No Contract Phones as Audio Players

[tubemonkey]

No Contract Phones as Audio Players

Several of us are or have purchased no-contract phones (NCPs) with the intent to use them as audio players for audiobooks and music. These devices will be used in ways similar to the iPod touch and Galaxy Players, both of which are aging devices operating on older operating systems.

Most of the NCPs are Android 4.4 devices, but other platforms are also welcome (iOS, Windows). Most of the time, suggestions and issues will be platform based; which is why this thread is for all models.

So tell us which NCP you have and your intended uses for it

No Contract Phones (release date)

• Moto E 2nd (Feb 2015) ---> thread | specs
  
• Fire Phone (Jul 2014) ----> thread |
  
• LG Volt 740 (May 2014) --> thread |
  
• Nokia 520 (Apr 2013) ----> thread | specs

================================================== ==========

References / Sources

• Meet my $18 iPod touch...
  
• I Need a Cheap Phone
  
• No Con Phns as Audio Players
  
  
• Cellphone Carriers in the US
  
• US Prepaid/MVNO Discussion

.

[tubemonkey]

I just ordered the LG Volt from RadioShack for $30 and plan to use it for streaming music, playing audiobooks (streaming and downloads), checking out library books for my K4S, as a remote (Grace Internet Radio, Fire TV Stick, Amazon Echo), and an occasional game or two.

[copyrite]

This would be great for my podcast listening habit! And not run down the phone battery.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by copyrite

This would be great for my podcast listening habit! And not run down the phone battery.

It would. If you don't have one of these NCPs, I'd recommend the LG Volt. It's currently on sale for $30~$40. See this post for details.

[tamborine]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Several of us are or have purchased no-contract phones (NCP) with the intent to use them as audio players for audiobooks and music. These devices will be used in ways similar to the iPod touch and Galaxy Players, both of which aging devices operating on older operating systems.

Most of the NCPs are Android 4.4 devices, but other platforms are also welcome (iOS, Windows). Most of the time, suggestions and issues will be platform based; which is why this thread is for all models.

So tell us which NCP you have and your intended uses for it

Thanks for posting the Volt deal! I picked one up on the Radio Shack site, after getting the $10 discount code. So now I'll use this as my audiobook player/chromecast remote instead of my old, half-dead iPhone 4. I'd been considering getting a Fire phone for this purpose when I saw it dropped to $199, which, in retrospect, was a stupid idea. I sure know how to waste money!

[Barbara1955]

Tips & information I get on this site is PRICELESS!

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by tamborine

. I'd been considering getting a Fire phone for this purpose when I saw it dropped to $199, which, in retrospect, was a stupid idea. I sure know how to waste money!

Me, too! The Fire phone is on my "nice to have but still too expensive" list. I'd love to waste money on it. But I don't do phones with data, so to get it just for wifi, no. That would be a waste, for me. I have a $40 windows phone for phoney things. And now a $40 LG Volt on the way for my audio books!

I am currently using an AT&T Radiant phone for audio books. The bad thing is, it only has 2gb memory. I am already out of space, and I've only had it since Nov 6. When my Volt gets here, I am giving the Radiant to my 17yo son, it will be a big upgrade from his Pantech.

[glos]

My only problem would be no buttons i can press blindly to stop/play go forward/back a song, which i constantly do with my ipod when I'm walking.
I just keep it in my pocket and feel the buttons...
Would they work with a set of earphones with controls (do they even exist? i keep seeing them with volume controls, but play/stop etc)?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by tamborine

Thanks for posting the Volt deal! I picked one up on the Radio Shack site, after getting the $10 discount code. So now I'll use this as my audiobook player/chromecast remote instead of my old, half-dead iPhone 4. I'd been considering getting a Fire phone for this purpose when I saw it dropped to $199, which, in retrospect, was a stupid idea. I sure know how to waste money!

YW

Originally Posted by booklover6

Me, too! The Fire phone is on my "nice to have but still too expensive" list. I'd love to waste money on it. But I don't do phones with data, so to get it just for wifi, no. That would be a waste, for me. I have a $40 windows phone for phoney things. And now a $40 LG Volt on the way for my audio books!

I have both -- Fire Phone & LG Volt

[booklover6]

My LG Volt is ready for action. I am going to test the services I use, and will update this post as I go.

I can change the volume with the keys on this phone, w/o having to wake it up.

Scribd audio books - played flawlessly.

Overdrive audio - played flawlessly

Audible books - played flawlessly

KU audio books - these I had to access through the Kindle reading app. Doing so caused the ebook to open. At the top is a headphones icon. Tap that and then download the audio book. After downloading, played flawlessly.

All in all, I am quite satisfied with this no contract phone as an audio device. I still have 1.79GB available.

It wants to find the mother ship, but I just ignore that.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by booklover6

My LG Volt is ready for action. I am going to test the services I use, and will update this post as I go.

Cool

[Xanthe]

I was reading this thread now and thinking, damn, missed out on those deals because using the phone as a substitute iPad is a good idea.

THEN - I remembered that I have a Kyocera Hydro phone lying around around here, that I got for a review, but since I don't have a Verizon calling plan (I'm an AT&T gal) I don't have the correct SIM card that it needs to operate. So I can't use it as a phone.

I fired it up and it looks like it will work fine as a multimedia device via WiFi. I just need to get a micro SD card to increase its storage.

[copyrite]

The Volt is just what I need for my purposes around the house.

Why oh why isn't there an Android device out there the size of a phone that is only a Wifi device? I was discussing this with a co-worker yesterday who when I explained why I purchased the Volt and how I was planning to use it and she said when she gets a new phone the older one is always 'downgraded' for this usage.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by copyrite

The Volt is just what I need for my purposes around the house.

Why oh why isn't there an Android device out there the size of a phone that is only a Wifi device?

That's what the Samsung Galaxy Player was. They were quite pricey, and are now discontinued and have too old versions of Android.

[paulak39]

I notice this morning that Radio Shack is selling the LG Bolt for $99 now. Thanks to tubemonkey, I read about the $30 sale last week and ordered one, which should be coming today. Didn't even know what an LG Bolt was at first; (thought it might be a device charger). I may have several questions once I try to set it up and add audiobooks. This site always gives me lots of interesting and helpful information. Thanks tubemonkey and others.