Walmart Offers $10 Android Smartphone with a Catch
U.S. retail giant Walmart is offering two kinds of Android smartphones for only $10, but it has a catch.
For only $10, customers can buy either an LG Sunrise L15G or an LG Lucky LG16 smartphone from Walmart. However, the Android phone deal being offered by the retail giant is only for outright ownership, and the units are locked to pre-paid carrier TracFone, according to ZD Net.
As of now, the LG16 is out of stock, but buyers can opt to get the LG15G instead. The latter comes with a 3.8-inch screen, three-megapixel rear snapper, 512 MB of RAM, and 4 GB microSD. The device runs the Android KitKat mobile operating system, the report details.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Other specs and features of the LG Sunrise L15G include WiFi and Bluetooth support, and a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 200 SoC processor. It is also powered by a 1,540 mAh battery, but it has no front camera and NFC or 4G connectivity, Ars Technica reports.
The specs of Walmart's $10 smartphones may not sound very attractive, but customers who just want a regular handset with access to Google apps may take the bait. On the other hand, consumers may be turned off to know that TracFone was previously sanctioned by the Federal Communications Commission for keeping handsets locked in despite its promise to unlock them, the report relays.
The lock-in period with TracFone means users have to use the phone on the company's network for one year before they can unlock it. In addition, TracFone earns a $50 subsidy by increasing airtime cost for the next year, PC Mag explains.
Walmart's $10 offer for the two Android smartphones is a long drop from the original price of $60 listed on Amazon. But customers have to consider the catch that comes with the deal, and it is up to them to decide if it is a good deal or not.
