[roba5263]

I wasn't sure where to post this, but I figure I'll get good answers here.

I'm seeking advice on what cheap android phone to purchase specifically for Pok�mon Go. I tried running with my PRIV in hand, but it's a fairly heavy phone and I'm afraid of dropping it. I'd like to invest in a cheap, light device just for Pok�mon Go.

It would have to be a nano Sim device so I can easily swap out my Priv's Sim for use with this device. Thanks!

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[milfou]

Must be running at least 4.4.4 Android.
Even if it is not a not a nano sim you can use Adapter. Only new phones have nano sim and that does not give you choice of so many older ones then.
Get a nexus 5 maybe 5x for nano sim? Galaxy S4 or S5?
You can even root Galaxy S3 and install lollipop with cyogenmod though someone would have to confirm if the specs are good enough to play the game.

I'm fine with using the priv, just have a case it. Dropped like 20 times already. Not by playing the game though.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[artemis-kun]

I've been playing it since the 6th on my Priv, and while it eats battery for breakfast, and cooks said breakfast as well, that's a symptom for any and all phones playing the game. The above suggestions seem sound to me though, if you're just looking for something to play the game with. Personally, I've yet to have any issues playing pogo with my Priv, but I'm beyond normal human levels of attentive when it comes to my phones. I don't drop them, in other words :P

[Djlatino]

Zenfone 2 or a Xperia XA. Both cheap to buy outright.

[Ment]

Samsung J7 2016, Battery-saving 5.5 720p screen with Marshmallow and removable 3300 mAh battery.

Scratch that you need a nano-sim swap phone and J7 is micro.

[FishhPoohh]

Moto G 3 . It's only 179.00 @ Motorola.com

Posted via the Priv for Android

[NightFire]

The phone needs to have at least 2GB of RAM. Even then, the device may not be compatible. My son was able to install the version of Pok�mon Go that dropped on release day, but for whatever reason, his phone is not compatible with the newest update.

Phones without gyroscopes cannot utilize the AR feature and phones with Intel chips are not compatible.

Posted via CB10

[artemis-kun]

The phone needs to have at least 2GB of RAM. Even then, the device may not be compatible. My son was able to install the version of Pok�mon Go that dropped on release day, but for whatever reason, his phone is not compatible with the newest update.

Phones without gyroscopes cannot utilize the AR feature and phones with Intel chips are not compatible.

Posted via CB10

My tablet only has 1GB of RAM and runs both MM and PoGO without issue.

[NightFire]

You're fortunate. My youngest son's phone has 1GB of RAM and isn't compatible. I didn't understand why until I read the details from Niantic. Are you running the latest update?

I also understand that the lastest update may correct the issue for some with Intel chips, but haven't heard positive confirmation.

Posted via CB10

[Ment]

Your requirement for a nano sim is going to be hard as those phones are newer or are flagship: Nexux 5x would work but it does not have good battery life, so you'd want to bring a external battery pack. I'd just use an adapter and choose a phone that has a removable back to access the sim as you will have less fitment issues with that access route. In addition those phones, like the LG G4, will have swappable battery which is convenient for that battery sucking app.

[NightFire]

For further clarification, my oldest has 2GB of RAM and cannot install the latest update; the other, 1GB and cannot run it at all. I have not attempted to sideload an apk file from outside the Playstore.

I would also be curious to hear what less pricier phones can run this app, although I doubt I'll personally make that investment.

I understand OP's fear of dropping his phone all too well, though.

Posted via the BlackBerry Priv

[MaxFresh]

You guys running the game on your priv, might want to check out your dtekt app

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[skilas]

Looking for the same. A $100-200 android phone to use for media, and play pokemon. I have a Z30, but there doesn't seem to be a solid way to get it on it yet.

Was thinking like a Samsung Galaxy Prime that they have at Costco. Or maybe wait until the weekend, and see what sales there will be on prepaid or buy outright phones.

