Zombies, Run! doesn’t need an expensive phone to run. We know, because we always test our latest builds on cheap and slower phones! It’s fun to have fast phones but we know some players can’t afford them.
Even so, we still get the occasional support email from people using old phones that, even when they were new, were sadly underpowered and running ancient versions of Android. It’s always frustrating because it’s not expensive at all to get a phone that will run ZR perfectly well!
So if you’re looking to buy a new cheap phone, or want a dedicated ZR phone, this guide is for you!
Phones
It’s obviously cheapest to get an unlocked phone – in fact, you don’t even need cellular data at all to use Zombies, Run! GPS works fine without it, and you can rely on your home wifi to download missions and sync your run logs to ZombieLink – or use a PAYG SIM. Android 6.0+ is ideal for future-proofing and features such as built-in step tracking. All the phones below, except for the Vodafone, run on Android 6.0+.
Vodafone Smart Mini: £29 (UK only)
It isn’t particularly fast, and has a small screen (3.5″), but it is really cheap and has a handy MicroSD slot for your music. It’ll fit in your pocket and is very lightweight. It’s locked to Vodafone, but you can use their Pay-As-You-Go instead. We wouldn’t recommend this as a main phone, but it’s good if you just want one to run with.
BLU Studio G HD LTE: £60 (UK only)
These are relatively faster phones, with dual SIM capabilities. You can even use this as your main phone if you aren’t too demanding! It has a bigger screen than the Vodafone (5″), and while the processing power isn’t fantastic, it’s good for the price.
Moto G4 Play: $100 (US only)
The G4 Play is a good phone, with a decent screen and uses Android 6.0. However, it does include adverts if you buy it from Amazon, who offer it at the lowest price. But it isn’t full of the usual bloatware on cheaper phones, meaning it runs relatively quickly as long as you don’t open all your apps at once!
Moto G4: £130 / $180
The G4 uses Android 6.0. It has a bigger screen than the G4 Play and is a faster, more reliable option. It’s usable as main phone, and you can run Runkeeper/Strava at the same time. Android 7.0 is also rolling out to the Moto G4, which makes it more future-proof. It’s water-resistant (not waterproof!) and has a great battery life for a phone of this price.
Moto G5: £159 (UK)
The G5 will launch with Android 7.0, so it’s even more future-proof, and faster than the G4 models. This has a fingerprint scanner, which is pretty snazzy for a phone at this price, and a crisp HD screen display of 5″.
Bluetooth Headphones
Bluetooth headphones have come a long way in the past few years, improving their price, battery life, range, reliability, and sound quality. You won’t get tangled up in wires or have to thread them through your T-shirt – instead, you can keep your phone safely in a pocket or belt. The one downside is that you’ll have to remember to recharge them!
Anker Soundbuds IE20: £25 / $32
These are comfortable, stable in-ear headphones. The sound quality is decent enough, and they’re small and lightweight, making them so easy to bundle into your bag or pocket. They have the basic controls for music volume, call/music and track-skipping.
Skullcandy Ink’d Wireless Earbuds: £30 / $40
These earbuds have a comfortable collar design and come with the same basic controls as the Anker Soundbuds. These really push a lot bass, so if you like a heavy beat to run to, these may be a good choice. But they are less ideal for those who like a more placid playlist when running from zombies.
Monster Adidas Sport Response: £20 / $40
These have decent sound quality for their price, comfortable design that stays put no matter how much you move and has an in-built mic as well as basic controls. They aren’t waterproof, but they can withstand sweat!
Urbanears Active Reimers: £35 / $50
These earphones have really good sound quality for their price bracket. They’re also very comfortable, and won’t budge during your workout. They let in a good amount of ambient sound and have a reflective cable, which is great for road runners!
Note: Our Amazon UK links include affiliate codes.
Zombies, Run! 