 that is CDMA-compatible, but none of the three Verizon-based MVNOs I contacted with the MEID said it was approved for their network.
@josh42390@Kerig3 i use ting for my service. They use tmo or Sprint networks so this phone would work. Best deal around if you don’t use it much. My average bill is 22 bucks or something like that. You can go on their website and enter what you currently use and see your bill. If you want to try it, message me and i can give a referral code, we both get 25 bucks. The best thing about them tho is the service. They are canadian, so crazy friendly, and if you call them an actual real live Canadian answers on the first ring. (And yes I am in the US). I was a day one adopter and haven’t considered leaving. Ting.com
@InFrom
Where are you getting your phones that you are successfully porting?
I’ve had two failures. One was a Moto G4 purchased as an unlocked refurb from newegg. I got it and it turned out to be pre-paid, so ineligible.
The next was a brand new, never used, unlocked, non-prepaid, Verizon-compatible Moto E5 from bestbuy. Also ineligible.
In both cases, I had to buy the phone so I could get the MEID/IMEI to check compatibility and then return it.
@Limewater Well, let’s see. The first few were VZW flip phones that we had been using, we just ported them over, that was a breeze. We got a Tracfone, (trying to remember the brand, LG maybe?) at Best buy. I must have read either on HoFo or on the old Kitty Wireless boards that the model would work with Page Plus.
Then we got a Samsung Galaxy S5, I believe it was on eBay, which expressly stated it was ok for Page Plus, and it was. And I got a Moto Droid Razr, similarly listed, a few years ago – when I was finally ready to surrender my flip phone. I can’t remember if I was still using Page Plus for my own phone at that time, or had already migrated to another Verizon MVNO.
Now all we have left on Page+ are a couple of old 3G phones (on the $10 per 4 months paygo) for family members who really don’t use them.
If there was ever a product on MEH that deserved to be checked on Fakespot it is this Piece Of Crap…
And yes…a SOLID F…
Why you would buy this, with absolutely NO IDEA if it will even work on any network (or even work at all) when there are so many phones to choose from on various services for 100 is beyond me…Unless, of course, you need a teething ring for your pet tiger…
Might be a good thing for someone who wants to use the Torque Android app to monitor their OBD in their car without taking up the resources of their real phone. That’s what I do, but my daughter happened to have a retired Android phone that I use for that. I just keep it in the car and it’s there whenever I need it.
@gdibig There are people buying these from Walmart for $189 and that is on sale. That also seems to be the going “sale” price on Amazon & BestBuy (third-party sellers only) with a $249 “list” msrp.
This is currently the best deal on this item by far.
Here is a list of phones that also use this CPU (really the whole system on a chip, or “SoC”). FYI - Very few US offerings besides this one. Wikipedia also has a list for this CPU (under the ARMv8 quad-core entry).
IMO, the most notable/competitor US phone using this chip is the BLU R1 HD. All are Android 6 (Marshmallow). Don’t know if any others were released in the US.
@mike808 It means you’ll never get anything better than Marshmallow. MediaTek abandoned that chip shortly before they brought it to market. Anybody using it was left high and dry. Luckily it was mostly no-name bottom of the barrel brands that never had any intention of supporting their phones in the first place.
Android 6 was new when the Nexus 5X came out. The Nexus 5X is guaranteed security updates until September 2018. Just say no. And regardless of Google’s policy on updates, the possibility that this phone will get any is zero.
@HankB33 It can be rooted fairly easily (apparently all Chinese-made MediaTek ARM chips can if you believe Youtube), and there could be some roms that might work. But you are probably better served by putting that $100 elsewhere in both time and money.
If you’re looking for a $100, Android 8+, US carrier, security/OS supported phone, the closest that hits that might be last year’s Nokia 6.1, which is $150, and not (yet) sub-$100. The new Nokia 7.1 is $250.
Ahahahaha, this write up is definitely talking to me, except for the printed MapQuest thing - I use Google Maps! …and I have a Garmin GPS only slightly newer than my flip-phone.
