Boost Mobile BMSAMM820
339 of 347 people found the following review helpful.
By JJ
I've been using this phone for a few days now and here are the pros and cons.
PROS:
- Inexpensive
- Awesome flexible plans with no contract, you can switch between plans to fit your needs on monthly basis.
- Attractive design & compact size
- Good speed, not the slowest nor the fastest, somewhere in between (as May 2011)
- No blowware installed, good job Boost Mobile
- Clear sound for phone calls & decent music player
- Durable, I've dropped it a couple of times from waist height in parking lot and it barely shows any dents.
Cons
- Fixed focus low res cam (2MP) no LED. It takes OK pics in a good lighting environment, video quality is unusable. My biggest issue is that it CAN'T read standard bar code, due to it's fixed focal lens. But it reads QR code without any problem.
- CDMA network covers less area than GSM network in the US. Most of countries in the world is using GSM network, so it won't work outside of US.
- SIM card embedded, that means it can only be used on Boost Mobile network, maybe Sprint...BTW, Boost Mobile is using Sprint's network. You can't transfer contacts from your SIM card phone easily.
- Screen resolution. It's not really a con, but it might be if you're used to hi end smart phones. It's the same resolution as 2gen ipod touch.
- Battery, this is an issue with all smart phones.
- Tiny Internal Memory, it is a big negative. Especially when navigation app downloads maps to its internal memory. Sometimes I have to delete some apps to make room for maps.(see my 1 year update at the bottom)
Overall, I highly recommend it for causal users. Check out its coverage in your area before hand though.
Things you would need to buy, if you plan to use this phone.
- Micro SDHC, 2/3 of its internal RAM is occupied by OS and others. 2GB Micro SDHC that came with the phone is not going to be enough for most people. Make sure you get the Class 6 or above version of Micro SDHC. It makes noticeable difference in speed.
- Car charger, they're not all the same. The main difference is how much power the charger provides. If you get one that provides minimum power, then your phone won't be charging much while the phone is using GPS & 3G for navigation. Motorola Vehicle Power Adapter micro-USB Rapid Rate Charger This seems to be a good one.
- extra battery, if you're always on the phone.
Tips for new Android phone users, especially entry level phone like this one.
- Read app's permission carefully. When installing an app, it will tell you what data on your phone it is accessing. Many "free" apps are collecting info in the background, often they collect info that has nothing to do with its function.
This is not just a privacy issue, it also slows down the phone and drain its battery. If you're experiencing slow response and really bad battery issue, then it's probably because there are too many apps running in the background. These kind of apps send collected info periodically via wifi/3G, which is a major battery drainer. Get a Task Killer app, it lets you kill apps that run in the background.
A general rule, stay away from apps that is accessing data has nothing to do with its function. For example, a workout app that wants to access phone's contact list and reads phone account info. You know it's data mining your phone for marketing purpose.
Update: there is a work around for scanning bar code at book store. Google has an app called Shopper or Google Shopper. It can scan a book or CD/DVD cover from phone's camera and do a price search, an amazing app. Amazon App store gives away a pay app for free everyday, sweet!
6/28/2011: Apparently Boost Mobile's 10 cent/minute Pay as You Go plan is not available to this phone yet. But $50/month unlimited everything is still the best deal by far. Most of 4G data & phone plans from major carriers costs around $80 + tax & fees = $90/month, plus you lock in for two years. Sure, you get the latest smartphone with 4G speed for "free", but it's not free at all. Here's the math, you pay $40 more per month with other carriers' plan. So $40 x 24 months = $960, this does not include the Shrinkage discount. You have to ask yourself if 4G speed & latest smartphone is worth of $1000 more.
Lastly, government charges tax & fee when you setup automatic payment to pay Boost Mobile account (it makes no sense whatsoever, but government wants more money). To avoid that, you have to put money in your account via reboost card each month manually. Luckily, you can buy electronic reboost card from major online store. They will email you the reboost code, then you just copy and paste it to your boost mobile account via website.
