Want a single-camera android phone

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My employer doesn't like me bringing camera-enabled phones to work. I presently have a horrible tracfone "burner". I like the tracfone service, pricing, and Verizon network when using an appropriate phone.

Non-camera phones are unobtainable.

Two-camera phones are everywhere. I just picked up a Samsung S120VL for $30 which I liked for 5 minutes then blew up trying to remove the front screen to get the selfie-cam out of there. It turns out you're supposed to use heat to melt the glue. Oops. Every. Darn. Phone with the selfie-cam puts that camera under the glass that (potentially) shatters when you try to get it apart. I do not require huge amounts of processing power but on the level of that Samsung is fine with me.

So I'm settling on a single, rear-facing camera android smart-phone. The rear lens is easy to punch out and fill with epoxy, satisfying Security. There are many out there on ebay that are a few years old so I'm concerned about the performance hit of obsolete equipment.

I don't mind getting an unlocked one and putting a SIM card in it either... but feel the Tracfone-locked ones might be cheaper. It does need to talk to the Verizon network as I live in the hills where other services fail to work.

I don't want to monkey around with jailbreaking or other grey-to-black-market shenanigans.

Would like to keep it under $50.

Shoot me some ideas!
 
Why does your employer not just use PicPatch or similar security stickers? They're EVERYWHERE here is SE Michigan. They're good enough for the auto companies and defense contractors in the area (and they may or may not be used by a large-scale medical marijuana processor as well)
Aside from that, if you are looking to stay in the Verizon network, you could give the Moto E/ E plus a shot. The Verizon prepaid version Moto e4 can be had for $40 from Best buy or Walmart and should already be unlocked. The E plus has a 4000mah+ battery and costs around $120. Both phones will have a front facing camera though, as will ANY reasonably priced phone.

Tell your employer to shell out $1200+ for a non-camera iPhone.
 
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There are some flip phones out there still that don’t have camera. The zte maxom m has a single camera but it's not cheap.
 
It isn't possible to just smear a drop of super glue on the screen, over the front facing camera?

Put a drop down and move it around in a circle with a toothpick, until it gets big enough that the lens can't see anything?

Would that not bond to the screen, and render it useless?
 
Same policy here at work (defense contractor). For the longest time they kept their heads in the sand with a policy of NO PHONES WITH CAMERAS. Even the company provided phones had them. Now the policy is, don't let us catch you using them and anything is subject to search.
 
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I would probably take a small Dremel tool to both lenses and be done with it.


The problem is the front-facing ones are all under glass. My current phone had the rear facing camera's front lens element smashed so it was out of focus and only saw colors. I then dripped wax into the crevice, making it see only black.

A glob of glue could be removed, restoring functionality.
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Employer does not require me to have a phone, but I enjoy it on lunch break.
 
Took wife's old Galaxy 5s to a local "Ifixit" chain. Dude there was going to send me to another store in the chain but they "don't have a trident screwdriver."

Like, what? Paying $1000s a month in rent for retail space but they don't have a tool kit?
 
Wound up with a ZTE Z837VL (marketed as ZFive 2) where the backside of the phone screws into the screen so it can be disassembled without coming unglued. Ten minutes and two cameras fell right out of the darn thing without any drama!
 
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