New budget phones.
Modern smartphones for an inexperienced user (and often an experienced one too) they are not much different. They all know how to call and write SMS, access the Internet, play music and videos. In this regard, many people do not need to purchase a flagship device, and the choice comes down to finding the best budget smartphone.
The market for inexpensive cellular devices today is filled with many Chinese models, which are equipped with approximately the same hardware, but differ in design. Well-known manufacturers also use similar hardware solutions, so choosing and buying a budget smartphone is sometimes very difficult. Our material includes 10 inexpensive devices that are relevant in 2017. It includes devices that have a low cost, but are able to cope with all everyday tasks.
The models in the article are kept up to date and updated every six months.
The new Nokia 3 was released in February 2017. Currently it costs about $160. This is a budget smartphone, the characteristics of which will not interest a picky buyer, but it will be enough for basic tasks. The device is made in the spirit of other devices in the line of the revived brand, and in general has something in common with both Lumia devices and some Sony devices.
Nokia 3 specifications include a budget quad-core MT6737 processor clocked at 1.4 GHz. Random access memory 2 GB, built-in – 16 GB. There is a memory card slot, but it is not combined with the second SIM card slot. The screen is 5", with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, it is built according to TFT technology IPS. operating system- Android 7 without third-party shells.
The 8 megapixel camera of the smartphone takes photos that are not inferior in quality to many 13 megapixel cameras. A relatively modest 2630 mAh battery is responsible for autonomy, which is enough for a day in standby mode or 5-6 hours of watching videos. In games it will sit down in 4.5 hours. If you are interested and want to know more about the device, then welcome. You can also watch the unboxing below.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X 3/32GB
Another budget smartphone with decent parameters – Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X. It is distinguished by the presence of a high-quality body and a front panel made of 2.5D glass. The device was released in January 2017, its price at the time of writing was about $150. This is one of the best budget smartphones in terms of price and quality ratio.
The screen of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X is 5.5-inch, and its resolution is decent, 1920x1080 pixels. TFT matrix IPS, although you shouldn’t expect miracles from it, it’s just not bad. The processor is an eight-core Snapdragon 625, with a frequency of 2 GHz and powerful graphics. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory. There is a slot for a flash drive, but it is not separate, but a hybrid one. OS on board -MIUI9 Android based 7.
A 13 MP camera is responsible for photography. It has both dual flash and phase detection autofocus, and the quality of the images is quite acceptable. The smartphone's battery is non-removable and has a capacity of 4100 mAh. Its capabilities are enough for 8 hours of gaming or 15 hours of web surfing, 4 days of standby time. .
Xiaomi Redmi 4
In November 2016, Xiaomi expanded the budget Redmi series with three new models. The middle of them, Xiaomi Redmi 4, is essentially a restyling: the filling remains the same, but the body has become prettier. You can buy the device now at a price starting from $130. In China, the price of the device is slightly lower. Traditionally for Xiaomi, the smartphone's hardware is very solid by the standards of a budget gadget.
The device's display has a diagonal of 5 inches with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Inside the device is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset, one of the latest chips for inexpensive smartphones. RAM 2 gigabytes, permanent memory - 16. There is a slot for a flash drive, but it is hybrid and takes the place of a second SIM card. Xiaomi Redmi 4 runs on the MIUI8 system based on Android 6.
The smartphone has a 13-megapixel camera with phase detection autofocus. For video calling and selfies, there is a 5 Mg camera on the front. The feature of the gadget has traditionally been autonomy: a 4100 mAh battery provides two to three days of mixed loads or up to 13-14 hours of continuous video viewing. Read more about this budget employee in our review.
Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016)
Samsung Galaxy J1 is a larger version of the first device featured in our material. This is a budget smartphone with a similar design to the 2016 J series, which received a metal frame. It also came out in January 2016, but the price was higher - about $125. In general, the device will cope with the assigned tasks, although for non-Samsung fans it will seem a little expensive.
The 4.5" screen is equipped with a matrix with a resolution of 800x480 pixels. SuperAMOLED technology is used here, so the display, although not very clear, is bright. Surprisingly, the device chipset is a quad-core Exynos 3475 operating at a frequency of 1.3 GHz, and not what -Spreadtrum. 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of built-in memory. There is a MicroSD slot for a flash drive up to 128 GB. The operating system is the same Android 5.1.