9/13/2011: I've been using this phone for a few months now, and had no major issue until a couple days ago when I installed Pandora app. All hell broke loose after that, the phone froze up every couple hours. The phone works fine after uninstalled Pandora. Other than that, the I'm pretty happy with it. Remember to keep it lean, the more apps you add to it, the slower it gets.
6/16/2012, the final update:
I've been using this phone over a year now. Beside Making phone call, I don't do a lot with this phone other than navigation, texting and emailig (rarely). Overall, I'm happy with this phone & service. But I'm downgrading the phone from 4 to 3.5, based on price and hardware specs.
The two biggest shortcomings are:
1. Low MP camera, low resolution with a fixed focal length makes it almost useless.
2. Internal Memory, even though I don't download and use many apps; I still need to delete some apps to make room for navigation map.
As today, there are other Android phones with better hardware specs in the price range of 120-150. In the same price range, you can get mid range Windows Phone 7 device due to lack of its popularity. I just switched from Android to Windows Phone 7 today, because I rely heavily on MS Outlook and Onenote on my PC. Plus I really don't like how Google scans every Gmail,Gtask,GCalendar..etc for marketing purpose. Not to mention GPS tracking on your Android, it's getting out of control in my opinion.
Anyways, Boots Mobile doesn't support Windows Phone 7 devices yet and I want to stay with a prepaid service. Luckily Straight Talk wireless(a branch of Tracfone)offers BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) prepaid plan at $45.00/month. BYOD works with most of GSM phones, and the phone doesn't need to be unlocked. So your current ATT & TMobile phone would work on StraightTalk BYOD plan.
Things you need to know about StraightTalk:
1. No roaming, that means you HAVE TO change your phone number if you move to an area outside of registered area for more than a few weeks.
2. No streaming and tethering via 3G/4G. Even thought they call it Unlimited Data plan, there is a cap, most people thinks it's 2GB/month. You'll get a warning for going over it, your service will be terminated if you keep going over the limit. You will LOOSE your phone number. Read their TOA carefully.
3. In order to make all of your smart phone's functions works on BYOD plan, you need to input some phone settings. It's pretty straight forward, but might be a bit challenge for some.
Boost Mobile Shrinkage offers the best deal for casual users in the the long run. They now have a good selection of Android phones. If you're in the market for a prepaid Windows phone, StraightTalk BYOD is the only solution for now.
Sorry if I don't reply your questions, I share what I know on this subject and don't check the comments often. It has been a pleasant experience with Boost Mobile and Android, cheers.
174 of 176 people found the following review helpful.
By Doug Kampe
I've had this phone for almost 2 months and it hasn't disappointed at all. In fact, completely the opposite! It's a small phone, but I like that personally. I can't stand how big phones have gotten like the EVO. Also, I don't know what people mean "the phone is slow." What exactly are you doing? Personally, the phone works well for me. I multitask all the time: while biking I stream Pandora, track my location with MyTracks, and respond to the occasional text ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I stream music with Grooveshark in my car while navigating with GPS using Waze (awesome app btw). Never a problem! So, frankly, I'm confused what people are talking about "slow". Also, I'm on Boost's shrinkage plan so, my monthly bill is $45 per month for unlimited everything (including data). I've been on Boost for about 8 or 9 months now.
I read reviews on this phone because I find peoples' criticisms interesting. More often than not, people make one huge mistake: comparing it to a high-end phone like the iPhone, EVO, Nexus, etc. Look, it's not one of those, and if you want a top of the line phone, stop comparing this phone to those. No, it doesn't have the Hummingbird processor. No, it doesn't have a 4.3 AMOLED screen. Personally, I don't care about those things because they are too expensive, and if I get a phone that has those things, I'm locked into a 2 year contract for 3 or 4 times the monthly cost. If having a little better spec'd phone is important to you, go for the top of the liners! However, I'm techie, middle class guy that wants as much as I can get for as little as I can get it. The combination of this phone running Android 2.2.2 (I just got an update so that may be higher), and Boost's unlimited plan with shrinkage (eventually $35 per month) fits the bill perfectly for me.
