Inexpensive smartphone?

[TomTX]

So, looking for an inexpensive (new) smartphone for the kid. Won't be on a plan, just tethered to a parent's phone.

Needs GPS
Recent Android OS

Thoughts?

[JLee]

How inexpensive?

[TomTX]

I'm not sure where the sweet spot is, haven't looked at low end phones in a long time.

[Padonak]

Motorola phones are pretty basic and inexpensive

[Knapptyme]

I second Motorola phones. I've never paid more than $250 for a new phone. They all have worked fine, taken decent pictures, and generally have a long battery life.

Note: I'm on my second Motorola phone (Moto G7 Play) since October 2014, and my wife just ordered her third Motorola phone (Moto G Power ~ $200) since December 2014. (She dropped and broke the first one after only a year or so which is why she's on her third.)

[Hula Hoop]

Same here.  We all have Motorola G7 phones. They're great.

[chemistk]

Definitely look at buying an unlocked secondhand phone on Swappa. The site has a lot of controls in place to ensure that you end up receiving a functional, clean, unlocked device. You can purchase nearly any phone made in the last few years, often at much lower than retail (if you're targeting a newer model) or at just slightly higher than FB marketplace/eBay but with the peace of mind knowing the device isn't a dud.

I would agree that Motorola phones are probably the way to go, but good deals can be had on a lot of models. I would 100% narrow your list further though. Do you need a SD card slot? Does it need to still be eligible to receive security patches? Fingerprint reader? Headphone jack? etc.

[YttriumNitrate]

I've had a Motorola G something-or-other for a few years, and it has worked fine. When it breaks, I'll once again buy the cheapest name brand phone available on Ting. Right now, that looks to be the Motorola G6 for $99.

[FIRE 20/20]

I've had great luck with Moto G-series variants as well.  I think between my girlfriend and me we've had the original Moto G, a G4, and a G5 plus.  All were more than we needed.  Recently we moved on from those phones because we've had outstanding experiences with buying used phones on Swappa.  She ended up with a year old Samsung S10e for about what we would have paid for a new Moto, and it's a vastly better phone.  I recently bought a used LG G8 ThinQ (new ~$800) for about $220, if I remember correctly.  Depending on your price range, I'd look at the best midrange phones from last year and see what they're going for on Swappa today.  Something like the Samsung A50, Moto G7, or similar on Swappa should be in the $150-$200 range.  If you really want to get something inexpensive then it looks like the Moto G6 (about 2 years old) is going for about $100 on Swappa.  Or if you really want something new, I like CNET's recommendations although I don't have much experience with most of these phones:

https://www.cnet.com/news/best-budget-phones-2020-our-picks-phones-under-200/

[alsoknownasDean]

Samsung A series handsets (maybe A10e or A20) might be an option as well. Consider used like mentioned earlier, but keep in mind that the battery would also be used. Some of the Nokia/HMD devices are also an option, they're Android One handsets so updates should be sorted.

Anything (from any brand) below about $100-150 is likely to be rather limited in terms of specifications. Anything running Android Go edition is going to be a very low end phone. I'd avoid anything with less than 32GB of storage if possible (and definitely any 8GB phones). 8GB doesn't last long once the OS, updated software, and any browser caches or similar are taken into account.

Get one that's easy to find a good solid case. If it's for a young child, the phone's likely to cop some harsh treatment.

[rosarugosa]

I recently upgraded to a Samsung A10e and I think it's great.  I believe it cost me about $160 or so through Tracfone.

[stoaX]

When I retired last July my employer took back the company issued Iphone.  For the first time in well over a decade I had to buy a phone.  I went with Motorola's moto x4.  I bought it unlocked and paired it with a prepaid plan.  The phone itself cost about $150 and I've been quite pleased with it.   

[Goldendog777]

My husband and I also have had Motorola phones for over 5 years.  I have the Moto G6 and he has the Moto G7.  Both are great for the price.