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Purchased an LG Basic flip phone via Tracfone pre paid (subsidiary of Verizon) through Target. I did not have to use google to activate.
Feature phones dont require a google account, cause most dont use Android. Phones using KaiOS dont require a Google account despite Google having a financial interest in KaiOS. Most current feature phones use KaiOS, some use a cut down version of Android. The problem being feature phones are few and far between, least in USA. Maybe four or five that do 4G LTE and two or three of them are very expensive. When I was looking, found several sold in India and Africa. But they are not sold in USA. And many are still 2G or 3G. Where here 2G is long dead and 3G ending quickly. Why there are sellers of such on ebay and amazon.... looking for clueless people I guess.
Feature phones dont require a google account, cause most dont use Android. Phones using KaiOS dont require a Google account despite Google having a financial interest in KaiOS. Most current feature phones use KaiOS, some use a cut down version of Android. The problem being feature phones are few and far between, least in USA. Maybe four or five that do 4G LTE and two or three of them are very expensive. When I was looking, found several sold in India and Africa. But they are not sold in USA. And many are still 2G or 3G. Where here 2G is long dead and 3G ending quickly. Why there are sellers of such on ebay and amazon.... looking for clueless people I guess.
When T-Mobile announced the shut down of 3G, I too started looking for a 4G Feature (aka candy bar) phone to replace my 2g/3g only phone. What I found for less than $100 that fit my needs is the Jethro SC-490. It is aimed at the seniors market, which I am.
Bought it direct from them. Have had it for 2 months now and works just fine on my T-Mobile BYOD account with the old SIM card. (Jethro also happens to be a T-Mobile MVNO)
FWIW it says it is Android 8.1 Not one word about anything Google.
When T-Mobile announced the shut down of 3G, I too started looking for a 4G Feature (aka candy bar) phone to replace my 2g/3g only phone. What I found for less than $100 that fit my needs is the Jethro SC-490. It is aimed at the seniors market, which I am.
Bought it direct from them. Have had it for 2 months now and works just fine on my T-Mobile BYOD account with the old SIM card. (Jethro also happens to be a T-Mobile MVNO)
^^^^^ Glad you are enjoying my find .
Some manufacturers of Android phones apparently decide not to obtain the free license from Google for the GMS (Google Mobile Services) apps (the typical pre-installed Google apps on an Android phone). I just tried, and I can’t find any info re whether Jethro is an Android manufacturer that includes GMS apps pre-installed, or not.
Thanks for wording the last three sentences the way you did .
It prompted me to look at the Jethro site for the first time since I posted finding the phone.
They have some new plans (or perhaps I didn’t look carefully enough before).
There is one I really like, and will get it on at least one of my two cell lines in April of 2022... if they still have that plan...
The plan is $10 a month for unlimited talk and text and no data and is available for smartphones to use.
I’m not going to be able to bleed out the credit balance that AT&T owes me by my April 22, 2021, so I’l pay $100 for a 365 day extension of $2 for unlimited talk and text for 24 hours (so 50 days per year) from AT. Then I’ll calculate when during that year I can switch to AT&T’s top or near top 30 day prepaid data plan in Order to bleed my credit balance down to zero or net zero by April 22, 2022.
Then (4/22/22 or just before) I can port that number to the Jethro $10 month plan ($20 a year more total...$100 vs 12 x $10) for 365 days of unlimited talk and text and no data rather than 50 days of unlimited talk, text, and no data from AT&T), and make the decision to do the same on my Verizon number (where I’m currently bleeding out my credit balance for unlimited talk and text and 5GB of LTE data for $25 a month}. That Verizon bleedour will end at almost exactly the same time as the AT&T number, and I could continue with that rate. So essentially I’d decide on that Verizon line if I want to pay $15 a month for 5GB of LTE and unlimited slow data after that ($15 being the difference between that $25 Verizon plan and the no data $10 Jethro plan).
I use the data on the Verizon plan, but my primary LTE data use is still the unlimited LTE $35 month plan on my iPad Pro.
I would like to buy a new phone, but I don't want Google to have anything to do with it, and for several reasons. Are there any phones left without this spyware crap ?
Presumably you don't want Google on your phone for privacy reasons. If privacy is your goal, why rule out Apple? Quoting from the link below, "We design Apple products to protect your privacy and give you control over your information." That seems like it lines up with your goal.
Why are my posts being ignored? You will not be able to activate these Chinese feature phones on Verizon or AT&T due to their whitelist systems, unlocked or not. Verizon and AT&T will only activate phones that they certified to work on their networks. You might get lucky with T-Mobile, but it is not a guarantee.
When T-Mobile announced the shut down of 3G, I too started looking for a 4G Feature (aka candy bar) phone to replace my 2g/3g only phone. What I found for less than $100 that fit my needs is the Jethro SC-490. It is aimed at the seniors market, which I am.
Bought it direct from them. Have had it for 2 months now and works just fine on my T-Mobile BYOD account with the old SIM card. (Jethro also happens to be a T-Mobile MVNO)
FWIW it says it is Android 8.1 Not one word about anything Google.
I had seen the jethro phone but ones I saw were always locked to some MNVO company and I didnt want one locked to an MNVO. Nice you found an unlocked one. Also $80 from link you gave. Not horrible. But most I gave for one of my used Sonim XP5 was $25. It was surprising pristine condition, but locked to ATT. However it worked with any MNVO on ATT network. I got an unlocked one for $16 missing its rear door, but works. And I got couple $8 ones that are black listed for parts. Never tried if I can connect them to wifi to make calls. Batteries on these hold long charge, so the junk ones make great little FM pocket radio/calculator/camera/flashlight. And one donated its door to the unlocked one that works. The door alone sold for more than I gave for whole junk phone.
I still say the Sonim XP3 which is flip phone would been best, but finding a used unlocked one, was up around $75. But you gotta carry around phone all day, the flip phone lot nicer than oversize candy bar. You dont even want to know price of NEW Sonim phones. Ouch. Makes me scratch my head as to how they sold them in first place, for money they wanted you could get a rather nice smart phone.
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