If you’re a T-Mobile customer seeking to replace or upgrade your cell phone, this list highlights some sure bets at budget-friendly prices. Just because these are cheap T-Mobile phones, though, doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality or features.
These budget phones have most of what you’ll need and some even pack a standout feature. All cell phones on this list are priced at $50 or less with a two-year contract and mail-in rebates applied.
We also have a list of best budget phones by carrier or you can jump straight to cheap phones at AT&T, Sprint or Verizon Wireless.
1. MOTO W233 Renew: Green Phone
Image © Motorola
The budget-friendly MOTO W233 Renew is the world’s first cell phone crafted from recycled water bottle plastics. It’s also the world’s first carbon-neutral phone, according to Motorola. In addition, the Renew features a very long-lasting battery.
2. Sony Ericsson TM506: High-Speed 3G
Image © Sony Ericsson
The Sony Ericsson TM506 is T-Mobile’s first 3G AWS (third-generation advanced wireless service) handset. The budget-friendly TM506 also stands out as a low-priced cell phone with an exceptional battery life and GPS for turn-by-turn directions.
3. Nokia 5310 XpressMusic: Multimedia Phone
Image © Nokia
The budget-friendly Nokia 5310 XpressMusic has three separate buttons on the left side of the phone for its music functions. Weighing in at only 3.0 ounces, the 5310 is lightweight. The handset also comes with a 2-megapixel camera.
4. Nokia 5130 XpressMusic: 6-Hour Battery Life
Image © Nokia
The Nokia 5130 XpressMusic was released after the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic and features an improved, six-hour battery life.
5. Motorola W490: Long Battery Life
Image © Motorola
The battery life on the budget-friendly Motorola W490 is rated at an impressive 7.5 hours of talk time and up to 14 days of standby time when not in use at all. The W490 also features a 1.3-megapixel camera with video capture along with a music player.
6. Samsung Gravity 2: Full Slide-Out Keyboard
Image © Samsung
The budget-priced Samsung Gravity 2 features a full, slide-out keyboard for quick text messaging. The Gravity 2 also has a 2-megapixel camera, video messaging and high-speed 3G data access.
7. Nokia 6301: Wi-Fi Access
Image © Nokia
With the budget-priced Nokia 6301, you can easily switch between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile’s wireless network while you talk. You could place a Wi-Fi call, for example, by hopping on a local network at a Starbucks. The Nokia 6301 also features a 2-megapixel camera.