And yeah, the whole “moral angle” is basically where I’m coming from.
Yes - I’m on Meh right now - as I sit on the couch in my PJs drinking my coffee and surfing the 'net.
Once the coffee does its job, I’ll close the lap-top and hopefully spend the better part of my day NOT staring at a screen -hopefully. I have a hard enough time pulling myself away from the screen when I’m at home, you think I want to carry that shit with me everywhere I go?!?
Instead I’ll be shaking my head at the junkies who can’t look away from their phone-crack for more than a minute without getting all twitchy - EVEN WHEN THEY’RE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH! (…then 60, then 70, in the fast lane, then half out of the fast lane, then cutting across all lanes because they didn’t notice their exit was 500 feet away… etc.)
Yeah, texting is a p.i.t.a. - that’s a good thing - keeps me from texting WHILE DRIVING…etc., see above.
Really, texting only becomes a problem for me with group texts - I can’t easily see who the author(s) are, I can’t reply-all, and worst of all, I can’t opt-out of a group chat!
Oh, and yesterday, I received NO mandatory message from President Tinyhands Twitler Von Mushroomdick.
Remains to be seen whether or not that’s really a good thing… When you’re all receiving daily alerts informing you how smart and great and honest and TOTALLY NOT COLLUDING your President-for-life is, I’ll be LMAO… On the other hand, when I’m the last one to find out that the zombie apocalypse has begun, I’ll be screwed.
I don’t have any and don’t want any, but wouldn’t this be a good package for your kiddos? Cheap, full of crap they might ask for if you bought them a phone alone. They break it? Who cares?
@goldnectar Nope. Cheaper to buy an inexpensive new phone and an inexpensive new smart watch. I think these first went on sale in 2016, but the circuit designs are older. A slightly better 2018 version of the watch is only $18.
I was intrigued by the Smart Watch. I found that watches with the same insides, but different styling and bands are $22 on Amazon and $20 on eBay. If you are interested in such a thing, ignore those older designs. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07FGF11MV/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8 this watch from 2018 is $18 and has much better ratings.
Note that I have not done any research on that watch other than reading Amazon reviews.
Nice cheap phone. My 4 year old is using it as a small tablet without service. The watch battery was bloated and the cover would not stay on. I contacted Envic support online, and while a bit slow I should have a replacement battery on the way.
My little guy is using the phone as we got it to test something and that opportunity changed before we got it, but he loves it. Plays all the games he wants, and he is happy with the pictures it takes, and loves to use it for streaming videos.
Specs
What’s in the Box?
1x Phone
1x Car charger
1x Wall charger
2x USB to Micro USB charging cables
1x Screen protector
1x Phone case
1x 32GB MicroSD card with SD adapter
1x Headphones
1x Powerbank/bluetooth earpiece (Ash model only)
1x Powerbank/bluetooth speaker (Rogue model only)
Price Comparison
Ash: $199 at Amazon
Rogue: 8 reviews on Amazon
Warranty
1 Year Envic
Estimated Delivery
Wednesday, July 15th - Monday, July 20th
Too late, I just bought a phone.
Um, isn’t this kind of expensive for this junk?
@Barney The junkyard called and they were kind of insulted, you might want to apologize to them.
@jnanas I’d call, if only I had a phone…
@Barney I dunno, you can get a comparable smartphone for what, like $80 on Amazon? $20 for everything else seems like a good deal.
I don’t even know where this phone came from and I own an Essential and Xiaomi phone.
IRK Plushies
Mehgic 8 Ball (all responses: Meh.)
Squatty Meh! Potty
@reclaimercube
Plushy Meh!potty
IRK squatty
@reclaimercube I’d pay for a mehgic 8 ball
@gardenald I get asked a lot of stupid questions at work. I’d love to have it on my desk!!!
Anyone know anything about the watch?