LG X Power K220DS
At a price of $135-150, the LG K5 looks attractive due to its high-quality battery. The reduced price of the gadget, which was released in September 2016, is also attractive. The device is well-built, but otherwise it is a typical budget smartphone.
The screen of the LG X Power K220DS has an “intermediate” diagonal of 5", but the resolution for it is “butt-to-peak”: 1280x720 pixels look good at 5", and on a larger screen individual pixels can be visible. The processor is the good old MT6735, with 4 cores with a frequency of up to 1.3 GHz. RAM 2 GB, storage capacity is 16 GB. There is a slot for a memory card. OS LG X Power K220DS – Android 6.
Motorola Moto G5 16GB
Motorola Moto G5 16GB is located on the border between budget and mid-range price segments. The smartphone, announced in February 2017, now costs $150. It justifies its price as it looks more functional than some of the other devices in the selection. Aluminum elements on the rear panel also increase the cost of the device.
The 5" screen has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and is equipped with an IPS matrix. This means that you should expect adequate color reproduction and normal viewing angles. The processor is eight-core, Snapdragon 430 is used. RAM 2 GB, permanent memory - 16. There is a slot for a flash drive, its maximum capacity unlimited. The operating system of the Moto G5 is Android 7, an update to version 8 is planned.
The 13 MP camera is equipped with autofocus and flash. For your price category it's good, even better than some competitors. A 2800 mAh battery also looks advantageous compared to the 2-2.5 Ah of most budget devices. Find more information about Motorola Moto G5 16GB.
Meizu M3 Note 32GB
Meizu updated its budget M series in 2016, introducing a large range of models. But Meizu M3 Note 32GB remains relevant even against the background of the fact that Meizu M6 and M6 Note were released not so long ago. The price of the smartphone is about $150. This is a typical budget employee, by the standards of 2017.
The device is equipped with an IPS screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches and a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The matrix used is not the cheapest with a brightness of 450 cd/m2, which is pleasing. But the chipset inside is not the most budget-friendly, but also not very fresh, eight-core MediaTek Helio P10. The memory is quite decent: 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. There is a slot for a flash drive, it is combined with the second SIM card slot. Flyme OS based on Android 6 is installed on board.
The camera resolution is 13 megapixels, this is a traditional budget matrix that takes good photographs during the day, but loses ground in the evening. A 5 MP matrix is installed on the front. A 4100 mAh battery is responsible for autonomy. The operating time of the device differs slightly from competing Xiaomi smartphones, but overall the performance is good.
ASUS ZenFone Go ZB500KL
The Go line from Asus is designed for active young people who do not want to spend money on a smartphone a large amount. Released in October 2016, the ZenFone Go ZB500KL currently costs around $130. Externally, it is a typical representative of the Zen series, with buttons on the lid and branded inserts at the bottom and top of the front panel.
The display is the best it is, budget, with a resolution of 1280x720 with a diagonal of 5". The processor is also appropriate, quad-core Snapdragon 410, operating at a frequency of 1 GHz. RAM is installed 2 GB (which is quite expected for such money), ROM - 16 GB. Supported cards MicroSD memory(hybrid slot). OS ZenFone Go – Android 6.
Photos are taken with a 13 megapixel camera, which has a completely standard aperture value of F/2. This means that noise in the pictures will not greatly spoil the overall picture. Autofocus and flash are also available. A 2600 mAh battery for such a diagonal looks logical, and the device will withstand a day of gentle loads.
Meizu M5
Meizu decided not to use the number 4 in the names of smartphones (although before that they had the quite successful MX4) and the budget Meizu M5, released in October 2016, replaced the M3 model. The price of a smartphone currently starts at $125 for a 16 GB model; you can order it from the Chinese even cheaper. In respect of Meizu characteristics The M5 is a solid budget car for 2017.
The screen diagonal has increased from 5 to 5.2 inches, but the resolution remains the same, 1280x720 pixels. The chipset remained unchanged - the eight-core MediaTek MT6750 (a simplified version of the Helio P10). The memory capacity of RAM is 2 GB, ROM is 16 GB, there is also a version with 3/32 GB, which costs about 140 USD. There is a slot for a memory card, combined with a second SIM card slot. Android 6 OS is installed on board.
