At $200-250 range and TMO service, you can get latest phones with all the bells and whistles. Two places to check- phones are so personal these days, you should ask your friend to check out for him/her self:
mobileburn.com
infosyncworld.com
They do good review of phones. If you live in major US metro area, eg NYC, LA, look for re-seller in Chinatown or Asian district. You can get fantastic deals for phones; PM if you need help.