@capecodcaper it has 240 pixels. So that’s like, 16x15. It will almost show an old Windows 3.1 icon in its entirety.
(Yes, I know that’s a typo in the specs).
@capecodcaper @djslack This is meh. It might just be that low.
/giphy nope
Maybe if it WAS a flip phone…
@tnhillbillygal I would have to jump on a flip phone. I got a smart phone about 2 years ago, it costs me twice as much to use.
@tnhillbillygal i flip phone with a smart watch now you got something!
@tnhillbillygal the hell with that. i want a FLIP WATCH.
@NAFderwin @tnhillbillygal And the flip watch would have the rubber buttons like the old calculator watches
If I have a Galaxy S4 Mini, how does this compare?
Yes it’s old, slow, and I’m overdue to replace it, I just don’t really care about my cell phone, so I use them til they break. Mine’s currently obnoxiously slow and doesn’t hold charge more than 8 hours on idle, or about an hour of active use.
@Jamileigh17 This… would be an improvement. But so would nearly anything. I would recommend something a little more modern/powerful, like a used Galaxy S7. I’ve seen them under $200.
@cpierce It might not be an improvement if it doesn’t cover the frequency/bands used.
@Jamileigh17 Maybe just get a new battery? The back cover just pries off and the battery slides in.
@Jamileigh17
Have you checked out the Motorola Moto G line? I had a G4 for a while and it was cheap and spry. They’ve beefed up the G5 plus and G6 even more
If you’re feeling particularly cheap, Amazon will knock $50 off if you let them put ads on the lock screen
@Jamileigh17 @narfcake True, but that goes for pretty much anything you don’t buy from a carrier.
I still have my Moto G4.
Last time I looked Costco had the unlocked G5 for cheap. They might have the G6, I haven’t looked.
I have a prepaid plan that I’ve had for 15+ years so I pay roughly $100/year for all the cell phone I need.
@Jamileigh17 lg g4 is what i chose as my cheap phone
i paid $60 on swappa for it and you can get extended batteries for cheap for it
it MUCH MUCH faster better than this offering and if you buy the version for your carrier you get all the carrier features like VOlte/HD voice and correct 4g LTE support
https://swappa.com/buy/lg-g4
@communist @Jamileigh17 I love swappa for buying and selling of my old phones
@Jamileigh17 Just go onto Amazon and buy a new one. You can get some pretty decent mid-grade phones for about this same price.
@Jamileigh17 Maybe check out the Moto G6 on Project Fi?
https://fi.google.com/about/
Sometimes they offer an additional $50 off, on their service for a month, when purchasing a phone and @medz or I have a code for an additional $20 off on a month’s service.
I just signed up for Project Fi and bought a Moto G6 from them. So far, I’m really liking it. And I think their price on their service is pretty good.
@mamawoot Damn, that’s clever. I need to look into a prepaid plan.
@Jamileigh17 Correction – the $50 off is a one time credit on their service. (I knew I was going to screw that up.)
Thanks folx. I decided to just use the upgrade option I have and go with one of my carrier’s options vs this. Longer battery life and better RAM. (We’re on a family’s plan on verizon, so mostly was just too lazy to hit the store half a mile away to get the one we want)
Is it typical for the products on meh to have been previous featured on morningsave.com?
@mappiahpadi It’s usually the other way around.
@lowlypeon @mappiahpadi Probably took them extra time bundeling in the watch
Android is up to 9.0 now. This is still at 6.0.
/giphy Nope nope nope
@narfcake I love/hate Android. My LG V20 (which was a flagship but a mere 2 years ago!) just updated to 8.0, which has been out for over a year and isn’t even the newest version of Oreo!
@narfcake Yeah, my phone is still stuck on Lollipop, so this is almost an improvement. I think my carrier is hoping it will disintegrate so that I buy a new one, but I’ve been a stubborn cheapass about it.