The smartphone's camera resolution is 13 megapixels and supports phase detection autofocus. On the front there is a standard 5 MP matrix for Meizu. The battery capacity of the device is 3070 mAh. In the budget category, a smartphone is one of best options, but the use of plastic in the case (instead of metal) will not appeal to everyone. Read more about the device in the review.
At the end of 2016, an entry-level smartphone in the premium Meizu U10 body began to appear in our markets, which displaced the Lenovo A2020 from this top. At launch, the U10 was priced at $130 (for the 16 GB version). The budget phone has a body made of glass on both sides and a high-quality metal frame. Some describe it as iPhone replacement 4s and there is some truth in this.
The diagonal of the smartphone has a not very budget resolution of 1280x720 with a diagonal of 5 inches with good IPS matrix. The smartphone is covered with 2.5D glass with a good oleophobic layer. Inside is an eight-core MediaTek MT6750 processor, four cores of which operate at a maximum frequency of 1.5 GHz. The Mali T860 MP2 video chip operates at a frequency of 520 MHz. RAM 2 GB, permanent memory 16 GB. There is a slot for a MicroSD card and it is combined with a slot for a second SIM card.
The 13 MP camera takes good pictures. The front camera shoots in 5 megapixel resolution. You can see examples of photos on Meizu U10 at the link in our text review. The smartphone battery has a capacity of 2760 mAh. Among the features we can highlight the branded physical button mTouch.
Modern smartphones, it would seem, can already do everything you can dream of. Just a few years ago we could not even think about such large diagonals, powerful processors, solid cameras that would be combined into one phone. But technology does not stand still, and every year gadgets become smarter, and developers try to surprise their users and do the impossible. Next year, leading manufacturers will delight us with even more powerful gadgets with incredible screens and cameras, and will focus on flexible devices. So, what are the expected smartphones of 2016? Let's try to build hypotheses, and later check how true they are.
Those who closely follow the development of technology note that gadgets are getting smarter by leaps and bounds. Every month new products are released that become more productive and interesting than those phones that were released just six months ago. No one will be surprised to hear the statement that new smartphones of 2016 will be better, more powerful and more interesting than today's flagships. Experts are vying with each other to say that the coming year will be a period of mass implementation flexible smartphones. Similar technologies Samsung and LG have already shown, but their developments did not bring much benefit. There is nothing strange in the fact that manufacturers will take exactly this path, because once upon a time users did not perceive it in exactly the same way large screens and wearable gadgets, but both are now at the peak of popularity. In addition to bendable smartphone bodies, we also expect them to increase screen resolution, increase processor performance, improve image-taking technology, etc.
Now let's move directly to what smartphones will be released in 2016.
Maybe, the most anticipated smartphone of 2016– this is a new iPhone. Apple gadgets are extremely popular today: not only are they truly functional, but they also belong to the category of fashion devices. An analysis of the company's behavior suggests that the new iPhone will receive a new 7, and will be presented in September 2016, its price will be at the level of this year’s new products – iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
Analysts today suggest that the new get rid of the physical buttonHome, and its functions will be assigned to a certain part of the screen. The company will focus on the design of the smartphone, will try to make it even thinner and reduce the bezels around the screen as much as possible. The most daring forecasts generally state that the seventh iPhone will have no frames at all, and the entire front panel will be a screen.
Today, the weakest side of the iPhone is the battery, and it is in this direction that developers will work. Positive experience of increasing battery life in MacBook thanks to the use of new types of processors and new software suggests that these technologies will be used in the company’s new smartphone. That is why it is quite possible that iPhone 7 will become the world record holder autonomous work among all the company's phones.
It is expected that the gadget will be equipped with a new type of processor, which will now not be produced in-house Samsung, and TSMC. Productivity will increase, heating during operation will decrease, and thanks to more compact size processor, it will be possible to reduce the overall thickness of the gadget by another 0.2 mm.
As for random access memory, then the opinions of authoritative analysts differ. However, everyone is sure that new smartphone will receive 3 GB, but some argue that only the iPhone 7 Plus will have this amount of RAM. Others say that both new iPhones will get 3 GB.
