Cricket Wireless has two new budget phones, and they both cost less than $100

Key Takeaways

• Cricket Wireless makes its own budget-friendly Android smartphones, and it is expanding the catalog with the new Cricket Icon 6 and Debut S3.
• Both devices cost less than $100, run on MediaTek Helio P35 chipsets, offer 90Hz displays, USB-C ports, NFC for payments, and face unlock features.
• The Cricket Icon 6 with its 6.75-inch display costs $90. The Debut S3 features a slightly smaller 6.6-inch display and comes in at $80.

American prepaid Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), Cricket Wireless, owned by AT&T, offers value-oriented plans, especially when you need multiple lines.

In addition to solid plans, the MVNO also has a diverse lineup of smartphones available for purchase, including models from the likes of Samsung, Apple, Motorola, LG, TCL, and more. It’s also worth noting that the network operator also sells its own devices on its website — like the Cricket Magic 5G starting at $140 and the Cricket Outlast starting at $110.

Now, expanding its list of available devices, Cricket has silently released two of its new Android smartphones on its website, and they both cost less than $100.

First highlighted by PhoneArena, the two new devices, namely the Cricket Icon 6 and Cricket Debut S3, are sequels to devices released by the MVNO last year, offering upgrades over their predecessors while still maintaining the sub $100 price tag.

It’s worth noting that the new phones are in no way powerhouses, but they’re great as budget-friendly burner devices, and can be handed over to children as their first smartphone. Both devices feature a MediaTek Helio P35 chipset, with the cheaper Debut S3 operating at up to 2.2GHz and the Icon 6 operating at up to 2.3GHz.

Cricket Debut S3: $80

Available in Anchor Gray, the Debut S3 features a big 6.6-inch HD display with a 90Hz refresh rate. *cough cough* The new base iPhone 16 is still stuck on 60Hz *cough cough*

Elsewhere, the device features 4GB of RAM with 64GB of internal storage, expandable via a microSD card. The device’s rear features a dual camera setup with a 13MP and a 2MP shooter — nothing to write home about. On the front, the device features a pinhole with a 5MP shooter that powers the device’s face unlock, paired with a side fingerprint sensor for convenient authentication.

The Debut S3 features NFC for contactless payments, a USB-C port for charging, a 4,000mAh battery that should keep the low-end device functioning throughout the day, and Android 14 out of the box.

Cricket Icon 6: $90

Coming in with a $10 more expensive pricetag than the Debut S3, the Cricket Icon 6 features a slightly bigger 6.75-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate, complete with a bigger 5,000mAh cell and a Cloud White color. Its rear cameras are more appealing on paper, with a 50MP and 2MP setup. The sensors used are currently unknown, so we can’t comment on the shooters’ performance, though they likely won’t be anywhere close to the camera performance of more expensive smartphones.

Similar to the Debut S3, the Icon 6, too, features 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded with a microSD card and a USB-C port for charging. Both devices are also backed by a 2-year warranty.