@cpierce @narfcake I am yet to get 8, and I am never buying LG again. I can get 2 more years out of this I hope and then I am switching to either pixel or Samsung
@narfcake Essential PH-1. If you care about updates stick with AOSP-type phones. As in the Nexus line. I feel like OnePlus might be just the same too.
Powerbank, Bluetooth speaker, Bluetooth earpiece, headphones … this is like the ultimate Meh experience all rolled into one deal
@nolrak needs candy corn.
@RogerWilco yeah, c’mon guys, I just finished my last bag
@nolrak no knife.
@nolrak @RedOak or speaker dock
@nolrak or batteries
@jnicholson0619 @nolrak Or fidget spinners!
All I have to say is that their was a random ad with Medicare plans on this page touting $0 deductibles. I most definitely read it as Mediocre Plans and was prepared to pay whatever was necessary for the $0 Mediocre Plan.
Now I’m just disappointed since this deal is meh and The Cleveland Clinic isn’t selling Mediocre Plans.
@evantribley A Mediocre healthcare plan is a terribly disturbing thought
@nolrak I’ve had a mediocre healthcare plan for years, but I work for a mediocre company. I wish I worked for Mediocre, but it would be lo-o-ong commute!
People buying should check gsm compatibility
NETWORK:
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
3G: UMTS 850/1700/1900
LTE: Band 2, 4, 5, 12, 17
https://www.phonearena.com/news/Cheat-sheet-which-4G-LTE-bands-do-AT-T-Verizon-T-Mobile-and-Sprint-use-in-the-USA_id77933
@mzkhadir that would Cover T-mo pretty well, and AT&T decently.
@mzkhadir how can I tell if this phone works on verizon? I bought it and The guy at the Verizon store cannot get it on their network.
@mgraczyk
@mgraczyk that would be the way to tell. From the article @mzkhadir linked:
Band 13 is Verizon’s primary band unless you are in an urban area. Band 13 is not supported by this phone.
@djslack @mzkhadir Ugh! Great. I wonder if Meh will let me return it. There was nothing about it not working on Verizon in the description.
This looks like a low cost knock-off. I don’t need the Chinese listening to my conversations too.
@hchavers Yeah, I’d be worried about malware being pre-installed on these things.
@hchavers hopefully Envic doesn’t source parts from Super Micro…
Just think of this as a classic crappy meh Bluetooth speaker that comes with a free phone.
If I had $100 to blow on something I didn’t need I would probably buy this just for a backup, but alas, I do not.
To those who say this phone runs slow: How many gigs of RAM is considered fast?
I got my first smartphone (LG Tribute HD) back in May for $40. It has 1.5 GB RAM and doesn’t seem slow at all. In fact, it runs noticeably faster than my other tablets which have 1 GB RAM. Something about that extra half really seems to make a difference.
@JT954 Memory helps, but more important will be the processor.
And this one doesn’t even say what it is; if it’s a Qualcomm or even a MediaTek, they’d probably say it because they’re known companies. Quad core by itself means squat.
Great write up as usual, especially this part:
So someone tell me why this isn’t a great deal. I have straight talk and need a new phone.
@josh42390 I’ll +1 you: I still have a pay-as-you-go flip phone.
Anyone care to share a link or two on how to understand how to get service for this phone should I decide to buy it? (up to now I haven’t needed to learn about smartphone options, so a $100 phone seems enticing.)
@josh42390 @Kerig3 straight talk may be an option. Pretty cheap too.
@josh42390 I found this great plan comparison. Now I just have to justify why I need more than voice on my rarely-used cell phone.
@josh42390 @Kerig3 Cricket or PagePlus are a couple other outlets which might support this phone.
That’s the thing. Sure this phone is inexpensive, and you might get lucky and port it onto your existing super cheap legacy prepaid account, or you might not.
The issue is that even in a relatively propellerhead environment of bargain hounds such as this, no one has ever heard of this phone, let alone this brand prior to today. Expect that when you call your (or any other) service provider to activate this phone, they’ll respond with “what kind of phone did you say it is again?” Eventually followed by a “we’re sorry, that’s not on our list of supported devices.”
