Optus adds 4 new Android handsets to its Pre-Paid line up of devices

Optus has expanded their pre-paid line to include 4 new Android handsets starting at the rock bottom price of $49.

The new handsets now available on Optus Pre-Paid include the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua, Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini, Alcatel Pixi 3.5 and the ZTE Zip, with 3 of the devices being brand new 4G handsets.

The Xperia M4 Aqua as a handset isn’t new, it’s been around for a while and Duncan reviewed this phone earlier this year and we reported on the new ZTE Flip earlier this week. The two newer entries in the range, the Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini and the Alcatel Pixi 3.5 look like this:

Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini

Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini – Front

Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini – Rear

Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini – Front Side

The Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini is a follow up to the successful Galaxy J1 which was released in February as the Galaxy J1 NXT and it has some pretty good specs for the price. The full list os specs include:

• 4.0″ WVGA TFT Display (480 x 800)
• 1.5GHz quad-core Processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB internal storage, expandable to 128GB via MicroSD
• 5MP Rear camera, VGA front facing
• Android 5.1 (Lollipop)
• Bluetooth: V4.0, WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n, GPS: Yes, FM Radio
• Network Connectivity:
  • 3G: 900/2100 MHz
  • 4G: 700/1800/2100/2300/2600 MHz
• Dimensions: 121.6 x 63.1 x 10.8mm @ 126g

Its a little disappointing that the Galaxy J1 Mini comes with Android 5.1 (Lollipop) but I guess its to be somewhat expected for a Pre-Paid low end market device.

Alcatel Pixi 3.5

The Alcatel Pixi 3.5 was announced during CES in January, just before the company rebranded and it has taken 4 months for the device to finally make it onto the market here which is surprisingly quick. Spec wise, the Pixi 4 3.5 as its officially known on the Alcatel global website, isn’t going to really wow you spec wise but for the price, low end specs are pretty much a given.

Alcatel Pixi 3.5 – Front

Alcatel Pixi 3.5 – Rear

Alcatel Pixi 3.5 – Side

Alcatel Pixi 3.5 – Front Side

Full list rundown of specs include:

• 3.5″ HVGA Display (320 x 480)
• 1GHz dual-core Processor
• 512MB RAM
• 4GB Memory with 2GB user memory available, expandable to 32GB via MicroSD
• Rear VGA Camera only
• Android 5.1 (Lollipop)
• Network Connectivity:
  • 3G: 900/2100 MHz
• Dimensions: 116 x 62 x 9.9mm @ 120g

Again, it is sad that the device is launching with Android 5.1 (Lollipop) right out of the box, it is somewhat expected.

Pricing

Pricing wise, this is where things get kind of interesting, with the options to either pay full price or utilising AfterPay options, which enables you to get the device at an interest free payment period, generally over a 4 or 8 week period. AfterPay is only available to purchases made online.

For example, the following prices apply for the following devices including AfterPay options:

• ZTE Zip – Available in store and online for $49 or pay 4 interest free payments of $17.49 every 14 days (2 weeks) over 8 weeks in total equalling the total price of $49.
• Alcatel Pixi 3.5 – Available in store and online for $49 or pay 4 interest free payments of $17.49 every 14 days (2 weeks) over 8 weeks in total equalling the total price of $49.
• Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini – Available in store and online for $139 or pay 4 interest free payments of $34.75 every 14 days (2 weeks) over 8 weeks in total equalling the total price of $139.
• Sony Xperia M4 Aqua – Available in store and online for $229 or pay 4 interest free payment of $57.25 every 14 days (2 weeks) over 8 weeks in total equalling the total price of $229.

It’s important to note that as we reported on Friday, Optus are now enabling pre-paid users the ability to stream their music through selected services like Google Play Music, Spoitfy and more without counting against your data cap.

An important note is that all the devices listed here are locked to the Optus network and unlocking fees apply should you wish to use these devices on another network such as Vodafone or Telstra.