Most likely, the screen will receive a new anti-reflective coating used already iPad Air 2. Today it is called the best. For a couple of years now, there have been rumors that Apple is about to start producing devices with sapphire crystal: It is very hard and cannot be scratched, but at the same time it is very fragile. It is assumed that the iPhone 7 will receive a new type of protective glass. 
Cameras in will be significantly improved, and the company is taking a serious step towards completely replacing pocket point-and-shoot cameras and even SLR cameras. Some experts responsibly declare that the new iPhone will receive a fundamentally new technology for creating images and will be equipped with 21 and 5 megapixel cameras, which will allow you to take photos of the highest quality.
There are a lot of rumors surrounding the new iPhone. There is even a version according to which we can expect the release at the beginning of 2016 iPhone 6C, which will have a diagonal of 4 inches and will not cost as much as the iPhone 6S, for example. The probability of this is low, so you should not blindly trust all forecasts.
LG G Flex 3 – another one expected smartphone of 2016. Most likely, the new product will be presented in March 2016 year and will receive a curved display, like the previous phone in this model range. Naturally, some design details may change, but the concept will remain the same, although I would like to believe that LG will surprise users with a phone that can easily bend and fold. But this is unlikely to happen next year, much less at the beginning. It is more likely that the company will continue to improve the technology of curved smartphones. By the way, it is assumed that back panel will be covered with a special material, small scratches on which will be able to heal on their own. There is a version according to which the new product will be waterproof and shockproof.
It is assumed that LG G Flex 3 will be powered by a new processor Snapdragon 820, which they are preparing to present only in December 2015. This will be one of the first smartphones based on this chip. It is credited with higher performance, it will heat up less during operation and consume a quarter less energy, which means an increase in the autonomy of the gadget.
Novika will receive 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of main memory with expandability. The screen will most likely be 6-inch, because modern demand for it is constantly growing. Fingerprint's scanner will still be located in Home button. The resolution of both cameras will increase: the main one will be equipped with a 21 megapixel module, and the front one – with an 8 megapixel module. In the end we get a decent iPhone competitor 7.
One of the most anticipated smartphones of 2016 on the baseAndroid considered Samsung Galaxy S7. Experts are already confident that the gadget will become one of the most powerful smartphones of next year. It will appear apparently in the first quarter of 2016.
Samsung Galaxy S7 will have a screen diagonal of 5.2 inches, and Edge– 5.7 inches. The latter, as has already become customary, will be curved, but many experts are talking about a change in design: the curves will be located not on the sides, but on the top and bottom. How convenient and functional this is is not yet clear.
The device's RAM will be 4 GB, although some sources do not exclude a record 5 GB. A real breakthrough will be the return of slots for memory cards, because previous smartphones in the series were criticized precisely because of the inability to expand the built-in memory. 2016 will be the year quality cameras in smartphones. The global trend is also supported by the new Samsung Galaxy S7, which will be equipped 30 and 10 megapixel cameras.
We can also say that the new smartphone will waterproof, will receive an iris scanner, and its screen will be pressure sensitive. The developer will most likely use a magnesium body for the new smartphones in the series, which will give them the proper solidity. It is clear that the price of a smartphone with such capabilities cannot be low, but the company says that the cost will be less than that of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. Well, we just have to believe in it :)
Rating of smartphones 2016 can’t do without a gadget from HTC, which has already proven itself reliably high quality. This time the manufacturer is preparing to present for real innovative smartphone, which will become a strong competitor.
It is expected that the new product will be presented already in March 2016. The recent departure of its chief designer from the company suggests that appearance HTC One M10 will be significantly different from previous smartphones (M7, M8, M9), which were similar to each other, like twin brothers. Externally, it will be a stylish gadget; it will have a 5-inch display with 4K resolution and protective glass. They also say that the gadget will waterproof and shockproof.
HTC supports the trend of improving camera modules, and as a result, the new product will be equipped with cameras at 27 and 10 megapixels. The smartphone will be powerful and productive and will have a Snapdragon 812 processor with acceleration technology clock frequency. RAM will most likely be 4 GB versus 3 GB in this year's version.
The battery capacity is expected to be 3500 mAh, which is a real breakthrough compared to the 2840 mAh in the HTC One M9. In addition, the smartphone will also be equipped with many useful functions, incl. With fingerprint and retina scanner, pulse sensor etc. It is also expected that the new product will have the ability wireless and high-speed charging.
