Go smartphone as ipod

[vleeth]

Does anyone know if I buy a "go phone" smartphone (on android network) can it be used like an iPod? In other words can I get it as a game player for a child? No data package or cell phone minutes, but needs to be able to connect to wifi to download apps.

Does this make sense? Will it work?

Thanks for any insight

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I do not know about AT&T...but on Verizon phones you can use an Android phone that isn't activated as kind of an iPod Touch-like device.

You can download apps from their version of the App store (is it called Google Play?), and it will play music and all. I know somebody who has a Droid and just uses it like a toy like that. Can listen to music of course, play Angry Birds, surf the net and all over a WIFI connection.

It is not an iPod, but it is a cheap and pretty functional alternative. I think you DO have to buy a micro SD card to put in it to hold all your stuff, but that shouldn't cost much more than $10.

 

[DeltaDiamond001]

Why wouldn't you just buy an iPod?

Refurbished iPod Touches start from $129 on Apple's website.

 

[Sandmanswife9]

Why wouldn't you just buy an iPod?

Refurbished iPod Touches start from $129 on Apple's website.

How good are refurbished items? We bought an Xbox 360 that was refurbished and it was a piece of you know what. After that experience, I am afraid to buy another thing that has been refurbished.

 

[letsgoreds]

How good are refurbished items? We bought an Xbox 360 that was refurbished and it was a piece of you know what. After that experience, I am afraid to buy another thing that has been refurbished.

Excellent, come with a one year warranty, new case and battery. The talk is that many of these aren't refurbished but just pushing old product (4th gen) out, getting ready for new product (5th gen).

Should work just fine...for us, with younger kids (7yo) going with 4th gen ipod touch because itunes has far better/more plentiful educational apps than Google Play. I have an android phone, and like Google Play, but our ipad/ipod touch has far more kid friendly apps on it.

Can do the same with an old iphone.

 

[Music City Mama]

I do not know about AT&T...but on Verizon phones you can use an Android phone that isn't activated as kind of an iPod Touch-like device.

You can download apps from their version of the App store (is it called Google Play?), and it will play music and all. I know somebody who has a Droid and just uses it like a toy like that. Can listen to music of course, play Angry Birds, surf the net and all over a WIFI connection.

It is not an iPod, but it is a cheap and pretty functional alternative. I think you DO have to buy a micro SD card to put in it to hold all your stuff, but that shouldn't cost much more than $10.

I'm glad I came across this thread -- thanks for the above info!

My DH is going to upgrade his iPhone and I'm going to upgrade my Android. We were wanting to give the old iPhone to my 9 year old to use as an iPod Touch. But if an iPod-like device can also be created from my old Android, maybe I'll give that to my other DS. For just the price of an SD card, this would really be cost effective for us if the old phones can be used like that.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Why wouldn't you just buy an iPod?

Refurbished iPod Touches start from $129 on Apple's website.

You can find a used Android phone on eBay for under $40...may not be Christmas gift worthy, but if somebody is looking for a toy for kids, that's a lot cheaper.

 

[vleeth]

That's just what I was wondering. There is an LG one on sale for Black Friday for $40. Way cheaper than an iPod.

I just got an iPhone in September and now my dd7 wants one to play games. So if I can get a good deal on a different brand that'll work. I just didn't want to buy it only to find out there's no way to put apps on it.

 

[3boymthr]

Just a word to the wise when buying a cheap/free phone, even a new one, be it for a toy or not. You want to make sure that what you buy is current generation or can be upgraded cheaply. I got DS a free phone and it wasn't compatible with the most current generation of "must have" apps and the operating system on the phone was 2 generations old and because the phone didn't have of something (yeah, can't remember) it couldn't be upgraded to make it compatible. AND/or make sure that the apps your kids want will run on the os that the phone currently has. DS was very frustrated that he couldn't run the most recent releases of the apps that his friends had and bothered me relentlessly to buy him a newer generation phone. I did finally give in. Right now we are running up against into the same issue with youngest DS' 3rd gen ipod; he can't run Minecraft.

 

[crazelion]

Yes andriod cell phones can be use as similar to ipod touch but ten times cheaper. All three of my kids got Samsung Admire that came with gingerbread android. It now has ice cream sandwich one. I am put jellybean on them this weekend. Yes you can root a android so it can have the current version of jellybean.

Once buy a cheap android search google for the kind phone so that rooted it to the current version. There should be also youtube videos too that will take step by step.

I only paid 49.00 dollars for Samsung Admire. My kids love there to pieces.

 

[vleeth]

Yes andriod cell phones can be use as similar to ipod touch but ten times cheaper. All three of my kids got Samsung Admire that came with gingerbread android. It now has ice cream sandwich one. I am put jellybean on them this weekend. Yes you can root a android so it can have the current version of jellybean.

Once buy a cheap android search google for the kind phone so that rooted it to the current version. There should be also youtube videos too that will take step by step.

I only paid 49.00 dollars for Samsung Admire. My kids love there to pieces.

Awesome! Where did you get it?

 

[vleeth]

The one I was looking at is the LG Optimus Logic from Straight Talk. Anyone have good or bad comments on this one? No idea which generation this one is or even what the different generations are.

 

[rock_doctor]

I think this is a great idea. A cell w/o service will still call 911 and if you have access to reliable WiFi and can download from google play they have an app called grooviep that uses your google voice account to make voice over ip calls using the WiFi connection only.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.snrblabs.grooveip&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5zbnJibGFicy5ncm9vdmVpcCJd

 

[crazelion]

Awesome! Where did you get it?

Best Buy had the Samsung Admire on sale for 49.00 dollars. I on the same day amazon.com had them too.