Theta Android News: Best AT&T prepaid Android phones (February 2016)

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Best AT&T prepaid Android phones (February 2016)

If you're looking for a prepaid carrier in the United States, you have a ton of options. One of the best prepaid service providers out there is AT&T's GoPhone service. There are a handful of solid GoPhone options out there, so we're here to point you in the right direction if you're in the market for a new Android phone.

You'll notice that our list is a little short, as the Android phones offered by AT&T aren't all that current or high-end. At the bottom of this post we'll point you to a few other solid options that can still connect to AT&T's network that aren't offered through the carrier.

Best AT&T Android phones
Best cheap Android phones

Editor's note – We will be updating this list as more devices hit the market.

Update, February 2016: We removed the Samsung Galaxy S5 from our list.

ASUS ZenFone 2E

The ASUS ZenFone 2E is by no means the best device on the market, but it's a solid budget option that boasts some great features. The design is minimalist, and the detachable back cover gives you access to slots for additional storage. You'll probably want to take advantage of that too, as the ASUS ZenFone 2E only comes with 8GB of internal storage. In terms of use, the ZenFone 2E offers a generally good experience, though the device tends to lag at times in heavy use cases like gaming or multitasking.

All in all, the ZenFone 2E isn't about pushing the limits of performance. It's about bringing a solid Android experience to a user on a budget, and this it pulls off in spades. We've never really seen a smartphone that offers this much punch for so little cost. If you just need a prepaid phone to make and receive calls, browse the internet, occasionally stream media, and maybe play a game or two, the ASUS ZenFone 2E is hard to beat.

The ASUS ZenFone 2E is available now through AT&T GoPhone for $59.99.

Specs

5.0-inch IPS LCD display with 1280 x 720 resolution, 294ppi
1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor
1GB of RAM
8GB internal storage, microSD expansion up to 64GB
8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera
Non-removable 2,500mAh battery
Android 5.0 Lollipop
148.1 x 71.4 x 10.9mm, 155.1g

Read more

Buy now from Amazon

HTC Desire 626

HTC's lower-end smartphones happen to be pretty good, but they are not as affordable as the competition. But if you really like a good-looking, well-made affordable handset, your best bet is to go with something like the HTC Desire 626. With a 5.0-inch 720p display, Snapdragon 410 processor 16GB of storage and microSD expansion up to 32GB, this is one solid device for the money. Oh, it also comes with a solid 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera that should take care of all of your selfie-taking needs. The specs are modest and the phone is still made mostly of plastic, but this is HTC engineering we are talking about. The phone looks and feels great, regardless of the materials used.

The HTC Desire 626 is available through AT&T GoPhone starting at $184.99.

Specs

5.0-inch LCD display with 720 x 1280 resolution, 294ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor
1/2GB of RAM
16GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 32GB
13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
Non-removable 2000mAh battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop
146.9 x 70.9 x 8.2mm, 140g

Read more:

HTC Desire 626 review

Buy now from AT&T

Motorola Moto E (2015)

The original Moto E was one of the best low-cost Android smartphones around, and its successor, the Moto E (2015) brings even more value to the table, with it now being capable of high-speed internet access via 4G LTE. The latest edition of the device brings a lot of small enhancements along the way as well, including a slightly larger display, updated processing package, more built-in storage, a front-facing camera, and a larger battery that allows for extremely impressive battery life. The Motorola Moto E (2015) is currently priced at around $71 from Amazon.

Specs

4.5-inch display with 960 x 540 resolution, 245ppi
1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor
1GB of RAM
8GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 32GB
5MP rear camera, VGA front camera
Non-removable 2390mAh battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop
129.8 x 66.8 x 12.2mm, 145g

Read more

Buy now from Amazon

You'll notice that our list is a little short – AT&T doesn't offer a ton of notable options for its GoPhone service, but that doesn't mean you can't get a solid device through another retail outlet and activate it on AT&T's prepaid network. If you're looking for a few other options, you can't go wrong with these: