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LG V60 ThinQ 5G UW | Motorola Moto G52 | Ulefone Power Armor 16 Pro | Ulefone Power Armor X11 Pro | Vivo Y16 | Oppo A74 | TCL 30 | Ulefone Armor X10 Pro | Motorola Moto G8 Power | Ulefone Armor X6 Pro | Motorola Moto G22 | Redmi Note 11 | Motorola Moto E32s | Oppo A17 | Samsung Galaxy A22 | LG K92 5G | Tecno Pova 3 | Blu S91 Pro | Cubot Note 30 | Blackview A85 | |
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Screen sizeThe bigger the screen size is, the better the user experience. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Screen sizeThe bigger the screen size is, the better the user experience. | 6.8" | 6.6" | 5.93" | 5.45" | 6.51" | 6.43" | 6.7" | 5.45" | 6.4" | 5" | 6.5" | 6.43" | 6.5" | 6.56" | 6.4" | 6.7" | 6.9" | 6.5" | 6.52" | 6.5" |
Pixel densityPixel density is a measurement of a screen's resolution, expressed as the number of pixels per inch (PPI) on the screen. A higher pixel density translates into more clarity and sharpness for the images rendered on the screen, thus improving the quality of the viewing experience. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pixel densityPixel density is a measurement of a screen's resolution, expressed as the number of pixels per inch (PPI) on the screen. A higher pixel density translates into more clarity and sharpness for the images rendered on the screen, thus improving the quality of the viewing experience. | 395ppi | 402ppi | 271ppi | 295ppi | 270ppi | 409ppi | 393ppi | 295ppi | 399ppi | 294ppi | 268ppi | 409ppi | 268ppi | 269ppi | 274ppi | 393ppi | 389ppi | 270ppi | 274ppi | 272ppi |
CPU speedThe CPU speed indicates how many processing cycles per second can be executed by a CPU, considering all of its cores (processing units). It is calculated by adding the clock rates of each core or, in the case of multi-core processors employing different microarchitectures, of each group of cores. | ||||||||||||||||||||
CPU speedThe CPU speed indicates how many processing cycles per second can be executed by a CPU, considering all of its cores (processing units). It is calculated by adding the clock rates of each core or, in the case of multi-core processors employing different microarchitectures, of each group of cores. | 1 x 2.84GHz & 3 x 2.42GHz & 4 x 1.8GHz | 2 x 2.4GHz & 6 x 1.8GHz | 4 x 2GHz & 4 x 1.5GHz | 4 x 2GHz & 4 x 1.5GHz | 4 x 2.3GHz & 4 x 1.8GHz | 4 x 2GHz & 4 x 1.8GHz | 4 x 2.3GHz & 4 x 1.8GHz | 4 x 2.3GHz & 4 x 1.65GHz | 4 x 2GHz & 4 x 1.8GHz | 4 x 2GHz | 4 x 2.3GHz & 4 x 1.8GHz | 2 x 2.4GHz & 6 x 1.8GHz | 4 x 2.3GHz & 4 x 1.8GHz | 8 x 2.3GHz | 2 x 2GHz & 6 x 1.8GHz | 2 x 2GHz & 6 x 1.7GHz | 2 x 2GHz & 6 x 1.8GHz | 4 x 2.3GHz & 4 x 1.8GHz | 4 x 2.3GHz & 4 x 1.8GHz | 2 x 1.6GHz & 6 x 1.6GHz |
RAMRandom-access memory (RAM) is a form of volatile memory used to store working data and machine code currently in use. It is a quick-access, temporary virtual storage that can be read and changed in any order, thus enabling fast data processing. | ||||||||||||||||||||
RAMRandom-access memory (RAM) is a form of volatile memory used to store working data and machine code currently in use. It is a quick-access, temporary virtual storage that can be read and changed in any order, thus enabling fast data processing. | 8GB | 6GB | 4GB | 4GB | 3GB | 8GB | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 6GB | 3GB | 4GB | 6GB | 6GB | 6GB | 4GB | 4GB | 8GB |
Megapixels (main camera)The number of megapixels determines the resolution of the images captured with the main camera. A higher megapixel count means that the camera is capable of capturing more details. However, the megapixel count is not the only important element determining the quality of an image. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Megapixels (main camera)The number of megapixels determines the resolution of the images captured with the main camera. A higher megapixel count means that the camera is capable of capturing more details. However, the megapixel count is not the only important element determining the quality of an image. | 64MP & 13MP & 0.3MP | 50MP & 8MP & 2MP | 16MP & 2MP | 16MP & 2MP | 13MP & 2MP | 48MP & 2MP & 2MP | 50MP & 2MP & 2MP | 20MP & 2MP | 16MP & 8MP & 8MP & 2MP | 13MP | 50MP & 8MP & 2MP & 2MP | 50MP & 8MP & 2MP & 2MP | 16MP & 2MP & 2MP | 50MP & 2MP | 48MP & 8MP & 2MP & 2MP | 64MP & 5MP & 2MP & 2MP | 50MP & 2MP | 50MP & 2MP | 20MP | 50MP & 8MP |
