[Device Reviews and Information] mkollersms:
I wanted to throw this one out here because XDA likely hasn't looked into this one yet. Best Buy is offering the Tracfone Wireless ZTE Cymbal Android FlipPhone for $50 (on Tracfone's website, it's $100). I had it shipped to my house and it arrived today, so I wanted to give my thoughts.

It ships with similar specs to the LG K3/K4 models. Snapdragon 210 CPU, 1GB RAM, 8GB ROM, expandable microSD (32GB) slot. Touchscreen is 3.5 inches (low resolution), it has two speakers AND two microphones, a physical keypad (FLIP PHONE), a headphone jack, and a modest battery for its size. The OS is Stock Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. There's also an external display for clock. Because it's a CDMA phone, it has an MEID for 3G and an LTE SIM for 4G. It MUST be activated through Tracfone or used with some kind of Mobile Hotspot.

The device features physical Android keys (Home, Back, Recent), a camera key, mute key, messaging key, favorite app key, D-Pad with center button, and a backspace/C key. I swapped the launcher with NOVA Prime and mapped the home key to the app drawer. Because of the small screen, I made it so desktop is 4x5, but app drawer is 3x4. Arrow keys can then be used to navigate, or you can touch the screen directly.

The internal antenna is wicked powerful. Most phones do not get signal at my house, yet this phone can occasionally detect VZW's 3G network while inside. More crazy is that the internal GPS includes something called IZat and gets a lock-on while indoors. I have rarely seen a phone do that. This phone does have a proximity sensor and an ambient light sensor, though the latter isn't the best. I disabled Auto-brightness because the phone was changing brightness to often for my liking. That said, the backlight is really bright even at low settings.

That said, there are a few things I am not liking. The messaging key does not map to your default messaging app. It goes to the stock messaging app, no exceptions, even if you select a different app like Hangouts as the default. Additionally, the physical keyboard modes aren't exactly the best laid-out. You have your legacy modes, but instead of using the 1 key for symbols, you use the * key and navigate a small menu on the screen. There's also a "T12" mode which is similar to T9 though requires you to select the word using the center button every time before hitting space. I'm still trying to figure out if that can be modified.

Thankfully, you can also install touchscreen keypads like Google Keyboard or use the included TouchPal keyboard. Its layout is not too bad for a 3.5 inch screen, but it kind of defeats the purpose of using a physical keypad. I would say the only advantage of having it is being able to dial a number without having to open the dialer app. Plus, if you press the Green (call) key from the home screen, it takes you to your contacts list.

All in all, it was a great way to implement Android flip phones into the North American market, but I don't know if I would use this as a daily driver just yet. I still have my Moto G4 Play running Lineage 14.1, and I need that for work anyway (certain apps would not do well on the ZTE). But for $50, this phone gives my Moto a serious run for its money.