AT&T ZTE Avail Z990 Unlocked GSM Phone Deals

By Gary J. Josie -
This review is from: AT&T ZTE Avail Z990 Unlocked GSM Phone with Android 2.3 OS, 5MP Camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microSD Slot - Black (Wireless Phone Accessory)
First smartphone - provides all essential smartphone features plus WiFi for free internet use, GSM for international travel, micro SD expandable card, mature OS (2.3.4), unblocked (I use AT&T prepaid and my wife uses T-Mobile prepaid) so unblocked provides flexibility to transfer SIM cards depending on minutes remaining. I have pushed the phone pretty hard over the last few weeks - downloading about 15 apps and numerous calendar entries. I opened .pdf files, several mp3 files, played with the 5MP camera (very nice) and even forced myself to write and send several emails. The ability to access free web usage is particularly nice even on a 3.5 inch screen. I have tested at home, in two different libraries, at Starbuck's and Peet's, always a fast auto detect signal and I am on - with no data plan costs (an early download was the free AVG AntiVirus app - essential for any mobile OS nowadays).

Only annoyance is that I wish the power off start-up cycle were faster (30 seconds before 3G signal lock). This is slower than my previous Razor feature flip phone, but the ZTE is doing more work than the Razor too, so I can live with this given the great price $79.95 and no contract.

 By Yurek -
This review is from: AT&T ZTE Avail Z990 Unlocked GSM Phone with Android 2.3 OS, 5MP Camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microSD Slot - Black (Wireless Phone Accessory)
I needed a Android smartphone for my trip to Europe. I chose this phone because: it was pretty affordable and the company was near (NYC).

When the package arrived I was extremely happy that the phone turned out to be pretty small. The screen and the layout of the keys is just perfect. I have to admit I like the phone much more than my Bionic when it comes to size and ergonomics.

The overall quality is at least satisfactory if not good. The LCD performs pretty well in the sun. The screen is responsive. The speaker is pretty loud although a little on a muted side (the Bionic has much more trebled sounds). The talk quality is good.

The only drawback is the battery life (fully charged in the morning, discharged by 11pm after like 30 mins. talktime, few txt msgs., some browsing the web over the 3G as well as GPRS and EDGE). But - you can live with it if you do not use the handset too much. Good phone. "B" from me.

By Bjgrib
This review is from: AT&T ZTE Avail Z990 Unlocked GSM Phone with Android 2.3 OS, 5MP Camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microSD Slot - Black (Wireless Phone Accessory)
So I bought this phone as a replacement for my water-logged Samsung Focus, which I absolutely loved. I was drawn to the Avail because it offers the android experience at a very affordable price, especially outside of a contract. However, the low-grade hardware in the phone really limits the OS's ability to perform. Most of the apps ran slow and there was constant struggles with internal memory vs. sd memory. The basic features of the phone worked fine such as texting, email and calling, but if I wanted a basic phone I'd pick one up for $20 off amazon. I think my disappointment stems from the fact that I had high expectations because of the android OS but neglected the fact that it was only $105 (at the time I bought it). At that price of course they can't include top of the line hardware and the best android experience around. So you get what you pay for. The phone is solid and is a smartphone, but its not the best which I'm sure most of you already knew.