The latest and greatest phones may have all the bells and whistles, but they're usually saddled with a "feature" most people would be happy to get rid of: a two-year contract. If you want to ditch the shackles of a locked-in service subscription and don't mind using an Android phone that can keep you in touch with your friends but can't necessarily play the newest 3D games, ZTE and T-Mobile's latest handset may be up your alley.
The ZTE Concord costs just $100 -- and that's without an annual contract. The Android Gingerbread-powered phone won't blow anyone away in terms of specs; the only concrete ones are a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen and 2MP camera, but given the price point, we're guessing the rest of the components are just as pedestrian. Nevertheless, T-Mobile says the phone can perform basic tasks like surfing the Web or nabbing GPS directions.
You won't be able to connect the Concord to T-Mobile's new Unlimited Nationwide 4G plans, but you probably wouldn't want to spend that kind of cash on a phone that can't perform Internet-enabled tasks very well, anyway. Instead, T-Mobile is pitching the phone towards the prepaid crowd and its no-contract Monthly4G service, which offers a wide variety of pricing and plan options. Prepaid phones accounted for virtually all of the growth in the smartphone market last quarter.
The $100 no-contract ZTE Concord is already on sale at Walmart in conjunction with the retailer's monthly T-Mobile-powered Family Mobile service. If you'd rather hop directly on T-Mobile's Monthly4G plans, you'll have to wait until Sunday, when the ZTE Concord hits Target shelves.
Via Engadget
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