Posted via CB10 on Z30

[Uzi]

Buy umi phone great spec

[JeBe4]

If only people were as enthusiastic about making the world a better place (ending poverty, eliminating the dollar, war, social class, injustice, police brutality, religion on, the U.S government, etc.) As they are with Pok�monGo .........😵

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[shawnreum]

OP joking?

[johnny_bravo72]

If only people were as enthusiastic about making the world a better place (ending poverty, eliminating the dollar, war, social class, injustice, police brutality, religion on, the U.S government, etc.) As they are with Pok�monGo .........😵

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

But... Where's the fun in that?

*ME173X

[RubenDM]

Meieu m3note!
4100 mAh battery, 5.5 inch, 2.5 d curved glas, lollipop 5.1.
Built with aluminium 6000 series

Posted via CB10

[artemis-kun]

You're fortunate. My youngest son's phone has 1GB of RAM and isn't compatible. I didn't understand why until I read the details from Niantic. Are you running the latest update?

I also understand that the lastest update may correct the issue for some with Intel chips, but haven't heard positive confirmation.

Posted via CB10

I updated to the official Canadian release on Sunday, when it launched here, on my tablet. The only issue I do sometimes have with the tablet is that it has trouble accessing the camera at times, but AR is totally a gimmick for this game, so that's not a huge loss. I only use the tablet as a back up for when the phone dies anyway, til I can get me one of those 20k mah anker batteries.

As to why your sons' devices are being resistant to the install, I'm not sure, but it doesn't sound like a minimum requirements issue. If it's the playstore simply telling you that your device isn't compatible, then that's a static thing done server-side. Are the tablets both running Android 6.0? If so, then I am at a loss, unless you happen to be located in a region where it still has not yet officially launched.

If only people were as enthusiastic about making the world a better place (ending poverty, eliminating the dollar, war, social class, injustice, police brutality, religion on, the U.S government, etc.) As they are with Pok�monGo .........��

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

And, how are people not doing that using Pokemon GO? It's getting people out in the public who normally wouldn't even be bothered, organizing and uniting them under a single banner. If anything could possibly achieve those lofty goals, this is a good start :P

[Wheeljack2k]

Instead of limiting yourself to nano sim devices, why not bring your Priv along (safely in your pocket) and use tethering for mobile data? (Would also eliminate the constant switching of the sim card and the risk of damaging/losing that rare sim tray)

[xxxmerlinxxx]

Honor 5x

[Baconwich]

Must be running at least 4.4.4 Android.
Even if it is not a not a nano sim you can use Adapter. Only new phones have nano sim and that does not give you choice of so many older ones then.
Get a nexus 5 maybe 5x for nano sim? Galaxy S4 or S5?
You can even root Galaxy S3 and install lollipop with cyogenmod though someone would have to confirm if the specs are good enough to play the game.

I'm fine with using the priv, just have a case it. Dropped like 20 times already. Not by playing the game though.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

From what I've read, the game runs, but not well on a Galaxy S3. It's barely playable on a Galaxy Nexus, which was the prototype of the S3, so I can't imagine it would be much better there.

[Baconwich]

I updated to the official Canadian release on Sunday, when it launched here, on my tablet. The only issue I do sometimes have with the tablet is that it has trouble accessing the camera at times, but AR is totally a gimmick for this game, so that's not a huge loss. I only use the tablet as a back up for when the phone dies anyway, til I can get me one of those 20k mah anker batteries.

As to why your sons' devices are being resistant to the install, I'm not sure, but it doesn't sound like a minimum requirements issue. If it's the playstore simply telling you that your device isn't compatible, then that's a static thing done server-side. Are the tablets both running Android 6.0? If so, then I am at a loss, unless you happen to be located in a region where it still has not yet officially launched.



