WTB: Android smartphone to be used on StraightTalk network

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gnawrot

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EDIT: I purchased LG G5 Verizon at amazon for $200. Thanks for the tips and information. I still have LG G2 and that needs to be upgraded (nothing wrong with phone). I just want something newer.

Looking for Android smartphone for around $200 that works on CDMA and GSM (unlocked). Screen should be at least 5". It will be used most likely on Straightalk. I will need to get it on/before March 10, 2017.

Paying paypal. Heat is gnawrot.
 
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Motorola Droid Turbo. Lightly used (for about 3 months), originally on Verizon. Can be used on their Straight Talk Sim, or a T-Mobile one, but you won't get Band 12 LTE on T-Mobile, only band 2 and 4 LTE.

Bootloader was unlocked (which was a $25ish fee) already, can either revert back to stock Verizon software, or use a debloated custom rom. Whatever you want.

$100 + USPS priority, figure $110 shipped? Perfect, immaculate condition. 32GB, the carbon fiber body not the crappy Nylon one.

For $10 more I can throw in a wireless Qi charger too.
 
Android phone should be easy to find, but one that works on both GSM and CDMA I think cuts the list down by quite a bit. That would be some of the newer direct from google phones, and some (all?) unlocked Verizon phones. Maybe Sprint too but not sure. As mentioned already, I definitely recommend Swappa too, though sometimes it can be slim-pickens for good unlocked phones.
 
For CDMA + GSM, you're going to have to go Nexus 5X (I wouldn't recommend) or a Verizon phone. Sprint locks theirs and are bastards about unlocking. For more money you could get a galaxy S7, and flash whatever carrier's firmware on it, but that's about double your asking price's high end.
 
Straighttalk uses AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile depending on your sim type. You can buy almost anything really.
 
entropism said:
For CDMA + GSM, you're going to have to go Nexus 5X (I wouldn't recommend) or a Verizon phone. Sprint locks theirs and are bastards about unlocking. For more money you could get a galaxy S7, and flash whatever carrier's firmware on it, but that's about double your asking price's high end.
Click to expand...
Moto x Pure does CDMA and GSM as well. It is a great phone and takes microsd for memory expansion - here is one for 185
https://swappa.com/listing/AQL610/view
 
A: that won't work on Verizon Straighttalk

B: That phone is on a self destruct cycle because of the bootloops.
 
entropism said:
A: that won't work on Verizon Straighttalk

B: That phone is on a self destruct cycle because of the bootloops.
Click to expand...

according to what i read it does work with verizon straight talk - lg Identified the boot loop issue and will repair for free IF you have the issue. Just trying to help the guy find a phone that meets his ciriteria for 200 bucks.
 
It's the Sprint variant of the LG G4 (the LS991) and it will not work on Verizon because Sprint uses LTE bands 25, 26, and 41 - Verizon uses LTE bands 2, 4, and 13. Because of that it's only going to work on Sprint or AT&T or T-Mobile (AT&T and T-Mobile primarily in HSPA or HSPA+ mode). There is no band 'crossover' with Sprint because they use LTE bands that are theirs and theirs alone.

This helpful chart comes in handy:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/FrameWork/northAmericaLinks.pdf

as noted in that if you scroll down to the Uniited States section you can see that AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all share at least one LTE band - 4 - but Sprint is way outside all that (they just like being different) and so that LS991 variant will not work in LTE mode on AT&T or T-Mobile (for StraightTalk networok access) but it would work with their networks using HSPA/HSPA+ without issues. You'll get no Verizon support at all using the LS991, period. While it is a CDMA device and they do share crossover on the CDMA side of things, again Sprint likes being different so a Verizon device will not connect to the Sprint CDMA network and a Sprint device will not connect to the Verizon CDMA network either.

The only devices capable of working with Verizon are going to be Verizon branded hardware and perhaps some other global devices that are designed for their bands - Sprint does things their own way and so only Sprint-branded phones really work on Sprint's network save for a few that are truly "global" and have full support for every technology currently available (there's only a few of those out there) and every potential LTE band as well.

As for the LG G4 boot loop issue, while LG will repair one as long as you can basically prove the date of purchase or you register it with LG for the warranty and wait a period of time then submit an online chat request for a repair, the fact that in another month or so the G4 will be two full years old since introduction LG is getting to a point where they aren't going to do the fixes anymore because they simply don't have the parts. They stopped making G4's and the necessary replacement parts in October 2016 (based on what I read as reported by an LG engineer) so there's a point where they'll simply tell anybody that has a G4 "Sorry, go buy a new phone..." and they mean it because even they aren't going to be able to actually do a repair anymore.

