We’ve already covered the best smartphones you can buy from Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, but what if you are not the commitment kind? If you’d like to go the prepaid route, Cricket Wireless is a great option. The prepaid carrier has a wide selection of phones and decent coverage all around the United States. It also offers some of the most aggressive rates around, especially if you’re willing to sign up for auto-pay (smartphone plans as cheap as $35 a month, all fees included).
So, what are the best Android phones you can buy on Cricket? While we’ll admit there aren’t tons of phones sold directly through Cricket, there are a few gems. Most of Cricket’s offerings are relatively low cost, so this is a list of all the best smartphones available on the carrier. If none of these devices are your cup of tea, check out our best cheap Android phones or best Android phones list – as any unlocked GSM phone compatible with AT&T’s network will play nicely with Cricket.
See also: The best prepaid and no contract plans in the US190
Samsung Galaxy S7
Samsung did a killer job with their 2015 flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Design-wise, many would say those two phones were close to perfect. The company forwent a plastic design and instead included glass front and back panels with an aluminum frame. They weren’t without their flaws, though. The S6 and S6 Edge didn’t offer expandable storage or removable batteries — two features Samsung has been known to include in all its smartphones for years.
Now the Galaxy S7 has made its way to the masses, and it fixes many of the problems the S6 line introduced last year. While it don’t offer a removable battery, Samsung included expandable storage on the handset in case the 32GB of on-board storage isn’t enough. Samsung mostly stuck to the same design this time around, though they did shrink down the camera bump on the back and made the device a little thicker to make room for larger battery.
In terms of specs, this is a top-of-the-line smartphone. It comes with a Quad HD Super AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, a great 12MP rear-facing camera and it runs the latest version of Android. Seriously, this is an incredible smartphone. It’s a little pricey, but all in all, we think the high asking price is worth it.
Specs
- 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 577ppi
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- 32GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200GB
- 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3000mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm, 152g
Read more
- Samsung Galaxy S7 review
- Samsung Galaxy S7 unboxing and first 48 hours
- Samsung Galaxy S7 camera: feature focus
- Best Galaxy S7 cases
Samsung Galaxy S6
While the Samsung Galaxy S6 might not be the latest and greatest from Samsung in 2016, it’s still a great handset that will provide a flagship level experience at a discount thanks to the arrival of its successor, the Galaxy S7. The Galaxy S6 brought with it a major overhaul to design and build quality – something that was definitely needed for the Samsung Galaxy S6 to better compete with the arguably more premium high-end smartphones on offer from the competition. A metal and glass unibody design allowed for the more elegant look and feel that is expected from a Samsung flagship, and worthy of the high price tag that the device commands, even if the changed build did result in previously staple features like expandable storage and replaceable batteries going by the wayside.
Despite the lack of microSD and removable battery, the Galaxy S6 is certainly not lacking in extras, with it retaining hardware features like a heart rate monitor and a fingerprint scanner, as well as a camera package that allows for one of the best smartphone camera experiences available even a year later. While replaceable batteries may no longer be available, Samsung also attempted to alleviate any battery life concerns you may have with the inclusion of fast charging and wireless charging capabilities.
Specs
- 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 577ppi
- Samsung Exynos 7420 processor
- 3GB of RAM
- 32/64/128GB storage options, no microSD card expansion
- 16MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 2550mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8mm, 138g
Read more
- Samsung Galaxy S6 review
- Samsung Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S6 Edge
- 6 problems with the Samsung Galaxy S6 and how to fix them
- Best Samsung Galaxy S6 accessories
Alcatel Idol 4
Alcatel’s new Idol 4 is a great follow up to the company’s previous flagship, the Idol 3.
It comes with a nice 5.2-inch Full HD display, a powerful Snapdragon 617 processor, 16GB of on-board storage, and microSD expansion up to 512GB. It also comes with an impressive 13MP rear camera, a big 2610mAh battery, as well as a pair of multi-directional speakers for great audio quality. It also comes pre-packaged with a VR headset, which is a really nice touch.
You can buy the Alcatel Idol 4 from Cricket for $199.99.
Specs
- 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 424ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor
- 2/3GB of RAM
- 16GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 512GB
- 13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
- Non-removable 2610mAh battery
- Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
- 147 x 72.5 x 7.1mm, 135g
Read more
ZTE Grand X Max 2
The ZTE Grand X Max 2 is a large-screened, exceptionally-priced budget smartphone with very few compromises. It sports a big 6.0-inch Full HD display, a Snapdragon 617 processor, microSD expansion up to 64GB, and a giant 3400mAh battery. ZTE has also improved the software experience with this handset, making the user interface very user friendly.
The ZTE Grand X Max 2 is available now from Cricket for $169.99, or for $129.99 with an activation if you bring in your number.
Specs
- 6.0-inch IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 367ppi
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 64GB
- 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3400mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 164.1 x 83.8 x 8.9mm
Read more
LG Stylo 2
The LG Stylo 2 is perfect for all your media consumption needs. It sports a big 5.7-inch 720p display, a powerful Snapdragon 410 processor, 16 GB of on-board storage and microSD expansion for your music and videos. It also comes with a pretty sizable 3000 mAh battery and an included stylus that gives the product its namesake. If you’re looking for an unlocked phone on a budget, this device might be hard to pass up.
Specs
- 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with 1280 x 720 resolution, 257ppi
- 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor
- 2 GB of RAM
- 16 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 128 GB
- 13 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
- Removable 3000 mAh battery
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 155 x 80 x 7.4 mm, 145 g
Read more
ZTE Grand X3
ZTE unveiled a few budget-friendly handsets at CES 2015, one of which is the Grand X3. While it doesn’t come with the best specs on the market, this device does sport a few key features that many folks will like. It has a big 5.5-inch LCD display, plenty of internal storage, microSD expansion and an 8MP rear camera. The Snapdragon 210 processor under the hood may not be the most powerful out there, it does come with 2GB of RAM. Oh, and it also sports a removable 3080mAh battery, which should be more than enough to get you through a full day of use on a single charge. It has a big screen, removable battery and a pretty decent camera for the price point… what more could you ask for?
The ZTE Grand X3 is available from Cricket for $79.99.
Specs
- 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with 1280 x 720 resolution, 267ppi
- Quad-core 1.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 64GB
- 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera
- Removable 3080mAh battery
- Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
- 154.2 x 76 x 9.4mm, 170.1g
Read more
- ZTE Grand X3 hands-on
- ZTE unveils the Grand X3 and Avid Plus
- ZTE Grand X3 arrives on Cricket for $129.99
- ZTE talks past, present and future at CES 2016
Going unlocked?
Why limit yourself to the phones Cricket sells? Not everybody knows this, but this carrier runs on AT&T’s GSM network. Not only does that mean you have good coverage, but it also means you can easily bring in your unlocked devices, something Cricket Wireless supports whole-heartedly. The company even has a dedicated page for bring-your-own-phone subscribers.
The industry is changing. Affordable devices are no longer sluggish and useless, and some high-end smartphones are starting to get much more affordable. In turn, this means customers are starting to accept the idea of moving away from subsidies and installment plans. There are plenty of good options out there, but there are a few handsets leading this movement. Here’s our list of unlocked phones we’d recommend activating on Cricket’s network:
Don’t see anything you like? Try checking out our list of the best cheap Android smartphones.
How do like our list? Is there any device you’d add or remove? Let us know your opinions in the comments!