Even if you do manage to get service, you’re running an older version of Android on unknown hardware. So if you find that the Facebook app always crashes, or just trying to set an alarm locks up the phone; you’re not going to find an online support community to help you troubleshoot the issue. If there’s even a technical support line for Envic at all, will you be able to reach anyone knowledgeable (or anyone at all?)
Fine, you say, You don’t even have maps, e-mail, nor even a flashlight or a QWERTY keyboard on your flip phone. If any of that works at all on this phone, that’s a big step up anyway, right? Perhaps. It depends if they work well enough not to frustrate you.
It’s only a hundred bucks if you want to give it a go, so not the end of the world if you eventually end up chucking it against a brick wall in aggravation, or merely adding it to that box of abandoned electronic gadgets in the closet.
@ciabelle Thanks for the explanation, great points! Could be why very few of these have sold so far. I really don’t need more headaches in my life when I really only use my phone for emergency calls at a fraction of the cheapest of those data plans. Probably an up-to-date phone with a contract would be best for me once I decide to join the 21st century!
@josh42390 I don’t want to discourage anyone from buying from Meh… I mean… well…, you know… but…
If you can hold out until Black Friday, every year Walmart has a smart phone or two on sale that are really ok phones. Last year I bought 2 Samsung smartphones for relatives. They were usually $150 -$200 and I paid less than $50 for them. The year before I bought one and I still use it. Different models, but still a decent phone. You need to specifically look for them, but they’re there.
@ciabelle @Kerig3 @josh42390 Nope. Their support page comes up blank.
http://www.envicmobile.com/support/
@josh42390 on stight talks website they have a $60 iphone SE refurbished
https://shop.straighttalk.com/shop/en/straighttalk/phones/iphone-se-32gb-rose-gold-reconditioned-gpapisec32rgr2-p
j7 sky pro for $55
https://shop.straighttalk.com/shop/en/straighttalk/phones/st-samsung-galaxy-j7-sky-pro-reconditioned
and iphone 6 refurb for only $99
all phones which are stight talk branded so will completely work on stright talk
@ciabelle @josh42390 @Kerig3 I wanna dig through that closet!
@josh42390 Go to Walmart and get a Straight Talk phone that you know will work on the system and will be cheaper - I’ve seen some listed around $50. Plus it’s right there so you can touch it and fondle it to see if you like it.
@narfcake looks like a number here. http://www.envicmobile.com/contactus/
Pantec Burst
@ciabelle @josh42390 @Kerig3 PagePlus won’t. This looks to be GSM only, and PagePlus is CDMA.
As an aside, all of the Verizon-based MVNOs seem to be extremely restrictive on bringing your own device.
I just attempted to buy a brand new Motorola Moto E5 that is CDMA-compatible, but none of the three Verizon-based MVNOs I contacted with the MEID said it was approved for their network.
@josh42390 @Kerig3 i use ting for my service. They use tmo or Sprint networks so this phone would work. Best deal around if you don’t use it much. My average bill is 22 bucks or something like that. You can go on their website and enter what you currently use and see your bill. If you want to try it, message me and i can give a referral code, we both get 25 bucks. The best thing about them tho is the service. They are canadian, so crazy friendly, and if you call them an actual real live Canadian answers on the first ring. (And yes I am in the US). I was a day one adopter and haven’t considered leaving. Ting.com
@josh42390 @Kerig3 MintMobile, MVNO of T-Mobile- $15 a month for unlimited voice and Text with 2Gb data. Probably the cheapest plan available.
@pfarro1 Thanks! Another ting to look into…
(sorry, I couldn’t help myself)
Read on Amazon that it doesn’t work with Verizon, true?
@stuntdriver See this post for the band info. Verizon is primarily band 13.
And if no Verizon, then no to Page Plus or any other MVNO that uses Verizon prepaid coverage.
@InFrom I have had zero luck bringing outside phones to PagePlus anyway.
