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Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA have added three more smartphone options for no-contract phone buyers, including Kyocera’s waterproof Hydro Reach phone, LG’s G Stylo 2 and Samsung’s Galaxy J7.
The smartphones, which are each priced below $230, are available starting April 15 along with no-contract, prepaid phone plans that feature a variety of talk, texting and data plans. The trio of new devices were unveiled by the two companies, which are units of Sprint, in an April 13 announcement.
The $100 Kyocera Hydro Reach, which replaces the original Hydro Edge phone, features a 5-inch qHD In-Plane Switching (IPS) display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8909 1.1GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of memory, 8GB of on-board storage and runs on the Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system. It also includes a microSD card slot that accepts memory cards up to 64GB for additional storage.
The Hydro Reach, which is a 4G Enhanced LTE-capable handset, also includes a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera and a 2,160mAh battery. The rear camera includes HD video recording capabilities and has LED flash, image stabilization and auto-focus. The smartphone is IP57 certified against dust and water immersion for up to 30 minutes in up to 3.28 feet of water and its touch-screen can be operated using wet fingers.
The handset also includes Bluetooth 4.1 and WiFi 802.11 connectivity and is capable of being used as a mobile hotspot. The phone is 5.47 inches long, 2.84 inches wide and 0.39 inches thick, and weighs 4.97 ounces.
The LG G Stylo 2 Smartphone
The latest generation of LG’s original stylus-equipped affordable G Stylo smartphone is the new LG G Stylo 2, which costs $180 and features a 5.7-inch HD thin-film transistor (TFT) IPS display, 2GB of memory, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 1.2GHz quad-core processor and a removable stylus. The 4G LTE-capable phone will be available from Boost Mobile on April 15 and through Virgin Mobile starting May 9.
The updated G Stylo 2 runs on the Android Marshmallow operating system and includes a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with Gesture Shot, which lets users trip the shutter using a hand gesture in front of the lens. Both cameras offer full HD video recording.
The handset also includes 16GB of on-board storage, a microSDXC card slot that accepts storage cards up to 128GB and a 3,000mAh battery. The smartphone is 6.1 inches long, 3.13 inches wide, 0.29 inches thick and weighs 5.1 ounces. Also included is Bluetooth 4.1 and WiFi connectivity.
The Samsung Galaxy J7 Smartphone
Samsung’s Galaxy J7 handset, which features a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED touch-screen, will be available through Boost and Virgin Mobile on April. 15 for $230. The handset includes a 1.4GHz octa-core processor, 2GB of memory, 16GB of on-board storage and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Also featured in the 4G Enhanced LTE-capable phone is a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with quick launch and 5-megapixel front-facing with flash, as well as a 3,000mAh battery. The handset also features an Ultra Power Savings Mode that can extend standby life for critical use if needed.