Skip to main content

Looking for a cheap phone? Cricket Wireless to offer two new sub-$50 devices

Cricket Wireless
Kārlis Dambrāns/123rf
Cricket Wireless is making it a little easier to get a decent phone at an ultra-low cost. The company has announced two new phones available on its network — the ZTE Overture 3 and the Alcatel QuickFlip, two phones that come in at under $50.

As the name suggests the Alcatel QuickFlip is actually a flip phone — and as such it’s really targeted at being someone’s first phone or at those looking to have a simple device they can use to call and text friends and family. It offers a 2.8-inch display and 4G connectivity, along with a 1,350mAh battery — which may not sound like much, but should be enough to power your phone for quite a while, given its size.

Perhaps more interesting is the new ZTE Overture 3, which comes in at $50 and, unlike the QuickFlip, has a smartphone form-factor. Cricket Wireless is actually offering the phone to free for those that switch from another carrier — though current customers can get it for the aforementioned price of $50.

So what does the Overture 3 have to offer? Well, it offers a 5-inch display, along with a five-megapixel rear-facing camera, and HD Voice capabilities. It also has support for an FM radio. Apart from that, however, we don’t really know too much about the phone, except that it will be available on November 10 and that it seems to be a pretty decent choice for those looking for an ultra-budget device. There aren’t a ton of devices available for under $50, but as companies expand their offerings into new markets, we are seeing more super-cheap phones.

Of course, if you do like the phone, you have to either be on Cricket Wireless or be willing to make the switch. Thankfully, Cricket has some pretty decent prepaid plans. For example, you could pay $30 per month for unlimited talk and text and 1GB of data, or you could pay double that for unlimited talk, text, and data. That is not bad, especially when the likes of Verizon offer unlimited data for $75 per month, or $85 if you don’t want the company to limit your speed in times of high congestion. If you want other phones on Cricket Wireless, the company recently announced that it’s offering the ZTE Blade X.

In any case, both of the phones will be available from Cricket Wireless starting on November 10. The QuickFlip will cost $30, while the Overture 3 comes in at $50.

Editors' Recommendations

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more
Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today
Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally. 

Read more
The Nokia 3210 is the worst phone I’ve used in 2024
A person holding the Nokia 3210, showing the screen.

Where do I even start with the Nokia 3210? Not the original, which was one of the coolest phones to own back in a time when Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace wasn’t even a thing, but the latest 2024 reissue that has come along to save us all from digital overload, the horror of social media, and the endless distraction that is the modern smartphone.

Except behind this facade of marketing-friendly do-goodery hides a weapon of torture, a device so foul that I’d rather sit through multiple showings of Jar Jar Binks and the gang hopelessly trying to bring back the magic of A New Hope than use it.
The Nokia 3210 really is that bad

Read more