Can You Hear Me Now? 5 Smartphone Deals: Free Android Phones, Refill Cards

Smartphones for all! Let the joys of picture sharing, web browsing, and tweeting be a part of your daily life, without a hefty price tag. Today's roundup of smartphones and smartphone sales focuses on the best deals we could find on non-iPhone devices. There are free-with-contract, pay-as-you-go, and unlocked options, for whatever your cell phone needs might be. And if you're not finding a model you like, check out our daily cell phone deals for more options.

1. T-Mobile 4G Smartphones and Tablets
   Price: Free
   Lowest By: Varies

   Is It Worth It?: At T-Mobile, get a 4G smartphone or tablet for free when you sign up for a new 2-year agreement with a qualifying Classic data and calling plan. (A $35 activation fee also applies.) There are some diverse options here — making this an Editors' Choice deal. We like the LG Optimus and Samsung Galaxy S, especially. Note that some models are already available online, while others will be available in T-Mobile retail stores (and may require mail-in rebates) starting February 11.

2. Free $50 Refill Card with Prepaid T-Mobile Phones
   Vendor: T-Mobile
   Price: Free with free shipping
   Lowest By: Varies

   Is It Worth It?: dealnews is calling this assortment of prepaid Android phones an Editors' Choice pick. If you're not fond of contracts (and let's be honest, who is?), consider buying a prepaid phone from T-Mobile. Select from one of these phones, and T-Mobile will throw in a $50 refill card for free. We like the pictured Samsung Exhibit II 4G Prepaid Android Smartphone for $349.99, which PCMag says offers a "good balance of features and speed for the price."

3. Samsung Galaxy S II 4G Skyrocket Android Smartphone for AT&T
   Vendor: Amazon Wireless
   Price: $99.99 with free 2-day shipping
   Lowest By: $50

   Is It Worth It?: If you're willing to take on a new 2-year contract, Amazon Wireless is offering the 4.65-oz. Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket 4G Android Smartphone for AT&T for just $99.99. A CNET review gave it a 4-star rating and gushed about the 4.5" Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and 8-megapixel camera of this quad-band GSM phone. It also features a 4x zoom with auto-focus, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 1080p video capture, 16GB internal memory, microSD card slot, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11n wireless connectivity, GPS, and Android 2.3.4 OS (Gingerbread). A $36 activation fee applies.

4. Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Fit Android Smartphone
   Vendor: eXpansys
   Price: $189.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $5

   Is It Worth It?: Get the unlocked Samsung Galaxy Fit Android phone for only $189.99 and enjoy its "decent build quality and ... surprisingly good 5-megapixel camera," according to a Wired review. This is a great quad-band GSM phone for those who are looking for an easy-to-use no-frills smartphone. It features a 3.31" 240x320 touchscreen display, 160MB internal memory, 5-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, microSD card slot, 802.11n wireless, USB connectivty, Android 2.2 OS (Froyo), and more.

5. Unlocked Acer Liquid Metal Android Smartphone
   Vendor: eXpansys
   Price: $160.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $63

   Is It Worth It?: Another basic (and unlocked!) Android smartphone worth answering is the Acer Liquid Metal Android phone, available in Black/Silver. This GSM phone features a 3.6" 480x800 touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth, 512MB internal memory, microSD card slot, USB connectivity, and runs Android 2.2 (Froyo). PhoneAreana praises this model for its "very good call quality" and "innovative Breeze user interface."

Front page photo credit: Android Authority