The smartphone market is more saturated than ever, and that’s great news for consumers. You no longer need to spend upwards of $500 on a premium device to get a premium experience.
Here are a few of our top picks for budget smartphones this year, in no particular order:
Motorola Moto E – ~$89.99
The Moto E may be the cheapest major-brand Android device around, but its specs are impressively competent considering the price. A quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM gives you plenty of power for smooth web browsing and email – it’s even enough to run most popular mobile games on the Android 5.1 Lollipop OS.
A solid plastic build means that the Moto E is water-resistant and less susceptible to physical damage than phones made primarily of metal and glass. It won’t win any beauty competitions, but for the no-frills practical user, the Moto E will be tough to beat when it comes to value.
Huawei Honor 5X – ~$199 (unlocked)
If you’ve never heard of the Honor smartphone line before, we wouldn’t blame you. This is the first model in their flagship series that Chinese smartphone-maker Huawei has introduced to US markets. It also may be the very best Android phone you can get for under $200 brand-new.
The Honor 5X comes with Android 5.1 Lollipop installed, but can be updated to run 6.0 Marshmallow and is expected to support the new 7.0 Nougat upgrade. The build quality feels exceptional – between the 1080p display, dual-SIM capabilities, and the sleek aircraft-grade aluminum housing, you could easily mistake the Honor 5X for a luxury model.
Google Nexus 5X – ~$299 (unlocked)
Built for Google by South Korea-based LG, the Nexus 5X is a brilliantly functional smartphone with a surprisingly low price. Best of all, it’s fully compatible with the brand-new Android 7.0 Nougat update.
The Nexus 5X uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 808 processor – reasonably speedy even today – and packs a similarly ample 2G of RAM. A gorgeous 5.2” display shows off a 1920 x 1080 resolution and excellent color accuracy: perhaps even better than the follow-up Nexus 6 model. What’s more, the 5X comes equipped with Google’s first fingerprint sensor – the Nexus Imprint.
Apple iPhone 5s – $249+ (unlocked)
You might not expect to see an iPhone on a “budget” list, but the iPhone 5s is already 3 years old (!) and it’s far more affordable than before. With an impressive 64GB of memory, and 8-megapixel rear camera, and the snazzy Touch ID security feature, the 5s is no slouch in the hardware department.
It’s worth noting that the iPhone 5s isn’t always easy to find brand-new, so you may want to search for a refurbished model – Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are good places to start. Auction sites like eBay are worth a look as well and can drop the price tag even lower.
OnePlus 3 – ~$399 (unlocked)
Android enthusiasts would be hard-pressed to find a more powerful smartphone at this price point. The new OnePlus 3 comes packed with many of the same features you’d expect from a top-of-the-line Samsung or LG model – features like 1920×1080 display resolution, a Snapdragon 820 processor, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage. Everything comes together in a luxurious-looking metal frame.
OnePlus has put out a great selection of affordable smartphones: in fact, the OnePlus 3 is actually their “premium” model at the moment. To fit even tighter budgets, check out the OnePlus X as well, which still boasts better-than-average specs and is now priced at a mere $199.
No matter which phone you choose, there are more ways than ever to grab a quality device without paying out the nose. And don’t forget to check out eBits for all of your Seattle smartphone repair needs!