@Limewater Hmm, I been able to bring a few different phones over to Page+. All retired Verizon postpaid.
@InFrom
Where are you getting your phones that you are successfully porting?
I’ve had two failures. One was a Moto G4 purchased as an unlocked refurb from newegg. I got it and it turned out to be pre-paid, so ineligible.
The next was a brand new, never used, unlocked, non-prepaid, Verizon-compatible Moto E5 from bestbuy. Also ineligible.
In both cases, I had to buy the phone so I could get the MEID/IMEI to check compatibility and then return it.
@Limewater Well, let’s see. The first few were VZW flip phones that we had been using, we just ported them over, that was a breeze. We got a Tracfone, (trying to remember the brand, LG maybe?) at Best buy. I must have read either on HoFo or on the old Kitty Wireless boards that the model would work with Page Plus.
Then we got a Samsung Galaxy S5, I believe it was on eBay, which expressly stated it was ok for Page Plus, and it was. And I got a Moto Droid Razr, similarly listed, a few years ago – when I was finally ready to surrender my flip phone. I can’t remember if I was still using Page Plus for my own phone at that time, or had already migrated to another Verizon MVNO.
Now all we have left on Page+ are a couple of old 3G phones (on the $10 per 4 months paygo) for family members who really don’t use them.
If there was ever a product on MEH that deserved to be checked on Fakespot it is this Piece Of Crap…
And yes…a SOLID F…
Why you would buy this, with absolutely NO IDEA if it will even work on any network (or even work at all) when there are so many phones to choose from on various services for 100 is beyond me…Unless, of course, you need a teething ring for your pet tiger…
Selling phones cheap is an extremely competitive market, meh. Hope you guys can dump these somehow.
Might be a good thing for someone who wants to use the Torque Android app to monitor their OBD in their car without taking up the resources of their real phone. That’s what I do, but my daughter happened to have a retired Android phone that I use for that. I just keep it in the car and it’s there whenever I need it.
This should be the signal for Meh to change their name to “Crap”. I mean, come on! People are actually buying these? And paying $100? Yikes!
@gdibig There are people buying these from Walmart for $189 and that is on sale. That also seems to be the going “sale” price on Amazon & BestBuy (third-party sellers only) with a $249 “list” msrp.
This is currently the best deal on this item by far.
@gdibig Thinking about bookmarking this particular thread so I can come back to read all the complaints in a few weeks.
FYI - nobody has the CPU in their listings, but I found it on geekbench.
CPU: A53 MediaTek MT6735P @ 988 MHz
GPU: Mali-T720 MP1
This CPU is from the circa 2016 phone cycle.
Here is a list of phones that also use this CPU (really the whole system on a chip, or “SoC”). FYI - Very few US offerings besides this one. Wikipedia also has a list for this CPU (under the ARMv8 quad-core entry).
IMO, the most notable/competitor US phone using this chip is the BLU R1 HD. All are Android 6 (Marshmallow). Don’t know if any others were released in the US.
@mike808 It means you’ll never get anything better than Marshmallow. MediaTek abandoned that chip shortly before they brought it to market. Anybody using it was left high and dry. Luckily it was mostly no-name bottom of the barrel brands that never had any intention of supporting their phones in the first place.
Is this line a typo?
Call Support over 2G Network
If not, I would just drop that bullet point like carriers are dropping their 2G networks.
@dashcloud The watch is a complete 2G cell phone all by itself. This isn’t useful in the US since there are few 2G networks left.
Similar watches are $20 to $22 each. Look for smartwatches which use the “Fundo wear app”.
Holy shit. I have never seen an “F” in Fakespot for a product.
https://www.fakespot.com/product/envic-unlocked-cell-phone-bundle-13-items-rogue-model#customerReviews
@aarond12 The “Ash” bundle gets a “C”.
Oh, this is definitely a phone that direct links with China’s aggregation servers and probably their Government.
Of course… almost every service I use on my phone does too… sooo?!
