A stripped down, functional phone for your prepaid plan

If you have Alltel U prepaid, a neat and affordable phone has hit the market. The LG AX275 is the newest addition to Alltel’s large selection of phones, and is very affordable for those who use prepaid (and don’t get the handset discount for signing a contract). It may not have a ton of bells and whistles, but it’s small, light, and very functional. As for size, the dimensions (in inches) are 3.58 x 1.81 x 0.78, and weighs in at just 2.82 oz, so it will fit right in your pocket (or bag, depending on your sex). You won’t have to worry about the camera going off unexpectedly, either, as the monochrome front display doesn’t support self photos (hence no external camera button). There is no flash, but for a VGA camera, the quality is reportedly good. The phone is WAP 2.0 ready, so users can access Alltel’s Axcess network for games, wallpaper, and ringtones. There are some built-in graphics and ringtones (31), but no games come standard with the phone. Battery life is estimated at 11 days of standby time and three hours of talk time. That seems a little low on the talk time, but you probably won’t waste much battery life using other features (since there aren’t very many). For what it is — a cheap phone with few features but good functionality — the LG AX275 does the trick. It costs $139 without a contract (only a buck with service if purchased online), so it isn’t priced totally out of range. Who knows? You might even be able to get a deal on it for prepaid. [CNet Reviews] [LG AX275 from Alltel]]]>