Deals

Amazon Unlocked Smartphone and 1 Year of Prime Back At Lower Cost – $229

a black smartphone with icons on the screen
Written by Charlie

This phone was available during the Cyber Week savings at $199, down from the regular $449. It is lower again, but $30 higher than originally – $229. Still a great deal!

When traveling internationally, it is always nice to have a smartphone to keep all of your info in your pocket as well as get pictures, directions, music, etc. If you do not have a smartphone that is unlocked and works internationally (all smartphones from AT&T and T-Mobile can be unlocked, all Verizon 4G smartphones are unlocked while Sprint smartphones cannot be unlocked – except for Blackberry), it is really easy in this day to pick up a very capable phone that can work at home and abroad. If you are looking for a smartphone that can work on US GSM networks (not Sprint or Verizon) as well as work globally, this could be a good deal for you.

Amazon Fire Phone link

Amazon Fire Phone

Even Amazon admits – the pricing model they chose for their first foray into the smartphone market was a disaster. They priced it as a premium model when it should have been a loss-leader that would have ensured Amazon’s presence in more pockets. Because of their pricing structure ($649 off contract, $199 on contract with AT&T), they sold a very low number of those phones.

CNET’s Review: amazon fire phone

But, that has changed. Amazon has updated their pricing to make it available unlocked for only $229. And they made it even sweeter – they are throwing in a year’s membership to Amazon Prime. That is another $100 value, so if you had thought about getting Amazon Prime, you are essentially only paying $129 for a brand new smartphone that you can use at home or abroad.

guide to international travel – communications

Some of the innovative features of the Amazon Fire Phone certainly sound appealing, especially if you are an Amazon regular. For $129 (after subtracting the cost of Amazon Prime), it may be worthwhile to grab this phone for an Amazon device – even if you don’t use it with a provider in the US. It will basically be a mini Kindle Fire tablet and around the same price, but you can use it as a phone and mobile data device as well.

In the end, Amazon finally did what they should have done in the first place. But, is it even worth it at this price? It depends. Now, for $129 (after the Prime membership value), you are getting a full-featured smartphone that you can take with you around the world and easily access whatever Amazon has to offer. I think $129 is a fair price for all of that.

 

Some of the links on Running with Miles are affiliate links that pay a commission if a purchase is made. Running with Miles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

About the author

Charlie

Charlie has been an avid traveler and runner for many years. He has run in marathons around the world for less than it would cost to travel to the next town - all as a result of collecting and using miles and points. Over the years, he has flown hundreds of thousands of miles and collected millions of miles and points.
Now he uses this experience and knowledge to help others through Running with Miles.

1 Comment

  • For anyone that has this phone how does the Amazon operating system is different from a pure Android system that Motorola or Nexus uses in their phones. Does Amazon have access to the same apps as Android?