I love the G4, really I do, I miss having one, it is the perfect smartphone in my opinion and I would pay a princely sum at this point to get another one in pristine condition if I knew absolutely certain it would never ever suffer from that boot loop issue but alas, it's just not meant to be. :(

"The LG G4 is dead, long live the LG G4..." :D

If the OP requires AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon access then it's going to pretty much literally have to be a Verizon-branded used device and there are plenty of those out there, the Droid Turbo devices are excellent for such things, both 1st and 2nd generation hardware and they're not all that expensive anymore if you're looking around. I see two Droid Turbos and one Droid Turbo 2 here in my area on craigslist at this moment and none of them are more than $175 so look around.

That's not the only Verizon-branded device, but they are some of the best Verizon-branding has to offer.
 
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Not the sprint variant, it is the US991 the US Cellular variant and it does work with Verizon (according to multiple xda posts) I got two for my mom and aunt last christmas and yeah they are not power users but been a year plus and no boot loop issues I have heard of.
 
Oops, my booboo there, I didn't catch the US reference in the part number, sorry about that. :(

And because of just those two little letters you would be correct, the US991 variant does support both Sprint and Verizon (based on what I read last year when I was interested in getting that variant at a great price and not something I just read a few minutes ago). I declined on the purchase because the person wouldn't provide me the IMEI to check if there was a billing issue so I didn't buy it but the research I did at that time did provide that info.

Anyway, even in spite of that capability I can't say I'd recommend purchasing a G4 anymore unless the price was crazy crazy good and ~$200 isn't worth the risk IMO even if it does die and LG did actually offer to get it fixed at least once. The US991 variant - that I know of - has been the least reported variant with boot loop issues, that much is true and you can check out the G4 subforum at XDA to verify that (they have a few polls about which variants died more than others) so it could work fine forever with no issues.

But for ~$200 that's just too much, at least for me personally.

Sorry about that model number mixup, my mistake.
 
no worries - just the removable battery limits choices - and 200 bucks limits it as well. Honestly for 200 bucks the G4 is probably the best phone you could get for the money - the camera is in class with the samsung and iphone - it has a micro sd slot, removable battery - pretty much works on any carrier. 2k screen, sure it's the 808 but still a decent cpu. And it is new. Removes the "was the previous owner a manic" question lol. Hell I am tempted to order one myself to use when I travel.
 
The camera in the G4 is better in my opinion. :D While other cameras (meaning the sensor and lens assembly as one component aka "the camera") have better technical specs, there's just something about that G4 camera and how the image data is handled internally that allows it to produce the best looking images I've ever been able to capture with a smartphone, period, nothing else I've tested including the iPhone 6/6S/7/7S and every Samsung Galaxy model that's ever been made comes even close. I even had a chance a few weeks ago to snap some shots with a Pixel XL and it's much revered camera and was rather disappointed in what the camera produced, still lackluster and nothing like what the G4 is capable of.

And yeah, if I had a pile of cash handy right now I probably would order one with the black leather cover (since they're tossing that into the deal at no extra cost) - I still have my yellow leather cover sitting here beside me, I can almost hear it crying sometimes wishing it had a G4 to call its own. :p

If the OP has the cash and wants to take the chance, go for it, but do the following 2 things:

1) Clarify with B&H before the purchase that this is indeed a brand new never before used manufactured sealed package or else pass on it

2) The moment the G4 is delivered and unboxed (or as soon as possible after that happens) make sure to make a copy of the shipping invoice (print out the info from the website's order data if necessary) to show the purchase date, the delivered date and time, and then register it with LG for the warranty based on that date/time of delivery and NOT the time of actual purchase

Doing that locks in the warranty from LG so if for some ironic reason that US991 does indeed boot loop 11.5 months into the 1-year warranty period LG at that point (which would be just into 2018) will more than likely not offer to repair it but they'd replace it with another device, and if the owner of the G4 raises a lot of hell over it they could end up getting a V20 or a G6 out of the deal at no aditional expense.

Gotta register that warranty, however, that's crucial to have a record of it all on file with LG.

(the post above about the purchase of the G5 popped up while I was typing that last sentence, go figure)

Register that G5 too, as soon as it's delivered. :D
 
Thanks for all comments. Lots of great information. Can I still register used phone purchased at amazon? I guess I could try.
 
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