5 Affordable Entry Level Android Phones to Consider

The market has been saturated with iPhones and Samsung phone models, as well as other high-end phones where one new model comes out every month with increasing prices every time. These high-end phones may be gorgeous with the best features and top of the line camera at par with DSLRs, but they do come with a big price tag that will leave your wallet empty and scour for crumbs. There are still a wide variety of phones that will address 99% of the consumer’s needs but at a fraction of the price.

If you want to use your cell phones strictly for SMS messaging, for calls and for looking at the time, you would be better off with even cheaper phones in the $100 range.

Here’s a few list of some of the phones that are out in the market that will give you the best deal and value for your money:

• Motorola Moto G4

This is one of the favorite among budget phone reviewers, and it retails below $200. The leading name in budget phones, Motorola has created a set of solid specifications which includes a fist of its kind full HD 5.0 inch LCD screen. By far, as compared to the other phones in its league, this device will provide you with the best gaming experience. Although there are some hiccups like the lack of customization options from Motorola and no NFC, it is all in all still a very impressive device with a long battery life.

• Huawei Honor 5x

This is the latest model from Huawei, which was announced a month ago. It is geared to break into the US market with a retail price of around $200. One of the key selling points includes a fingerprint scanner mounted at the back of the device. The metal feeling makes the phone feel solid, and the color choice between Dark Gray, Daybreak Silver, or Sunset Gold give it an elegant appeal.

• OnePlus X

This compact budget device comes with an AMOLED Display, Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, and up to 128 microSD expansion with 2 SIM card slots. The OnePlus X is one of the best budget phones you can get, and can be purchased from their website at $250. The robust features make a boast of its likeness to its predecessor the, OnePlus 2. However, it may not have the same LTE 4G coverage since it is missing one appropriate band. It also lacks an NFC card for payments similar to other Android smartphones. All in all, it is one of the best out there, especially with its cut-glass backplate with an anodized metal frame.

• Oppo F1

This device is constructed from metal and plastic and comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera. It has sensors for optimal image capture and an 8-megapixel selfie camera which was rated higher by the testers. It has an impressive list of hardware that includes a 3GB RAM for seamless multitasking and a Qualcomm CPU. There may be room to grow when it comes to the outdoor auto-brightness and the old fashion design with childish icons. This phone still has a lot to offer but asks so little in return.

• Nexus 5x

This phone is the younger brother of Nexus 5 released in 2013. This is evident in their similarities, but they still differ in a lot of ways. The Snapdragon 808 processor, which can process anything in a snap of a finger, is paired with a 2GB RAM which may be a problem when upgrades come. It has a 2700mAh battery that will provide longer standby time and a 12.3-megapixel camera for selfies and a fingerprint scanner mounted at the back which Google calls the Nexus Imprint. This phone may be exploding with features and benefits, but its limited memory might force the users to become reliant on cloud services.

The above phones are just some of the smartphones which are hogging the low-cost market. However, not all of these phones have entry-level features. It should be noted that in 2016, most new cell phones were introduced to the market with 3GB of RAM, and usually a minimum of 16GB secondary storage. For those who don’t have microSD expansion slots, the secondary memory is usually at least 64GB, and up to 128GB.

With a host of features to choose from, it is great to see that the above cell phones did not compromise on the screen display or the memory. Other features which stand out, and were considered as high-end just a year or two ago is the screen resolution, as well as the battery life. Regarding the form factor, most phones, including entry-level devices are now almost as thin as one another.

For those who are looking for bezel-less cell phones, these usually come at mid-level prices starting at $400. The high-end phones start at $700 and include the Samsung S7 and the iPhone 7 Plus.

Buying a cheap phone is not that bad anymore. There are even bargains at the $100 mark. The only question remaining about choosing a cell phone is if it will be rugged, durable and still working after two years. Two years is the benchmark because most plans are locked for up to 2 years. Regarding external looks, the above phones might look dated by next year.

Another problem might stem from the application which you have or you use. If these are not compatible with your cell phone’s specifications, then you would not be able to use them. This can be a deal breaker.