Tribute Black (Virgin Prepaid)

The perfect phone for me. This is my first smartphone, and I don't really need it to do much. All I need is the capability of checking my e-mail via a quick and reliable connection while on the road, and this delivers. I was also able to upgrade my phone easily through the Virgin Mobile site, so there was no worry about needing to change my phone number (I got to keep my old one). Swiping makes sending text messages much easier and faster, and multiple messages are combined to read as one long message - infinitely more effective than having to wait for each message to send separately like with my old phone. Plus, I can now use the Bluetooth feature in my car, which is an infinitely safer way to take a call. I only pay $38 a month for my pay-as-you-go contract with Virgin Mobile, and I love it. I refuse to pay upwards of $65 a month for the same service elsewhere. With an SD card (because it doesn't come with a lot of memory), you can store music and photos on this phone, just like any other, and you can download apps like Amazon Music (to stream your music library or listen to Prime music for free), or apps that connect you to your personal bank and e-mail. I had originally installed the Facebook app but uninstalled it after receiving constant notifications on my phone every time there was an update. Just as effective is to keep Facebook open in a Chrome window on the phone and access it whenever you need to - it updates in real time so it's essentially the same thing as the app, without the annoying pop-ups. I like my phone to alert me when something important is happening, not just because a friend of a friend commented on a friend's status. The only thing I don't like is that if you miss a call or a text message, the only way to know is to remember to check your phone - this is particularly a pain if you use your phone for business. I have only ever owned one phone in my lifetime that featured a blinking light until you tended to the missed notification. I have been trying to find an app that will allow me to do this, but the only ones I have found thus far are those that control the LED light of the (fantastic) camera on the phone, but that light (flash) is crazy bright and not really helpful if the phone is laying down or in your pocket, the only two places where a phone would normally be. And if you're holding the phone already, the LED light going off won't be very helpful, since you're probably already aware of an incoming call/text message. Photos come out perfect when you have good lighting, though this phone's camera isn't the best at compensating for dull lighting. You can flip it to be front-facing or rear-facing, so you can use it for selfies or like a regular camera. The video quality is impeccable, though, as it holds a pretty good steady cam despite my shaky hands. All in, this phone was perfect for the "I pretty much stole it" price, and you just can't compete with the $38 a month that Virgin Mobile charges. Even their most expensive plan is still cheaper than the run-of-the-mill plan that other phones come with, and I don't need all that their most expensive plan has to offer. This plan with this phone perfectly meets my needs.

What you think of this phone depends on what you're expecting. I bought it for $40 to replace/upgrade a Samsung Galaxy Reverb. Both phones only have 4 gigs of memory, so that wasn't an upgrade, but the quad-core processor, bigger screen size and Kit Kat all were factors in my decision, along with the price.I love this phone. My Reverb was incredibly slow, and I kept having to delete apps to try and make things work. I've used all but about 300 Mb on my Tribute and this thing still runs smoothly. The display isn't extraordinary, by any means, but if you're upgrading from a cheaper Android phone it should do quite well. It's much faster than any phone I've had. I've regained the ability to add a few apps to my 32 gig SD card, including Telegram, which is incredibly useful.The phone comes loaded with very few stock applications but with all of the usual Google/Android apps, definitely a bonus. A system upgrade brought on the Virgin Mobile apps. I deleted them. Before I started downloading I think I had about 1.3 Gb to work with. I've downloaded a couple of banking apps, Facebook and Facebook Messenger, Feedly, Instagram, SportsCenter, Telegram, Tumblr, Twitter, Vine and all of the updates plus a couple minor apps and still have space. On my Reverb I'd blocked auto-updates and was running Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with a few minor apps. Obviously if you're going to be downloading dozens of applications you might need a phone with more internal storage, but I get by with the basics, so I'm good. Come July, I should have plenty of space to add in fantasy football apps.The camera isn't the best. It's not terrible, but there seems to be nothing in the way of image stabilization. However it's got a relatively quick shutter response rate, so I usually can take multiple shots in rapid succession and find one that I like. The sound is nothing to get too excited about but it's clear and loud enough.Like I said, I bought this phone to replace my Reverb because it had gotten too slow for me to deal with, with the idea of researching and purchasing a new phone in the next couple of months. I think that plan has changed and my Tribute might last me far longer than expected. I definitely recommend a case though. It's big enough that I have to shift it in my hand at times and the back has no grip to it. But all in all, I love this phone, so watch for a sale and get it if you're just looking for a smartphone that doesn't have to be the latest and best but still want a decent user experience.

Though imported, but satisfied as the seller gives additional one month return policy.