Among Chinese smartphones 2016 one of the most successful, according to experts, will be Xiaomi Mi 5. Xiaomi has only been on the market for about five years, but in such a short period it has managed to achieve the impossible: to become a leader not only in China, but throughout the world. The reason is the unique pricing policy, because Xiaomi smartphones They are several times cheaper than devices from flagships with similar characteristics. In 2015, the world exploded with Redmi 2, which was in the TOP 5 best-selling smartphones of the year, but the company produces not only budget devices, but also flagship gadgets. One of these is Xiaomi Mi 5, which is already being called the most anticipated smartphone of 2016.
Interestingly, there were earlier rumors that the manufacturer would present the new product in November 2015, then it was said about December 2015, but it is still obvious that Xiaomi Mi 5 will go on sale only next year. So, what can you expect from this gadget?
The new product will be one of the first to receive a processor Snapdragon 820, which, together with 4 GB of RAM, will turn into a smartphone with a powerful device capable of handling any application. The manufacturer also did a good job on the design, resulting in a modern, stylish gadget that is pleasant to hold in your hands, and which in its entirety gives off a high status. The company did not pursue large diagonals, and the new product will have a 5-inch display - the modern golden mean. It is assumed that the display will have an oleophobic coating and will be protected by Corning glass Gorilla Glass 3.
The 16 and 6 megapixel cameras of the new smartphone will allow you to create high-quality photos, and the 3200 mAh battery is quite enough for long work without recharging. In addition, there will be available fast battery charging function, which will allow you to charge the battery by 50% in just 25 minutes. The price of this gadget will be about 300 dollars, and this is the main factor in the success and popularity of the model.
Domestic smartphones from YotaPhone attract attention with new and bold solutions. YotaPhone 2 is well remembered by everyone for the presence of two full-fledged and functional screens. What will YotaPhone 3 please you with?
A new smartphone is expected to arrive spring-summer 2016. Most likely, the new product will also have 2 screens, but there are still heated discussions about the remaining functions. So, main feature gadget may become available two front cameras, thanks to which it will be possible to communicate via video conference eye to eye. Now the state of affairs is such that if you look at the screen when communicating, then your gaze seems to be slanted, so you need to look directly into the peephole front camera, but then you don't see your interlocutor. New technology will eliminate this effect: You will be able to look at the screen, but the other person will feel like you are looking straight into their eyes. For now, the company is conducting research that will show how much users need such an innovation and whether they are willing to pay for it.
Among the new unusual functions YotaPhone 3 is also called recharging using solar energy . But, most likely, this feature will not be available in the new product. The thing is that recharging due to sunlight is provided thanks to the film on the screen. It slightly degrades image quality, and the battery can only be charged by 5-15%, so developers will not use this technology for now. This function may appear in the company's next models when the technology becomes cheaper and more advanced.
Now it is also said that YotaPhone 3 will receive a special glass for the screen, which will serve as a speaker. According to the developers, the sound quality is even better than when output through conventional speakers. Whether it is fiction or reality, we will be able to find out in a few months.
In conclusion, I would like to note that This rating of smartphones 2016 is not exhaustive, and surely other high-profile new products await us in the coming year. Perhaps some of them will completely revolutionize the world of gadgets, or maybe they will enter the market new company, which will offer original gadgets with capabilities that we don’t even know about. All this is quite real, because we live in a time when technology is developing at a breakneck pace and it is impossible to predict for sure what awaits us in a month, two or a year.
Major smartphone manufacturers are in trouble
There were no surprises at the end of last year: the Korean manufacturer took the market by numbers, and Apple, as usual, followed behind with its consistently successful iPhone. Moreover, both leading manufacturers have lost their market share, while those following Huawei, Lenovo/Motorola and Xiaomi (get used to this brand), on the contrary, have grown over the year. Smartphones continue to be purchased more frequently year after year (10.1% more than in 2014), and Huawei is developing the fastest (+44% growth over the year).
The best smartphone manufacturers based on the results of 2014, 2015 and the first quarter of 2016.
In general, the main thing that immediately catches your eye when looking at mobile market- the authority of large brands is gradually decreasing. They haven’t stopped buying smartphones, it’s just that the nameless “Chinese” have grown to the point where they have taken over the entire budget and most of the middle class mobile phones. But you won’t get far on flagships alone, because the processors are already overheating, the display resolution is approaching 4K and ceases to play an important role, and the sensors... who needs them, all these sensors?
