Looking for a new Android? Not interested in the prospect of shelling out $1,000 or more for a fancy foldable phone or the latest flagship? Many people don’t know that inexpensive Androids can do 90% of what your typical Samsung can do, at a fraction of the price.
We’re going to tell you about the best cheap Androids, and how to find them. If you have broken the latest and greatest phone, you might consider getting cell phone repair and reselling it, and purchasing one of these diamonds in the rough. You can save a lot of money.
How to Find the Best Cheap Androids
To find the best inexpensive Android phones, educate yourself. Knowledge is power.
Here are the things you should know about:
- Check out the hardware. To find out if a phone you are researching is featuring the latest hardware, check the phone’s operating system. Android Pie is the latest Android operating system. However, the next Android OS called Android Q may be available around August. Check to see if the manufacturer plans on updating your Android OS in the future – not all manufacturers do. Having a current OS is important for bug fixes and security.
- Check out the system-on-a-chip. Does the phone run on a Qualcomm or MediaTek processor? A MediaTek Helio A22 processor or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 are the latest processors. SoCs are a fundamental part of Android performance – they are the equivalent of a computer’s motherboard. Main processor, the graphics processor and the memory are all powered by this tiny component.
- Check out the features. What do you want in your Android? Do you want excellent cameras or massive storage? Are you a Mabinogi Mobile game player? Or are you using this phone primarily for work and communication? Also, you’ll want to be sure that the phone you purchase is supported by your carrier.
- Check Out the Price. Your goal might be not to shell out exorbitant amounts of money for limited features. But although you are looking for value, sometimes, if you spend an extra $20 or $30, you might get features like more RAM, storage, a faster processor or more. Be sure to look into the full specifications of every family member of your phone’s generation and look into all pricing plans. Having a blank cell phone screen could indicate an internal glitch with the phone’s circuitry or LCD display.
Best Inexpensive Android Phones of 2019.
Moto G7
We believe that the Moto G7 offers the best performance, features and value. It supports almost every network worldwide, is widely available, and fast performing.
It’s got a high-res touch screen, software you can depend on, and excellent cameras. However, if NFC is a must, you should pass on the G7. It does not offer this feature.
If you’re a gamer that needs a lot of graphical power, you might also find this phone slightly falls short when it comes to graphics processing power, but most games will play without any issues.
The G7 ships with a Snapdragon 632 SoC that comes equipped with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is incredibly impressive for its price tag.
Motorola has been finding ways to add important features to their budget phones, such as fingerprint sensors, a hardy plastic frame, and Gorilla Glass covering front and back. Buying a protective case is advised, however. These cases and protective screens are very inexpensive and can make your phone as sturdy as the more expensive models on the market.
In a nutshell, the Moto G uses less expensive materials for its phones components, which is how it keeps its price low, but the manufacturing itself results in a cell phone that doesn’t sacrifice quality.
If you love snapping pictures, you might be happy to hear that a dual-camera setup is included in the G7 as well. The second camera adds effects like portrait mode.
The Big Picture: The Moto G7 is a nicely-designed, well-built phone that enjoys some nice upgrades including an improved display, a faster processor and a fingerprint sensor in the rear.
The Nokia 6.1
The Nokia 6.1 might be a year old, but it promises at least two years of platform updates and has already been updated to Pie. It has a sturdy aluminum frame, unlike the Moto G7.
The SoC is a Snapdragon 630 and the phone comes packed with 3GB of RAM. Nokia is well-known for releasing regular patches and bug fixes, which is a major benefit.
If you are looking for a powerful battery, you will be pleased with the 6.1. The 3,000mAh battery can keep your phone alive all day and will have your device performing well.
It’s got durable build quality, efficient software with timely updates, long battery life and USB-C charging as well.
The Big Picture: The Nokia 6.1 walks the fine line between price and performance. Although it’s not as feature-filled as the Moto G7, it’s cheaper.
The Google Pixel 3a
When Google got into the Android manufacturing game, things changed forever. And now it is offering the Pixel 3a, which contains all of the best components of your standard Pixel 3, but is more affordable.
They are able to cut costs by utilizing a modest chipset and a frame made out of polycarbonate. What you wind up with is an almost identical phone for hundreds of dollars less that still takes the great photos it is known for. It also contains Night Sight technology and same image processing.
It is more costly than the Moto G7, but if photography is your main priority, you should look at the Pixel 3a closely. The 3a can take some of the best photos of any phone on the market, including the more expensive ones, despite the fact that it only has one lens.
As with all Google Pixels, you’ll receive a clean Android build with three years of software updates guaranteed. Another plus is that you will find it available at three of the four major United States carriers.
The Big Picture: With a great camera, a hardy build quality, crisp Android interface and three guaranteed years of updates, the Pixel a3 is a nice choice for photography buffs. Although it is the most expensive phone of the three, if your main focus is taking photos, you should look into the Pixel 3a.