@atx85 As opposed to the rest of our phones which link directly to our own government.
Android 6 was new when the Nexus 5X came out. The Nexus 5X is guaranteed security updates until September 2018. Just say no. And regardless of Google’s policy on updates, the possibility that this phone will get any is zero.
@HankB33 It can be rooted fairly easily (apparently all Chinese-made MediaTek ARM chips can if you believe Youtube), and there could be some roms that might work. But you are probably better served by putting that $100 elsewhere in both time and money.
If you’re looking for a $100, Android 8+, US carrier, security/OS supported phone, the closest that hits that might be last year’s Nokia 6.1, which is $150, and not (yet) sub-$100. The new Nokia 7.1 is $250.
Ahahahaha, this write up is definitely talking to me, except for the printed MapQuest thing - I use Google Maps! …and I have a Garmin GPS only slightly newer than my flip-phone.
And yeah, the whole “moral angle” is basically where I’m coming from.
Yes - I’m on Meh right now - as I sit on the couch in my PJs drinking my coffee and surfing the 'net.
Once the coffee does its job, I’ll close the lap-top and hopefully spend the better part of my day NOT staring at a screen -hopefully. I have a hard enough time pulling myself away from the screen when I’m at home, you think I want to carry that shit with me everywhere I go?!?
Instead I’ll be shaking my head at the junkies who can’t look away from their phone-crack for more than a minute without getting all twitchy - EVEN WHEN THEY’RE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH! (…then 60, then 70, in the fast lane, then half out of the fast lane, then cutting across all lanes because they didn’t notice their exit was 500 feet away… etc.)
Yeah, texting is a p.i.t.a. - that’s a good thing - keeps me from texting WHILE DRIVING…etc., see above.
Really, texting only becomes a problem for me with group texts - I can’t easily see who the author(s) are, I can’t reply-all, and worst of all, I can’t opt-out of a group chat!
Oh, and yesterday, I received NO mandatory message from President Tinyhands Twitler Von Mushroomdick.
Remains to be seen whether or not that’s really a good thing… When you’re all receiving daily alerts informing you how smart and great and honest and TOTALLY NOT COLLUDING your President-for-life is, I’ll be LMAO… On the other hand, when I’m the last one to find out that the zombie apocalypse has begun, I’ll be screwed.
¯_(ツ)_/¯
@DennisG2014 “President Tinyhands Twitler Von Mushroomdick”
I don’t have any and don’t want any, but wouldn’t this be a good package for your kiddos? Cheap, full of crap they might ask for if you bought them a phone alone. They break it? Who cares?
@goldnectar No even the worse kids don’t deserve this
@goldnectar Nope. Cheaper to buy an inexpensive new phone and an inexpensive new smart watch. I think these first went on sale in 2016, but the circuit designs are older. A slightly better 2018 version of the watch is only $18.
I was intrigued by the Smart Watch. I found that watches with the same insides, but different styling and bands are $22 on Amazon and $20 on eBay. If you are interested in such a thing, ignore those older designs. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07FGF11MV/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8 this watch from 2018 is $18 and has much better ratings.
Note that I have not done any research on that watch other than reading Amazon reviews.
I know that you look into the bowl before you flush…
Will this phone play Pokemon GO though?
@flooners That’s still a thing?
Flash Memory: 2 GB RAM + 16 GB ROM
What? Does this mean it has 2GB of system memory and 16GB of Flash?
Less than an hour left and less than 100 sold. I’d say just about a perfect Meh offering.
I fully expect a flip phone for tomorrow’s deal.
/giphy Motorola razr
Nice cheap phone. My 4 year old is using it as a small tablet without service. The watch battery was bloated and the cover would not stay on. I contacted Envic support online, and while a bit slow I should have a replacement battery on the way.
My little guy is using the phone as we got it to test something and that opportunity changed before we got it, but he loves it. Plays all the games he wants, and he is happy with the pictures it takes, and loves to use it for streaming videos.