Straight Talk, one of America’s many prepaid operators, is going to step up their game next month when they introduce their very first Android smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Precedent. Priced at $150, with obviously no contract, you’re also looking at a phone bill that weighs in at just $45 for unlimited everything, including data. The Precedent, also known as the Samsung M828C, features a 3.2 inch screen with a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels, 2 megapixel camera, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, massive 1500 mAh battery, 800 MHz processor paired up with 384 MB of RAM, but here’s where it gets nasty: It runs Android 2.2 and has a CDMA2000 1xRTT 3G modem, meaning you’re not going to get more than 100 kilobits per second on this thing in the real world. That’s twice the speed of dialup. For those of you who need nothing more than Facebook, Twitter, and the occasional lookup on Wikipedia or IMDB, then it’s fine, for speed demons … look elsewhere.
Now if you’re considering this thing then you should be aware of what else is out there. Most notably, the Motorola Triumph for Virgin Mobile. It has a 4.1 inch screen with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, 1 GHz processor paired up with 512 MB of RAM, it runs Android 2.2, has a 5 megapixel camera with 720p video recording, HDMI out, and of course your typical WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, etc. It’s twice the cost of the Precedent, but it’s an infinitely better phone, and unlimited everything is just $10 more per month. If you’re the type who updates their phone once every 2 years, then you owe it to yourself to not have a piece of crap in your pocket.
There’s also Boost Mobile, who has their own version of the Precedent called the Prevail, and while it will cost you more up front ($180 vs. $150), plus you’ll run a higher phone bill ($50 vs. $45), they have this thing called “Bill Shrink”. If you pay your bill on time a certain amount of months in a row, you get a smaller bill. Sounds perfect for the ultimate penny pincher!