And, how are people not doing that using Pokemon GO? It's getting people out in the public who normally wouldn't even be bothered, organizing and uniting them under a single banner. If anything could possibly achieve those lofty goals, this is a good start :P

Which tablet are you using? I can't get the camera to detect my orientation on my Galaxy Note 8.0 at all, though I know the accelerometer and gyroscope are working fine in other apps.

Bit unwieldy walking around with an 8" tablet though, I'd much prefer to just have it working on my phone (and I do, for a few minutes after every reboot on my Passport).

[artemis-kun]

Which tablet are you using? I can't get the camera to detect my orientation on my Galaxy Note 8.0 at all, though I know the accelerometer and gyroscope are working fine in other apps.

Bit unwieldy walking around with an 8" tablet though, I'd much prefer to just have it working on my phone (and I do, for a few minutes after every reboot on my Passport).

I have an ASUS Transformer TF300T, which is a 10" one, so I totally get the unwieldy aspect. Like I say, it's purely as backup for me, since I also have the keyboard dock for it, which gives me a spare battery and a USB port. The only downside is that the USB port is only active while the tablet is awake, so what I do is, when my phone is nearly dead, I'll turn on the hotspot, holster it, run the USB charge cable to the USB port on my tablet dock, tether the tablet, and then I'm back in action. But yeah, using AR with it is pretty hit and miss, probably because I'm running a custom ROM as ASUS has long-since stopped updating the tablet, but there's one particularly enterprising developer on xda that is keeping this ages-old tablet alive and running better than most current-gen tablets. Personally, I leave AR off anyway, on all my devices, as when you're catching 80+ pokemon a day, the AR bit really feels like a gimmick.

[early2bed]

Here's a $50 ad-supported smartphone from Amazon that will run Pokemon Go (minus the augmented reality):

This $50 Smartphone May Be All You Need
Lock screen ads and an inadequate camera aside, the Blu R1 HD sold by Amazon gets the job done

Have we been paying for too much smartphone? WSJ's Joanna Stern reviews the Blu R1 HD offered to Amazon Prime subscribers for $50. Photo/video: Drew Evans/The Wall Street Journal

By JOANNA STERN
July 19, 2016 3:23 p.m. ET

In life, you get what you pay for.*

*Exceptions: Costco wine, $1 New York City pizza and the Blu R1 HD smartphone, now sold by Amazon for $50. In those cases, the quality of the product far exceeds your low expectations.

Yes, you read that right, there�s an Android 6.0 smartphone that costs less than family dinner at the Olive Garden. It�s cheap, but it�s not, you know, cheap.

There�s a reason for that. Even though Amazon sells the R1 HD for as little as $50, on the open market it starts at $100. Why the discount? Ads. Sorry, �special offers.� Which are ads.

ENLARGE
PHOTO: DREW EVANS/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
If you�re an Amazon Prime member, you pay $50 (plus an extra $10 if you want more memory and storage), and on the lock screen, you see a rotation of promotions similar to what appears on Amazon tablets and e-readers. The shopping giant knocks down the price knowing it will make back the money and then some.

Either way, it�s cheap compared with an iPhone or Galaxy, because of Blu, the most interesting U.S. phone brand you�ve never heard of. With a lean operation, close ties to its Chinese manufacturing partners and a very small marketing budget, the Florida-based company offers unlocked phones for little more than it costs to make them.

It�s got the makings of a great SAT question. The R1�s materials cost about $70 to $75, according to IHS analyst Wayne Lam�s back-of-the-napkin math: $20 for the screen + $6 for both cameras + $7 for memory + $40 or so for the battery and core electronics. The Samsung Galaxy S7 retails for a starting price of $650, but its bill of materials? $225! That�s not exactly an even comparison, Mr. Lam points out, since premium phones cost more to develop and market, but you get the idea.

So, are most of us paying for too much phone? That depends on you. The R1 is certainly no Samsung Galaxy S7 or iPhone 6s. It isn�t even a $350 Google Nexus 5X or $200 Huawei Honor 5X. But if you�re looking for a phone for a tweenager or for an international trip or even as a temporary replacement until you can get a better device, you�ll be surprised at what less than $100 will buy you.

