No Contract 4G Phones!

Are you looking for prepaid wireless 4G phones?  The number of people looking for a prepaid smartphone grew substantially in 2010.  In 2011, the selection of prepaid smartphones really began to take off, starting to rival options available on contract wireless plans.  And 2012 will be the year of massive prepaid 4G smartphone explosion across every major prepaid wireless carrier!


4G prepaid smartphones really began to enter the market in the latter half of 2011, which gave rise to this 4G smartphone comparison page.  While there are feature phones (i.e. non-smartphones) that are also 4G, due to their limited functionality, I've dedicated this section to prepaid 4G phones that are smartphones only.  After all, it's only a matter of time before the classic feature phone is all but dead!  It's what the future of smartphones will offer the everyday person that has everyone excited.


I've organized the table into what I believe are the most important features for most people when considering a smartphone.  Of course there are other features for each smartphone, but to avoid overwhelming you with a massive chart, I've tried to zone in on the most critical details.  I've also organized them by wireless provider, and of course, only prepaid wireless, no contract options are listed.  Also, please note that because all smartphones now include Bluetooth and WiFi, I've excluded these features from the table altogether.  Lastly, where the operating system is listed, that's the version that was last known to ship with the phone, and doesn't reflect that many phones will receive operating system updates over the air (OTA), sometimes as soon as they're activated.  That said, many phones, particularly low end ones, will NEVER receive an operating system update, so when selecting a phone, I recommend that you be happy (or at least content) with the OS that comes with the phone.


If you find that there are key features that you'd like to see added to the 4G phones comparison table, please feel free to Contact me.

Device Smartphone Price Operating System Screen Size Screen Quality Keyboard CPU Rear Camera Front Camera Storage HTC Evo Design 4G $200 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich 4" 540x960 (qHD) Virtual 1.2GHz 5MP 1.3MP 4GB Samsung Galaxy S II 4G $280 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich 4.52" 480x800 Virtual Dual 1.5GHz 8MP 2MP 16GB HTC One SV $330 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich 4.3" 480x800 (Super LCD) Virtual Dual 1.2GHz 5MP 1.6MP 8GB Samsung Galaxy S III $490 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich 4.8" 3264x2448 (HD Super AMOLED) Virtual Dual 1.5GHz 8MP 1.9MP 16GB LG Optimus Regard $230 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich 3.5" 480x320 (HVGA) Virtual 1.2GHz 5MP VGA 8GB Huawei Premia 4G $149 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich 4" 480x800 (TFT) Virtual Dual 1.5GHz 5MP 1.3MP 2GB LG Spirit 4G $199 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich 4.5" 480x800 (TFT) Virtual Dual 1.2GHz 5MP 1.3MP 4.3GB Samsung Galaxy S III $500 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich 4.8" 3264x2448 (HD Super AMOLED) Virtual Dual 1.5GHz 8MP 1.9MP 16GB LG Connect 4G $350 2.3 Gingerbread 4" 480x800 (Nova) Virtual Dual 1.2GHz 5MP - 1.9GB ZTE Anthem 4G $199 2.3 Gingerbread 4.3" 480x800 (WVGA) Virtual Dual 1.2GHz 5MP VGA 2.3GB LG Motion 4G $50 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich 3.5" 320x480 (HVGA) Virtual Dual 1.2GHz 5MP VGA 5GB Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G $459 2.3 Gingerbread 4.3" 720x1280 (Super AMOLED+) Virtual 1GHz 8MP 1.3MP 1.7GB Samsung Galaxy Admire 4G $99 2.3 Gingerbread 3.5" 320x480 (HVGA) Virtual 1GHz 3.2MP VGA 1.38GB ZTE Avid 4G $149 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich 4" 480x800 Virtual Dual 1.2GHz 5MP VGA 2.3GB LG Esteem $299 2.3 Gingerbread 4.3" 480 x 800 Virtual 1GHz 5MP 1.3MP 5GB Bring Your Own 4G Phone prices vary Features Vary Samsung Galaxy S $350 2.2 Froyo 4" 480 x 800 Virtual 1GHz 5MP VGA 512MB Sidekick $380 2.2 Froyo 3.5" 480 x 800 Slider/Tilt 1GHz 3MP - 512MB Samsung Galaxy SII 4G $280 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich 4.52" 480x800 (Super AMOLED+) Virtual Dual 1.2GHz 8MP 2MP 13.35MB HTC EVO V 4G $150 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich 4.3" 540x960 (qHD) Virtual 1.2GHz 2x5MP 1.3MP 4GB

To better understand the difference between a feature phone and a smartphone, please feel free to visit the What is a Smartphone section, or start at the beginning by learning about the Prepaid Smartphone category.  You can also learn about 4G wireless on the 4G Network page.  To review legacy 3G prepaid smartphone options, please visit the Smartphone Comparison page.


For those interested in discontinued 4G smartphones, check out the History Of Smartphones page.  Not only is it an interesting intellectual exercise, but phones that are end-of-life often make their way to eBay or wireless dealers at great prices.  Also, don't forget that with how fast technology evolves these days, discontinued smartphones can still be fantastic technology that we shouldn't be so quick to pass up!

Be Heard!  Let prepaid wireless providers know what you want; fill out the survey now.