My nieces want an ipod touch which new is about $200-300 for 16GB storage. But a used smartphone is about $50 which usually have microSD expansion slots that go up to 32GB.
Can’t a used smartphone that isn’t connected to a network be used to connect to wifi, and as a result be used to store apps and mp3s?
Does it matter which brand phone or what network it would normally be on/
I can only speak to iPhones, but the answer is yes. They can be used on WiFi without a SIM card and still connect to the internet, use Apps etc.
I use my old iPhone as an iPod. I like it because it has a half way decent external speaker to listen to the music. I can still access wifi with it, but don’t because it really does make a lousy internet device compared to a laptop or tablet.
Can a deactivated smartphone still call 911?
I thought they were all supposed to do that.
I am using my old, deactivated HTC Evo as an iPod touch like device and am really happy with it. The Play store still works fine over wifi so you can easily grab new apps. Turn on airplane mode to shut off the device’s cell radio and save battery life.
If these are Android based phones you might want to consider loading something like CyanogenMod on them. It loads a non-phone vendor based version of Android onto the device. Many cheap Android handsets have very old versions of the operating system loaded onto them and you won’t have an upgrade path with them being deactivated.
Its a little geeky to get loaded, so if that’s not your cup of tea you should still be just fine without it.
Yes.
Activated phones “camp” on the network. Deactivated phones “emergency camp”, specifically to allow you to make an emergency call.
-D/a
I gave my old iPhone to my sister in law specifically for this purpose. Works just fine. iPhones have better specs than contemporary Touch models, but probably also have slightly better resale values and therefore higher prices.
If you’re looking specifically for non-Apple devices, then the answer is still yes, but keep in mind that one of the major things you’re giving up is the App Store ecosystem. Many, if not most, software writers target iOS first and sometimes exclusively because Android users don’t seem to be willing to pay for anything. There’s apparently also way more crapware (but free! crapware) on competing platforms.
Pulled out the Sim on my galaxy nexus (android 4.12).
Works fine simless.
So if any phone doesn’t let you do it. It’s the carrier’s software, not Google. Installing something like cyanogen mod should let you use it simless.
I tried that with my Blackberry. After a month, there was a lock that prevented me from using Wifi. I’d get the signal, but no Internet, which evidently was hardwired to go to Verizon’s servers first thing. A clear example of a dog in a manger.
I don’t use Verizon any more.
+1.
I use my old deactivated HTC Desire as a teensy tiny tablet around the house. And I endorse the use of a modded ROM like Cyanogenmod. My phone didn’t have much carrier cruft when I got it, but control and additional functionality of the non-vendor Android loadout is much nicer IMHO.
Frankly, it’s kind of nice to have a mini-tablet I can give to my 20-month-old so she can watch Elmo* on Youtube without worrying about her messing up a “good” tablet or my actual depend-on-it smartphone.
*When she commands “Elmo ducks!”, you listen.
I use an old Android phone (MyTouch 3G Slide) for that very purpose. No SIM, but connects to the web via my home WiFi network. I use it to play Pandora, music I’ve stored on Google Music, and iHeart Radio.
If a phone has a “bad ESN” would it work ok for WiFi only use? This is a HTC Evo 4g I’m looking at.
I’d expect it to. The “bad ESN” might prevent you from activating it on a carrier’s network, but shouldn’t bother your local WiFi setup.
-D/a