News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Walmart’s $10 Smartphone Has Better Specs Than the Origin... by StevePerkins on Monday November 16, 2015 @07:57AM (#10574115)
For $10, I'd use it as an MP3 player at the gym or when out walking... so I don't have to worry about dropping my expensive phone (as I'm prone to do once a month or so). 4 GB would hold more Spotify playlists than I would ever need at one time.

It's amazing that as recently as five years ago, I was paying around $100 for a dedicated MP3 player for exactly this purpose.

I'd have no interest in the "phone" feature... and would never even install a SIM card. I have to believe that many people have thought of this idea, and that has to be a problem for TracPhone since they're probably selling this device at a loss in order to sell phone/data services.

So since it's "Out of Stock" right now, I wonder how many ever were in stock in the first place? My suspicion is that they released a small number of devices as a P.R. stunt to attract publicity. The hope being that some number of people who click the link to check it out will proceed onward to buy one of the "real" devices that isn't being sold at a loss. I'd be surprised if you ever do see this $10 model "In Stock".

Re:Walmart’s $10 Smartphone Has Better Specs Than the Origin... by joezydeco on Monday November 16, 2015 @08:09AM (#10574177)
TracFone sells a lot of returned/refurbed models. This phone was on sale this spring for $59.99, I'd wager the $10 ones are returns available only when they cycle through refurb.
Re:Walmart’s $10 Smartphone Has Better Specs Than the Origin... by jerf on Monday November 16, 2015 @11:15AM (#10575222)
"So since it's "Out of Stock" right now,"

It looks like it may not have been released yet. If you try the "buy in store" option it won't let you have it until Friday.

This also seems to be perhaps a rev on their $20 phone: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Net10-LG-Lucky-Prepaid-Smartphone/...

Can you really buy these with no service plans?

Re:Walmart’s $10 Smartphone Has Better Specs Than the Origin... by maxerickson on Monday November 16, 2015 @11:28AM (#10575307)
No service plan is required. I think the software is even more aggressively bonded to TracFone service than is usual though.

(TracFone is the company behind many of the phones at Walmart: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TracFone_Wireless )

Re:Walmart’s $10 Smartphone Has Better Specs Than the Origin... by baghira on Monday November 16, 2015 @10:48AM (#10575050)
Problem is, as an mp3 (flac really) player the interface is terrible: for running or biking you really want a player that is small and has physical buttons to click, or alternatively your actual phone so you get communications and statistics. Carrying a poor player that is not you actual phone makes little sense to me.
Re:Walmart’s $10 Smartphone Has Better Specs Than the Origin... by simcop2387 on Monday November 16, 2015 @12:47PM (#10575814)
It's not as bad as you think. A lot of headphones/earbuds these days have the buttons built in, making it less critical that the device has them. How well this will support the buttons though is a different question.
Re:Walmart’s $10 Smartphone Has Better Specs Than the Origin... by noxToken on Monday November 16, 2015 @02:42PM (#10576635)
There are apps for 3rd party hardware control such as headphone/earbud buttons. I have not personally used any, but I know they exist.
Re:Walmart’s $10 Smartphone Has Better Specs Than the Origin... by kamaal on Monday November 16, 2015 @12:18PM (#10575630)
If a internet device is all you want, you should really go for AT&T ZTE Maven GoPhone[http://www.walmart.com/ip/AT-T-ZTE-Prepaid-Swigert-Smartphon...]

For $40 its a very good internet device on which you could install almost all apps.

That phone is not out of stock, you can walk into any Target/Walmart outlet and you can get one, its a prepaid phone without any contracts.

Re:Walmart’s $10 Smartphone Has Better Specs Than the Origin... by ck2 on Monday November 16, 2015 @03:17PM (#10576850)
Maven will be $20 at Best Buy next Friday.

However you'd have to be insane to go into a store.

Maybe offered online though.

However you will never get third party roms for it.

Re:Walmart’s $10 Smartphone Has Better Specs Than the Origin... by HNaTTY on Monday November 16, 2015 @04:50PM (#10577482)
WalMart is advertising the LG Sunset for $24 next Friday -- Android 5.0, 8gb flash, 4-core 1.2ghz, 4.5" screen, MicroSD slot.

I'm planning on getting one and adding a bluetooth remote music controller as a music player on my motorcycle.

Re:Walmart’s $10 Smartphone Has Better Specs Than the Origin... by kamaal on Monday November 16, 2015 @05:10PM (#10577610)
>>Maven will be $20 at Best Buy next Friday.

Is this just the bare phone without SIM? But how do you know it though?

>>However you'd have to be insane to go into a store

Why?

>>However you will never get third party roms for it.

Again, Why?

Re:Walmart’s $10 Smartphone Has Better Specs Than the Origin... by X-Istence on Monday November 16, 2015 @05:29PM (#10577736)
Black friday. They won't have any past 12:01 AM.