Telstra to release $99 prepaid Android smartphone
- — 15 March, 2011 11:25
Telstra's Smart-Touch Android phone will be available from 22 March and will retail for $99
Telstra has unveiled the first Android smartphone to break the $100 price barrier in Australia, the Telstra Smart-Touch.
Check out our roundup of the best budget Android phones, and read our reviews of other top Telstra Next G mobiles on prepaid.
The Telstra Smart-Touch runs the 2.1 version of Google's Android platform, has a 2.8in resistive touchscreen and features GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The Smart-Touch also has a 3.2-megapixel camera that doubles as a video recorder, along with an MP3 player and FM radio. The Smart-Touch will be available from March 22 for $99, and is exclusive to Telstra.
"The Smart-Touch is an affordable way for our prepaid customers to access and enjoy features like mobile web-browsing, social networking and email," said Telstra's consumer executive director, Rebekah O'Flaherty. "We think our new pricing and the introduction of the new Telstra Smart-Touch will make owning a smartphone and enjoying Australia's largest and fastest mobile network more affordable than ever."
Along with the launch of the Smart-Touch Android phone, Telstra has also increased the included data and call credit on two of its prepaid mobile plans; the Cap+ and Weekend+ plans.
On the new prepaid rates, a $30 recharge on Telstra's Cap+ plan now includes $220 of credit to use on calls and texts, and 400MB of data &8212; up from $170 of credit and 150MB of data on the previous plan. $40, $60 and $100 recharges also offer increased cap credit and data allowances, with a $100 recharge now including a hefty 4GB of data, up from 1GB.
Telstra's prepaid plans also allow the rollover of any unused credit as long as customers recharge within 30 days. For full details on the new prepaid plans, visit Telstra's Web site.
Comments
matty
1
cool im getting one
kacie
2
OMG luv it my friend has a pink one and im getting the black or silver one :)
NotHappyJan
3
Telstra advises that to avoid being CHARGED CONTINUOUSLY, you must turn off the phone and remove the battery after each visit to the internet. I made her repeat this instruction about 3 times to be sure that's what she said, before telling her that is ridiculous! Refund denied.
suey39
4
Does anyone know how to unblock the screen pattern. My son has forgotten it and telstra tells me I have to send it to their repair lab to have it reset. More$$$$
Daniel & Andrea
5
Is this a good phone im thinking bout getting one
disappointed
6
I have to say that I am not impressed. The touch screen has a mind of its own and battert life on standby is pretty grim. If you do have to disconnect the battery to fully turn off,that is pure madness!!!...not a happy Telstra customer
Babbie
7
Uh, excuse me but thus phone locked me out and it's saying " to many pattern attempts" and asking for my google account but I didn't even make one!? /: gggrrrr!
Joanne
8
my phone has locked at the next g start up page!!!! how can i get it to work again? removed the battery, many of times, removed sim, sdcard, fully charged it, nothing seems to make it work
Beth
9
Hey everyone,
This phone is really pathetic in my opinion. The battery dies so quickly, the buttons are hard to type on even using the stylus or your finger. My phone in particular ( not sure if anyone else has had this problem) heats up very quickly when it's being charged, it seems to be constantly connected to the Internet and as far as I know the Internet cannot be turned off. My prepaid phone credit is gone only an hour or two after I get it.
-I STRONGLY recommend you spend the extra few dollars for a decent phone.
Keeping in mind that's only my opinion.
luv telstra
10
i just got one and it seems pretty cool. im worried about that internet thing though! :(