Last fall, we were shocked to hear Samsung say that 2010 would see Android phones going for less than $100 on contract.  Flash forward a year and we’re getting close to seeing sub-$100 phones without contract!   Cricket has just announced their second Android handset, the Huawei Ascend with a very attractive $149 price point.  Due later this month, the Ascend might sound like your two-year old G1 with a touch of today’s Android OS.  

The hardware features include a 320X480 display, a 3.5-inch HVGA display, a 528 MHz Qualcomm MSM 7200A processor, and 3 megapixel camera. The Android 2.1 phone is described by PC Magazine as being “cheap” with a “now-out-of-fashion trackball” but that’s likely not going to upset Cricket or Huawei.  The whole point is to get more people on board with Android and Cricket’s $55 all you can eat plan.  So will you bite?

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23 COMMENTS

  2. I would say for anyone. Why pay 50+ extra a month when you get unlimited everything for only $55 a month, and if they can pull off that $150.00 price with no contract…Yea, I don’t think you will find a better deal.

  3. A decent price, but just a little bit misleading. Yes, the phone is $150, but you have to buy it with a one month $55 data plan. You must buy the initial data plan even if you don’t want to use it. You can’t buy just the phone. So the phone ends up costing a minimum of $205 to start, not $150.

    Why do they keep calling it a $150 phone? Just call it what it is, a phone that will cost you $205 to get. I’m tired of cell phone pricing games. $205 is a great price, why not just call it what it is?

    • If you are not going to use the plan why buying a cellphone like this? I am not a sales guy or related to one whatsoever I just think your comment doesn’t make sense. You buy a cellphone for a certain price then you pay the service that goes with it. That is just the way it is. No one is being ripped off.
      In my particular case I am already a cricket customer I upgraded my cellphone and my next bill will have an increase price, how is that being played by cellphone companies?

    • Look Dude, you don’t have to pay for the service if you don’t want it. You can actually purchase this phone and not activate it until you want too. You can purchase this as a gift for family members, and more than just one. Go into a Cricket store and inquire.

    • Do you have the phone? I bought it and pad 135 actually theres is a 20 discount online and I found a 5 dollar off promo code, there 55 is for the first month. Which I am not paying at the time! Plus I’m sure you can find a first free month promo so you wouldn’t even have to pay 205 when purchasing. I have it and it’s a really cool phone.

    • Also I had mytouch android phone on tmobile and paid around 100 something each month, $55 is no big really!! Cricket offers plans as low as $25 during certain specials, if you don’t want to use any apps or anything special like that then look for a better deal such as one of those but don’t expect anything that nice.

    • it is $150 for the phone…what do you not get?

      a car is $20000 but you have to buy gas to make it go at $2.59 a gallon….but the car is still $20000

    • Because the phone itself is just 149.99. If an existing customer wants to buy that phone guess what they pay? Not 205…they pay 149.99. If you don’t have account then yes you do have to pay for the plan to get started. It is still selling at an incredible price, and the phone itself is more then worth it.

      • hahaha she told you curtis hahaha oh by the way i have the same phone on metro and its pretty wicked guys oh and i have to pay 150 dollars for the phone and 25 dollars a month for service

  4. I purchased this phone last night with a car charger for 180. I upgraded, but still, the phone IS the cheapest you can get, and IMO– far exceeds my expectations. I love my new phone!! The camera is good for the price, it has video and I can install apps just like an iPhone.

    well-well-well worth the money.

  5. INCREDIBLE phone for the price! I was skeptical when first arrived at our store (yes, i work for cricket) but as soon as i got my hands on it… WOW!!

    SUPER smooth scrolling and navigating, SUPER fast web browsing, has a “swipe” method for texting thats incredibly innovative and effective!

    And well the most obvious thing…. THE PRICE!!! An off-contract smartphone for $150?? Seriously where else ru going to find that?? $55 a month will get u UNLIMITED calling texting pic messaging video messaging web access international text access to THE android market version 2.1!!!!! ummm.. quick question… How much do u pay a month at Tmobile, Verizon, AT&T for android plans that have a set amount on minutes messages and web access?? YUP!! DOUBLE!!! need i go on???

    Extremely impressed by this phone and glad to see Cricket is stepping it up with the handsets, its about time!!

    • Just out of curiosity, what all accessories do you sell at the cricket stores? chargers, skins, screen protectors?

  6. @Curtis….. I paid 178.00 for mine out of the store. Its only 205.00 or around that price if you do not previously have cricket service. Its a great phone will everything that Verizon, sprint, and Tmobile offers just at a much attractive price. I love the phone and I love my bill every month

  8. well i was watching reviews and right now i have virgin mobile. yea there samsung intercept is a cool phone but over all the new huawei ascend for cricket seems way better and it hase the lastest andriod update. virgin mobile just put out the samsung intercept and it has the last update like wtf? wouldnt you just put it on the new one sicne you just came out with it? that being said iv done my research on the new ascend and it looks way more pleasing then what i have now. yea i only pay 25 a month but for the extra 30 why not get everything unlimited and have a way better phone?. idc if i got to pay the first month off…its still cheeper then any android phone its self! mine was 250. so yea either way it still seams to be cheeper then anything else out there. so i think im going to go to criecket today and get it. everyones word has helped alot on making my choice but come one pople, face the facts cricket is stepping it up and is still the cheepest phone company out there.

  9. Awsome!!! and next year at Christmas time Boost Mobile will be out with their own great touch screen phone coming in at a $99 price point with a $50 all you can eat deal.

    Seeing as I already do the Boost…I am gonna wait till Christmas 2010 to upgrade my phone. I know how much cheaper and cooler tech gets in just 12 short months.

  10. I paid mine for $130. I love it, I sleep with it. I love the internet feature the most. I don’t need to be on the computer to get online.. woohoo.

  13. so i was on virgin mobile ; if you have virgin mobile, it sucks, ill always go over my minutes, & if you want data, you pay more, my bill on virgin was about 50 dollars, & i had an lg rumor touch, it was all retarded, & the internet have the time wouldnt work /: plus wih virgin mobile you always have to be buying phone minutes  airtime cards & stuff /: but to pay 5 dollars more and get UNLIMITED & better service, cricket has done good.!:D every mobile phone i would get from virgin mobile would always break.!  the phones all are expensive on virgin, and there not good quality.! & the rumor touch was like $130 so to pay a little more for good quaility is better(: so last night i wanted to get one, so i bought it, for andriod thats a good price, it works similar to an iphone < 3  …. well good price, you should get it, sure it's $55 but thats unlimited, and comon if i's cheaper, it'll hardly comes with unlimited while at&t & sprint have plans over $100 so it's a good deal(:
    -clarissa(:

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