Five things to look at when buying a budget smartphone

Based on materials from androidcentral.com

Never before have we had such a wide range of opportunities to purchase a cheap Android smartphone. And this is good. This means much more accessibility for important things like mobile internet surfing, apps and photography. However, in search of a 'budget' for yourself, you can stumble upon both great deals and real junk that is not even worth its small price. This resource lists the key points to look at when choosing a cheap smartphone at Android.

1. Display – at least 720p

It doesn't matter what screen size you prefer. Your required minimum is a 720p HD display (1280 × 720 pixels). Anything less can cause problems with some web browsing and even more demanding applications. And photos and videos will look grainy and unattractive.

720p screens were once a luxury, a privilege of high-end smartphones, but now it's the bare minimum you can expect from a cheap smartphone Android.

Five things to look at when buying a budget smartphone

2. At least 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage

Not that it was impossible to get a more or less bearable user experience on Android devices with less RAM or built-in memory. For example, let's remember the phones on Android One. But on the other hand, we have examples like the Wileyfox Spark with its lousy performance with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage.

Several points are of importance here. Firstly, you will never have a full 8 GB that you can dispose of if 8 GB of internal memory is claimed. The same is true for any computer – the available space is always less than the theoretical capacity. On a typical 8 GB device, at best, you have 3 GB for personal use, and even less if you decide to update the built-in apps, which will gobble up space too. This will force you to move apps to the memory card or use the Adoptable Storage option to expand onboard storage with a micro-SD card. This is a big hit to performance as SD will be slower than built-in memory.

On top of performance issues, 1GB of RAM even on a very well-optimized Android smartphone means you'll have to switch between RAM and this slow combination of internal storage and SD all the time. Simply put, you will have a difficult time. Look for 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage to breathe easier.

Five things to look at when buying a budget smartphone

3. Support for micro-SD cards

Even with 16GB of internal storage, you will have to upload various content like photos and music from it to external storage in order to save valuable built-in for installing applications. The vast majority of cheap Android smartphones have a microSD card slot, but it's important to check which cards are supported. A number of very cheap devices are limited to cards up to 32 GB.

4. Android 6.0 Marshmallow and above

Don't buy phones on Lollipop (or God forbid, KitKat or Jelly Bean) in 2016. The cheapness of the phone is not an excuse for something older Android 6.0 (we reinsure and check in the Settings – About device section). Compared to earlier versions Android Marshmallow gives an increase in performance and lifetime on a single charge, and also with it you can be sure that you will not be exposed to older vulnerabilities Android, which may not be fixed in cheap phones on Android 5.x (you can check the security level Android also in the Settings – about device section to find out how relevant it is).

Plus, Marshmallow gives you Adoptable storage, a new feature that allows you to directly expand your on-board storage with an SD card.

5. Screen with oleophobic coating

Five things to look at when buying a budget smartphone

This is a little more complicated. Oleophobic coating is the standard for the overwhelming number of devices on Android, but for a number of 'budget' phones this is not the case, as an example, we can recall Wileyfox Spark, Honor 5X and Honor 5C. Since this feature is often not mentioned in the list of characteristics, it is worth checking it out yourself.

The oleophobic coating is a grease-resistant layer that protects the screens of more expensive smartphones from the inevitable splashing of your fingers. If the screen does not have this coating, it feels greasy to the touch and is difficult to remove fingerprints from. Such a screen can even make a nasty sound if you rub it with your finger.

Despite the fact that the coating can wear off over time, any phone is much more pleasant to use with it than without it.

And in conclusion, as usual, a question for you, dear readers. Have you ever had to choose a budget smartphone for yourself or someone else? What criteria were you personally guided by when choosing? Share in the comments!

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