Alcatael Pixi 4.5 4G for half price ($34.50) from Optus directly
Also has option of paying in 4 instalments of $8.63 (interest-free)
Seems to have decent specs for a backup phone…supports Band 28 too.
This one seems much better specced than the one on GSMArena page…Alcatel have confusing names.
Expired at 13/5 9am, however also available at Coles - thanks manic.
Should be well more than that, esp if the screen is off.
Specs for relatively obscure devices seem to be all over the place on many websites.
I was considering the same thing. Top up $10 and use the free music streaming offer from optus to download a load of music to it.
Does anyone know how good play musics download to SD card feature is and if it works on this? It could be make or break off that's rubbish
I should get mine in the next day or two, so will let you know how headphone sound quality compares to my samsung phone etc. But wont be streaming so cant comment there.
Thanks, it will pretty much be used in a car most of the time or using a Bluetooth receiver/speaker.
It's the download music to SD I want to make sure works OK, I'll be heading off in to no man's land reception wise so just want to pre catch as much music as I can to a memory card, currently using a 16gb nexus 4 for it but if prefer more music than that. The alternative is get a pixi 7, as a music player that should have much more battery life but it is more than double the cost and only 3g.
In case you are actually not used to Android phones??
It is a simple matter to view and organise your phones files (mp3 etc) by connecting it to a Windows PC.
Anyway, if you chuck 100s of mp3's on your microSD card, most music programs will auto find them. Then you can set up playlists to group them.
I probably gotyou wrong but I mean well.
Last thing. Optus says next day metro delivery on the sales site. Then at their tracking site it says different. But when I get it I'll test it and chuck what I can here.
@eotwawki:
I'm very familiar with android, been on the bandwagon since the HTC hero. My main question is more the feature in the play music app, apparently since a couple of versions ago (I think kit kat) the app can save music downloaded from Google (and I'm assuming play music all access) to the SD card. Unfortunately I've had nexus devices since that came out so never had an sd card to test it with, I'm guessing all phones can do it it's just worth checking.
If it can always slap on $10 whenever I'm in a town and need a music top up thanks to their free music download addition.
I won't be able to test streaming, but I can say from what I've read elsewhere on this site, this phone is pretty crap. Lousy screen and general build.
But with 4G and cheap unlocking, $35 is worth a shot for me.
Anyway I'll still chuck a comment on here on sound quality etc, when I get the phone I guess next week some time.
@eotwawki:
Thanks.
For $35 I'm not expecting much, but as the only app I need installed is play music it should be overkill spec wise for my needs. As long as it can stick tracks on the SD card it should fill my needs. Might unlock it and use it as a hotspot for one of my Telstra broadband Sims as well but that's pretty much it. It will definitely save the battery on my Nexus 5, that thing needs all the help it can get now.
Looks like I ain't going to be testing the phone afterall —>>
FROM OPTUS:
Hello
Unfortunately we cannot process your order PR049xxx due to the Alcatel Pixi 4.5 4G being Out of Stock.
We have contacted our warehouse if they will be restocking them soon but unfortunately this particular model has now been discontinued.
Your order has been cancelled and a refund requested.
@eotwawki:
Have you tried Coles instead? I think it's still in this week's catalogue. Discontinuing it would explain the price though.
@Everettpsycho:
Yeah I'll try, got to go to next town for Coles which is tonight anyway. Any idea if BigW pricematch these?
@eotwawki:
I picked one up anyway from coles in maddington, at $34.50 I couldn't go wrong even if i just load poweramp on to it and use an sd card full of music that way. It does have the feature i was after though so once i stuff a micro sd inside i can download from play music to the memory card, even better if i can do it using the optus network as a $10 top up will get me free music downloads for a week, here's hoping 32gb is advisory like most devices.
As a phone it's great for the price, is it going to win any awards, god no. But the display is adequate, most of the bloatware is removable and installing google now launcher it's pretty much stock android lollipop.
The sound quality is good enough, i don't have any high end equipment here so through my earphones it's good enough and using bluetooth through my UE mini boom there's no discernible difference compared to playing off my nexus 5, i'd say the play music quality is probably the bottleneck on quality in both instances. Might still get it unlocked though, worryingly it's probably the fastest internet connection i have here on 4gx.
@Everettpsycho:
I just bought one in Coles Rocko (they have 4 left for anyone who wants one still), I wanted to say why not search Piratebay-> eg. George Thorogood or Snatam Kaur…, and get the mp3's on the mSD directly. But didn't 'cause that'ld be all wrong, copyright wise.
I think you know more about smartphones than I do, but this is the 1st phone that the inbuilt speakers are listenable (ie without headphones). Amazing.
Unlocking. I'm going to try the free method suggested here on Ozb, because the $1 unlock is frankly over the top.
Anyway whereever you're going that you'll be out of range. Good luck to you staying out of range.
@eotwawki:
I think I'll just stump up the $1, it's been a while since i did the whole routing and to be honest I can't be bothered to deal with it again.
I've got a load of music saved locally but do have play music all access so wanted to use that, not sure who I'm travelling with so that will help keep them happy on the trip. Off up to the Kimberley's soon so don't think phone receptions too good up that way.
Seems to be plenty of unlockers for this on ebay, eg.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Unlock-Code-Optus-Australia-Alcat…
Since OP says it supports band 28 does that mean that it also fully supports the Telstra network?
I'm not sure, but check for another older Ozbargain Optus Pixi 4g thread. Someone linked a $1 unlock, and a link to do it for free also.
free express delivery too?!
They deliver using Star Track usually
Upvoted for offering the option of 4 easy interest free payments of about $8!
Cheers mate
This phone is in the Current Coles catalogue at $34.50 also.
By past experience, stock can dribble in to supermarkets during the week.
Not available online as usual.
https://www.coles.com.au/catalogues-and-specials/view-all-av…
FROM OPTUS: CANCELLING ORDERS
Hello
Unfortunately we cannot process your order PR049xxx due to the Alcatel Pixi 4.5 4G being Out of Stock.
We have contacted our warehouse if they will be restocking them soon but unfortunately this particular model has now been discontinued.
Your order has been cancelled and a refund requested.
Cheers, marked as expired.
I found an issue with mine when tethering from Telstra. In short what I discovered was the tethered connection was being dropped every 5 mins and re-establishing creating issues for tethered devices. Had to root the phone to work around the issue, total PITA though.
The Telstra 4GX Buzz is similar…doesn't behave well with non-Telstra SIMs for tethering
I just bought one in Coles Rockingham WA 21/May, they still have 4 left for anyone who wants one.
There's plenty left in Coles Chadstone as well (I saw 6 at around 845pm today)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/root-alcatel…
The above webpage gives full details of how to install twrp recovery, root the device and much more.
One of the Pixi3 4G threads on Ozb has info on network unlocking this phone, after installing twrp & rooting.
Here's links from that thread which both contain the unlocking zip file.
http://4pda.ru/pages/go/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fyadi.sk%2Fd%2Ft9GzJ…
or http://www.mediafire.com/download/cs0nciv33spq3go/rootkit.zi…
I just did all this, so it works 100%.
Haven't found a better Rom for the 4G model yet, but cyanogenmod have one underway that's not 100% yet.
Any chance these have a good sound quality like a lumia 530 or samsung GalaxyY?
The specs say Audio playback: Up to 5 hours, is that all. The GalaxyY provides 24 hrs music off 1 charge.
Might get one for a replacement of mp3 player if anyone can comment on above.