What You Get
No, the R1 doesn�t feel or look like a premium phone, but it also doesn�t feel like something you�d find on a Toys �R� Us shelf. The metal frame and the touch screen�s curved edges give it a weighty feel, while the black plastic casing is more firm Coke bottle than flimsy ShopRite water bottle. Even the power and volume buttons have a satisfying click.

The Blu R1 HD feels far more like $150 than $50. ENLARGE
The Blu R1 HD feels far more like $150 than $50. PHOTO: DREW EVANS/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
The 5-inch, 720p screen is very bright and viewable at multiple angles, even outdoors. It�s not as crisp as the 1080p displays you�ll get on $200 Moto G4 or Honor 5X, but again�$50.

Actually, make that $60. For $10 more you can double the storage to 16GB and the RAM to 2GB. I�ve been testing the $60 model and suggest you spend the extra Hamilton for the memory boost alone.

Loading and scrolling through websites and my image-heavy Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds has been startlingly smooth. There�s been no delay banging away on the keyboard when sending an email, either. Even streaming video on Netflix and YouTube has been a breeze.

Start throwing more graphics-intensive apps and games at the R1, however, and it calls a timeout. It couldn�t handle Pok�mon Go�s augmented reality, and the game crashes more frequently than when I play on a faster Android device. �Angry Birds 2� was playable but also had periodic slowdowns.

Here�s the real upside to that low-end processor and screen: solid battery life. I had no issues making it through the day with regular use. In my lab stress test, which cycles through a series of websites at uniform screen brightness, the R1 lasted 7 hours and 40 minutes�30 minutes longer than the Galaxy S7.

The R1�s camera, left, lacks detail when compared with the Honor 5X, middle and Galaxy S7, right. ENLARGE
The R1�s camera, left, lacks detail when compared with the Honor 5X, middle and Galaxy S7, right. JOANNA STERN/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (3)
What You Don�t Get
So where does Blu cut corners? Look no further than the 8-megapixel camera. The nicest thing I can say about it is�that it�s there. Even my 10-year-old Canon takes better pictures. If the stars align, with decent lighting and a very steady hand, the best R1 shot you can hope for is one that�s in focus, but as washed out as a pair of old jeans.

The R1�s front-facing 5-megapixel camera is worse. (At least my Snapchats already looked like a filter had been applied to them.)

There are small but significant sacrifices, too. You aren�t able to connect to faster 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks, which many new routers also use, and the speaker is so low-volume, it sounds like it was made for a tiny mouse that lives inside it. On the plus side, call quality was OK�just avoid that speakerphone.

Another thing: You can�t use this with Verizon or Sprint service. Though the Blu R1 HD is a 4G-compatible unlocked phone�great because you aren�t bound to a carrier�it can only work with GSM carriers, mainly T-Mobile or AT&T. I bought a $30 prepaid T-Mobile SIM card, popped it in and was up and running.

Three types of advertisements you see on the Blu R1 HD. ENLARGE
Three types of advertisements you see on the Blu R1 HD. PHOTO: AMAZON
Then there are those ads on the lock screen. If you have no other notifications, an ad takes over the entire screen like wallpaper. Otherwise, they appear alongside other notifications.

You might just swipe them away and move on. Me? I got annoyed. I�d rather put my own adorable puppy on the lock screen than look at the one in the Iams dog food ad.

Even more frustrating: You�re logged into all of Amazon�s core apps (Kindle, Music, etc.), yet the ads aren�t yet tailored to your interests. A dietary supplement? If you�re trying to tell me something, Amazon, I don�t like it. Amazon says the ads experience will become more refined over time.

While I�m fine with Amazon targeting ads based on its own services, I did have concerns about how much access it had to data from my most personal device. Amazon assured me that it doesn't collect information from third-party apps, your location or your Google history to target advertisements.