In this situation, Samsung is most nervous - first, in December, the company began to lay off employees and the head of the mobile division was replaced, and at the beginning of 2016, the Koreans published a report from which it became known that sales of the mobile division decreased by 5% over 12 months.
Apple had problems of a different kind - Apple computers and mobile phones began to be purchased less frequently due to the strong dollar. For American businessmen, the situation when, relatively speaking, $100 has turned from “cheap” to “expensive” does not bode well. The past quarter was the most profitable for Apple, but revenue in the new conditions is growing very slowly and falling at a rate that we last time observed in 2001. In general, currency fluctuations have backfired on American firms.
The Chinese go too far with other things: dumping and the desire to create more brands. Apart from Honor, authored by Huawei, none of the “subsidiaries” of Chinese companies have been truly successful: Nubia (ZTE) is selling 3 times slower than originally planned, OnePlus is about to return its “safe haven” to Oppo, and ZUK (Lenovo ) not only did not impose competition on Xiaomi, but was also late in entering the market - with a single model, newcomers are unlikely to become truly popular.
By the way, about Xiaomi - “anti-crisis Chinese phones” became much less in demand in 2015. Don't think it's a sale huge amount mobile phones with a minimal margin has become an unprofitable business. It’s just that since 2012, smartphones of the famous brand increased sales by first 120, then 160, and then 227%, after which in 2015 the euphoria subsided and only 15% more “rice” smartphones were sold around the world compared to 2014 . Rumor has it that Xiaomi is going to use offline stores for this occasion (before this, online sales completely paid for themselves) and shake up the lineup. Although, on the other hand, in China the company ranks first in sales, leaving Apple behind, not to mention other competitors.
For other brands, things are different: ASUS is transferring finances between its numerous assets and reports a decline in sales of 3.14% (symbolically, however). ZTE is doing approximately the same thing, which is following the precepts of Confucius - it sits in 10th place in global sales, watching as Sony's mobile division drowns, and the once stronger Coolpad drops out of the ranking with a bang.
But Meizu does not wait for health problems caused by “obesity” and is cutting staff, even despite the growth in sales. Let's see if the pessimistic expectations of our favorite partners Samsung and the Alibaba holding will come in handy.
But at Microsoft everything is so sad that it’s even funny: the fact that Windows phones live off budget models, has not been a secret to anyone for a long time. The problem is that most of these models were purchased in 2013-2014. And there is no positive news on the horizon either: the company’s latest report shows that in the last quarter of 2015, Microsoft sold 57% fewer smartphones than in 2014. At this rate Lumia smartphones“will go to death” before unprofitable HTC or little-known Chinese brands. It's a shame, actually - the phones are not bad, and there should be a “third force” in the fight against the iPhone and Android phones. But even the vice president of Microsoft, who in all his videos praises mobile Windows, in his free time he walks around with an Apple smartphone. No comments needed.
Russians relaxed and started buying again iPhone
After a short-term drop in sales of Apple phones, the Russians became thoughtful and returned to the original level - iPhone various generations have once again become incredibly popular mobile phones on the Russian market. Moreover, Svyaznoy reports that they buy any model at all - not just the 5s, but even the moss-covered 4s is in wild demand. On iPhones, retailers raised a third of revenue from sales of all smartphones in 2015.
Experts do not agree on sales in quantitative terms: foreign analysts from TrendForce claim that Samsung holds the first place in sales, and “silver” went to Fly with its budget smartphones. And only in 3rd–4th place in unit terms are Apple and Lenovo.
However, retailers claim that the top looks like this:
- Samsung with 21% of all smartphones sold
- Lenovo with a share of 11%
- Apple with a 10% share
By the way, in 2015, smartphones began to be purchased less, by about 8%. But each of them has become noticeably more expensive, so both retail chains and manufacturers have money left over for bread and butter and caviar. Not all manufacturers, however - the subsidiary brand of Svyaznoy, Explay, died and stopped producing smartphones. Not a big loss, although in comparison with other “Russified Chinese” he was far from the most arrogant in terms of pricing.
