( CNN ) -- While the Android mobile operating system is free , the smartphones and tablets that use it have generally been rather pricey and thus out of reach for many consumers . But now , Android is getting more accessible to typical consumers -- both in terms of usability and ( more importantly ) price . At last week 's CTIA mobile technology conference and expo in San Francisco , California , several vendors introduced simpler , less costly cell phones that run Android -- all under $ 150 ( after rebate ) , and some as cheap as $ 50 . Some carriers have already revealed prices for data plans for these phones , at a cost significantly less than what smartphone users typically pay per month . The phones do n't necessarily offer the same speed and performance as higher-end smartphones . But this is where the line between feature phones and smartphones is blurring . For example : . LG Optimus . Sprint and T-Mobile are launching versions of this phone , which is basically a low-cost starter smartphone . It has a 3.2-inch capacitive touch screen ( one that responds to human fingers ) , a 3.2-megapixel camera ( with video capture ) , microSD expandable storage ( a 2 GB card comes standard , but the phone supports cards up to 32 GB ) , and the latest version of Android ( 2.2 `` Froyo '' ) . Sprint plans to offer the Optimus starting October 31 for $ 49.99 -- after a $ 100 mail-in rebate and with a two-year contract that could cost about $ 60 a month . That 's not quite as affordable as the flat $ 40-a-month `` for everything '' offer from discount carrier MetroPCS , but it 's a lot less expensive than a Droid 2 or an iPhone . T-Mobile has not yet given a price for its Optimus phone but expects to release it for the holiday season . Samsung Transform . This slider-style device has a full QWERTY keyboard , a form factor that appeals to many feature phone and BlackBerry users but also is reminiscent of the EPIC 4G smartphone . It has a 480 x 320-pixel touch screen display , front- and back-facing cameras for video chat , up to 32 GB of microSD storage and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth capability . It 's running Android 2.1 -- not the latest version -- but will support most Android apps , widgets and services . According to Android Central , Sprint began selling the Transform on October 10 for $ 149.99 , after a $ 100 mail-in rebate and with a new two-year service agreement . Sanyo Zio . This phone ( which actually is manufactured by Kyocera ) will be offered by Sprint for Zio for $ 99.99 , with a new two-year service agreement and after a $ 100 mail-in rebate . It features a 3.5-inch WVGA touch screen , 3.2-megapixel camera and 30-frame-per-second video . Motorola Flipout , Flipside and Bravo . This trio of midrange Android phones is coming from AT & T . The Flipout is due out October 17 , and the other two around the holidays . The Flipout has a pivoting QWERTY keyboard and will cost only about $ 80 . The Flipside costs about $ 100 and has a slide QWERTY keyboard and 3.1-inch HVGA screen . The Bravo will cost about $ 130 and comes with a 3.7-inch WVGA screen , 800 MHz processor and 3-megapixel camera . ( All prices are after rebates , and with a two-year contract . ) RCR Wireless reports , `` All three devices require a data package beginning at $ 15 per month as well as qualify for an early termination fee of up to $ 325 . '' In the October 7 episode of The Cell Phone Junkie podcast , host Mickey Papillon and Dieter Bohn from Smartphone Experts discussed the pros and cons of several lower-end Android feature phones shown at the CTIA conference . Papillon and Bohn also discussed the new Sprint ID service for Android phones , which debuted at CTIA . Through partnerships with content providers like Yahoo and Electronic Arts , Sprint is selling prepackaged sets of apps , ringtones , widgets , wallpaper and more for its Android phones . `` The idea is that it 's a pain for many people to figure out how to customize your Android phone , '' Bohn said . `` Yes , it 's bloatware -- but it 's a place to start and you at least get to pick which bloatware you want . ''
People at the conference introduce phones all under $ 150 , some as cheap as $ 50 . The ##er ##s may not have same performance and speed as higher - end smartphones . They have already revealed prices for data plans for these phones .