Megapixels (front camera)The number of megapixels determines the resolution of the images captured with the front camera. A higher megapixel count means that the front camera is capable of capturing more details, an essential factor for taking high-resolution selfies. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Megapixels (front camera)The number of megapixels determines the resolution of the images captured with the front camera. A higher megapixel count means that the front camera is capable of capturing more details, an essential factor for taking high-resolution selfies. | 10MP | 16MP | 8MP | 5MP | 5MP | 16MP | 8MP | 5MP | 16MP | 5MP | 16MP | 13MP | 8MP | 5MP | 13MP | 16MP | 8MP | 13MP | 8MP | 8MP |
Battery powerBattery power, or battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can store. More battery power can be an indication of longer battery life. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Battery powerBattery power, or battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can store. More battery power can be an indication of longer battery life. | 5000mAh | 5000mAh | 9600mAh | 8150mAh | 5000mAh | 5000mAh | 5010mAh | 5180mAh | 5000mAh | 4000mAh | 5000mAh | 5000mAh | 5000mAh | 5000mAh | 5000mAh | 4000mAh | 7000mAh | 5000mAh | 4000mAh | 4480mAh |
External memory slotThe device has a standard memory slot (such as an SD or micro SD card slot) that enables you to extend the built-in internal storage with affordable memory modules, or easily retrieve data, such as photographs, from the memory card. | ||||||||||||||||||||
External memory slotThe device has a standard memory slot (such as an SD or micro SD card slot) that enables you to extend the built-in internal storage with affordable memory modules, or easily retrieve data, such as photographs, from the memory card. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
5G supportThe fifth-generation wireless technology delivers higher speeds and lower latency than the previous, fourth-generation tech. | ||||||||||||||||||||
5G supportThe fifth-generation wireless technology delivers higher speeds and lower latency than the previous, fourth-generation tech. | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
Can you get a phone for under $100 USD that offers a wide range of features that other top smartphones offer? Actually, yes, you can! And, the best budget phones are beginning to boast better features, too, including 5G, faster CPU speed, more RAM, and high-quality screens. Here’s what to know about budget phones and how to choose the right phone.
Why are budget phones so cheap? It’s often because they use different materials to create the exterior and internal design of the phone. If you want a durable phone, look for phones with damage-resistant glass (such as Gorilla Glass). Unfortunately, most budget phones don’t offer this feature. However, they do have one thing working in their favor in terms of differing designs. They’re often made with plastic instead of glass, which helps to reduce the possibility of overheating, improves flexibility, and is less likely to crack when dropped (yeah, we’re looking at you, iPhones).
If the screen is particularly important to you, we suggest researching whether or not the phone has an LCD or OLED/AMOLED screen. Budget phones tend to only have LCD screens due to the fact that they’re thin, light, and cheap to produce. OLED and AMOLED screens offer a high contrast ratio and are more energy-efficient, which makes them more expensive to produce and therefore can add to the retail price of a phone that features such a screen.
Similar to the way in which they use cheaper materials to build the exterior skeleton of the phone, manufacturers also often incorporate cheaper processors to bring the prices of their phones down for budget-friendly offerings. However, this isn’t always the case. The Motorola Moto 5G, for example, includes a Snapdragon 765 processor, which kicks the phone’s CPU speed up to beyond the average speed for top smartphones today. Among the top budget phones of 2021, the CPU speed for all phones is above average, and most of them feature at least 6GB of RAM.
Do budget-friendly phones skimp on battery life? Actually, no. You’ll note that budget-friendly phones such as the Oppo A72 and the Poco X3 NFC come loaded with at least 5,000mAh of battery power (the average is just under 3,200mAh just to put this in perspective). However, don’t expect to enjoy fast-charging or wireless charging capabilities with budget-friendly phones. Instead, focus on the type of battery included and the overall battery power to gauge whether or not it’s the right phone for you.