Some heavy-duty savings on a couple solid phones over at Walmart: the LG Optimus T, which we handled a variant of and pronounced sweet, is going for under a buck, and the rugged Motorola Defy is only $50. Of course, you’ll need a new two-year contract and data plan to get those prices, but if you’re in the market, you could do a lot worse than either of these phones.
The Optimus T in particular, I think, would work for a “my first smartphone” type situation. It’s built really well, does everything you need it to, and it’s even got 2.2, something many more expensive phones are still working on. I haven’t handled a Defy, but I get a good feeling from it, unlike some of the other Motorola handsets I’ve seen recently.