It’s amazing what type of technology a couple of hundred bucks can get you these days.

While many people pay $600 to $700 for high-end smartphones (and yes, even if you buy a flagship phone on contract from a carrier for an initial $200, you’re still paying the full price as part of your monthly service rate), more and more companies are offering perfectly decent mobile devices for a fraction of the cost.

The latest contender is Alcatel, whose new OneTouch Idol 3 phone sells for a mere $250. That’s $250 outright, with no contracts, commitments or obligations to pay inflated monthly bills for the next two years. You can take the phone and use it wherever you want — on any carrier compatible with the AT&T or T-Mobile LTE network in the U.S., including prepaid providers that’ll charge as little as $30 to $45 per month with no strings attached.

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