Also, there are lesser "entry level" Android phones out there. Sprint's Zeo is far far far inferior to this phone and the screen isn't double touch. The Prevail's is. Boost uses Sprint's CDMA towers with this phone, so I am never without service. You have to get into extremely remote places to lose reception, and those places will most likely be void of any cell coverage no matter the monthly cost barring satellite phones. Finally, maybe I'm lucky, but I just haven't experienced the shutting down and freezing problems others have. Sometimes this is a poorly designed app, NOT the phone or operating system. I've pulled the battery maybe 2 or 3 times total. I'll end this with a little math lesson.
Let's compare Verizon VS Sprint VS at&t VS Boost. So, the first 3 have smart phones from $0 to $300 with a 2 year contract. The Prevail is MSRP at $180, so to make an apples to apples argument, let's standardize the phone to $165. I'm doing this because you can find the prevail cheaper or more expensive. UNLIMITED contract's with the big 3 companies range from 69 per month (SPRINT) to $120 per month (Verizon/at&t), so let's just say $95 per month on average. I should note, Sprint's plan is really good, unless you have family and friends overseas. You will incur international charges for INBOUND (received) calls on the $69 per month plan. I have family overseas and Boost does not do this, which is weird because they are owned by Sprint. So, here's the math.
Big 3=phone+(# of months * monthly cost)=
165+(95*24) = $2445 over 2 years.
Boost=Phone+(6 months * $50/mo)+(6 months * $45/mo)+(6 months * $40/mo)+(6 months * $35/mo)=
165 + (300) + (270) + (240) + (210) = $1185 over 2 years.
THAT'S A DIFFERENCE OF $1260 OVER TWO YEARS!!! Think about how hard $1260 is to make for the average person (me). So, if the top of the line phone is important enough for you, then that's great and you should do it. However, like I said in another review, personally, I'd rather take a trip to Europe, and for $1260 I am getting airfare to do exactly that!
122 of 127 people found the following review helpful.
By E. Walker
I've had this phone for a couple weeks. It is my first smartphone, so I'm no expert and I don't expect a lot.
Overall I'm pretty pleased. The $50 a month unlimited plan from Boost is a great deal. The web speed is decent and you can view web pages fairly easily. It has an email app that allows you to collect POP email, which is handy
CONS:
The keyboard - This is a big one. It is near impossible to type on the on screen keyboard. I've ordered a stylus to type. I have fairly nimble fingers, and every fourth letter I type results in the adjacent letter appearing. There is some kind of "swype" application that might help. If you send a lot of text messages, this probably is not the phone for you... or at least you should try it.
The battery - seems like it lasts one day or maybe three hours if you're using it
No flash support
PROS:
The price
the size - it is thin and small, but this also means a small screen
It is android and there are lots of apps out there, or you could write your own.
You can put a 32GB card in this and use it like an mp3 player
it comes with a GPS app that has traffic - but I haven't tried it yet
The screen changes orientation if you move the phone
UPDATE:
I've had this phone for a year now, and generally I'm pretty happy with it. It really does change your life to get a smartphone-- they're little computers. I've found so many useful apps, and it is really great not to have to count phone minutes OR data volume. I will never go back to limited minutes or data limits. I listen to internet radio for long drives, download recorded books from the public library, check email and many more more little things... iPhone users don't dare do all that with their data limits.
I've gotten used to the screen size. The battery lasts a bit longer since the last upgrade, but it helps to have spare batteries and a car charger. The flash/youtube issue seems to have been fixed by one of the upgrades. I bought a 32GB memory card, and now use the phone as my mp3 player.
Boost's service has been just fine-- good enough coverage, reliable voicemail, no screw-ups with the account. Because I've paid on time, it is only $40 a month.
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