HAck an unactivated cell phone?

I was looking to get an MP3 player for music. I could load my phone with music but the battery won't last long and I really don't like hooking my phone up to my computer to transfer the MP3s for security reason. I think a phone is much more prone to attacks so I don't use email or log into anything with it like with a computer that I keep clean and have all types of security programs. I know phones have security apps but I still don't trust phones, and I never use WiFi because I hear it's easy to hack.
So then I realized I'm also in the market for a camera that I have on me most of the time. I could use my phone but I don't like connecting it to my computer. If I caught something really worth taking a picture/video, I would, but for the most part, I don't like to hook my phone to my PC. If the phone had some sort of virus or something, my PC would probably find it but it still might turn into a big problem. I thought about setting up a sort of burner account with photobucket or something, log in with a dedicated email that I can afford to let possibly get hacked and then log into the same photobucket with my PC and copy the pictures but that's a bit too elaborate.

So anyway, I was hoping to get an MP3 player with a camera but all I can find are ones with terrable like 1.3 MP cams and without flash. I found some are like 8mp (minimum I would use) but have wifi built in anyway. So I was thinking I might just get a second cellphone and use it as my camera and mp3 player. If the phone battery goes dead, then it's no big deal like if were my real cellphone. Considering a deactivated used phone but a new one would probably be safer just in case, even though I can format the phone, I don't think I can like wipe it clean of possible security threats from the previous owner.


So assuming I buy a new phone and don't activate it and make sure wifi is turned off (even though I have no service but still a hacker might be able to get it), do you think there's anyway a deactivated phone could be hacked?
Sounds too paranoid but it makes sense to me and I don't mind spending $50 or something for this and having to carry a space phone around sometimes. I also like that I can lock screen the phone but don't think any mp3 player camera combos can do that. I could get a cheap mp3 player and a separate camera but that's a lot to carry and easier to forget for when I need a camera.

Not so sure why you feel so helpless against the growing desires of phone molesters

A branded phone with IMEI number and some simple virus protection does most people fine.

For all the droids I deal with in the last few years only twice have I come across devices that had dodgy adware or potential call redirectors on them... which never did anything more than sit there as a potential threat.

keep Bluetooth inactive and be careful what apps you try out and its normally fine.

there's even software that can scan your phone for malicious software on PC`s e.g. spybot SD (for a price)

Is your hardware that fascinating to a potential hack... is there such sensitive information worth the effort...
I keep my precious files backed up and off the grid... If someone physically breaks in and can be bothered to wire up my DC transformer to get the host machine working then good look to them while I beat them with a large stick. I had around 30 police officers storm troop my home. they even cordoned off the entire street for a day (colourful life) and they just looked at all the hardware and said "no freakin idea what half this stuff is" they left it alone.

In short... why the paranoia... just educate yourself in the ways of counter measures
get a branded droid with IMEI and live happy

I think I might just get a separate MP3 player and a separate camera or just a phone but not something like an ipod touch because the ipod has wifi anyway and a worse mp camera than the waterproof cellphone I can get plus the phone definitely has a lock screen and a few other nice features the ipod just can't compare even for price. I need the camera to be really fast in between photos and have a good optical zoom, so I might just have to get a good camera and a decent mp3 player and carry both when needed.