Six weeks ago we filed a report on an as yet to be announced Huawei smartphone called the M660. Back then all we had was an ultra low resolution press photo of the device. Today we have images of this thing in the wild. It’s still not official yet, but here’s what the folks at PhoneArena, who got a hold of the images, know about the M660: Android 2.3 is onboard, the screen measures 3.2 inches across, and storage can be expanded via a microSD card slot. Also, whereas before we said the M660 would be coming to Sprint, now it looks like it’s coming to Cricket wireless instead. How much will it cost? We have no idea, but judging by the spec sheet it wouldn’t be a stretch to say this smartphone will sell for less than $199 unsubsidized.
As always, when the topic of budget smartphones comes up we can’t help but mention the second hand market. You can get a used 2010 flagship device for not a lot of money. Take the Nexus One for example, which is limited to Android 2.3, but whatever. You can get one off Amazon for as little as $150. Move on up to something a bit more advanced, like the Nexus S, which can run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and you’re looking at prices around $250. Shove a Straight Talk SIM card in there, enjoy $45 unlimited everything, and you’re good to go.
Midrange smartphones like the M660 continue to puzzle us since they’re an incredible compromise that ends up being worse for the consumer in the long haul. Do us a favor and do some research before committing to a device in the sub $300 price range.
And hey, if you can save your pennies up, then the half year old $399 Galaxy Nexus is, without a doubt in our minds, an incredible bargin. They’re about $349 used.