New items of the month
Samsung
Galaxy J1 2016
Ultra-budgetary Samsung versions- the most affordable smartphone of the 2016 model year. So far it is sold only in the United Arab Emirates (the guys' oil has dropped, the Koreans have brought in cheap buckets), it has ridiculous characteristics and a price tag of about 10 thousand rubles. Not that this model is worth it special attention, but in the “God forbid you go hungry” category, the new J1 will serve as a standard.
For the most part, this model is a horror, flying on hardware that they were embarrassed to install in normal smartphones: cameras at the level of 8 years ago, a ridiculous amount of RAM for a carrier of the proprietary TouchWiz shell, an outdated version of Android at the time of release... In Russia, the model will not be saved even by the blue oval on the body, so you don’t even have to wait for it - we’ll move on.
LG
K10, K7, K4
The shelf of inexpensive and purebred mobile phones has arrived - to replace last year's Leon, Spirit and Magna, LG has rolled out a new K-series. Now the younger models have ceased to resemble the company’s curved flagships (the predecessors tried to resemble the G3 and G4 at the same time) and have acquired a design in the style of sea pebbles. Unfortunately, the anti-crisis price concessions desired by Russians did not happen, but the new products have their own “tricks”.
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Advantages of the models: |
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available in Russia since January 2016 |
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Samsung Galaxy J1, J3, J5 |
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Price: |
LG K10/K10 LTE - 15/17 thousand rubles K7/K4 - not announced |
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Detailed information: |
LG officially introduced the K10, K7 and K4 smartphones in Russia |
Based on the first impression, it cannot be said that LG’s new products will give their competitors a beating: Samsung, with processors and screens of its own production, has reduced prices (and in 2015 already made smartphones cheaper specifically for Russia), and Huawei is promoting its Honor past cellular phone stores, according to prices comparable to those of your Aliexpress.
True, last year, with the same prejudice, we took LG Magna into a comparative test, and in fact it turned out to be a more interesting model than ASUS ZenFone 5 and Lenovo S60. Let's not guess: we'll get mobile phones for testing - we'll evaluate them after the fact.
Huawei
Honor 5 X
Representatives of the company really don’t like it when the “separate independent” Honor line is called Huawei after Father, but at the same time everyone understands perfectly well that without mentioning the desired brand, even the most interesting models of the sub-brand for most buyers would turn into “Some kind of China, it seems to be high-quality” .
But there is another truth - the name Honor is already on everyone’s lips, and for Russian buyers, the “daughter” of Huawei has almost become synonymous with the most packaged “anti-crisis” gadgets. Oddly enough, the Chinese have not lost their touch with the latest models, so the fresh Honor 5X is destined to become a bestseller.
If Honor 5X did not exist, it would be worth inventing - at least to redirect whining manufacturers, for whom the excuse “yes, the ruble has fallen” is considered sufficient to roll out middling ones at the price of flagships.
As in the case of Honor 7 (which did not make us happy and provoked fans to seethe in the comments), Huawei saved on little things both on meticulousness in assembly and on power (even ASUS with Russian registration will give the Chinese new product a run for its money). But the Honor 5X does not look like a “C” in any of the disciplines, and given its $225 price, this is already a considerable achievement.
Lenovo
Lemon 3
As of February 2016, it is the most sophisticated budget model. For an amount equivalent to Russian 8,500 rubles, the Chinese are free to buy a mobile phone with the characteristics of a 2014 flagship. It's a pity that such a model will not be sold outside of China (Laowai should pay more), but we know how to get rare goods from the Middle Kingdom, right?
We can only kindly envy Chinese buyers, for whom “domestic manufacturers” are successfully fighting among themselves and releasing more and more sophisticated models for the US dollar spent. Keep this in mind Lenovo model, if you are thinking about choosing the best budget smartphone of 2016.
VIBE K4 Note
Trying to follow the logic of Lenovo engineers (although, probably, marketers) is a thankless task. Once upon a time there was a K3 Note phablet with cool characteristics for its price. However, it was not sold in our market, and instead sold in huge quantities in China and India. Even taking into account the hassle of reflashing and delivery, Russian enthusiasts fell in love with it: powerful, with a large, clear screen - why not take it?
And now the time has come for a new generation of phablet - improved and expanded, as they say. And Lenovo gave the K4 Note what it so lacked - a virtual reality helmet... Well, that’s it, let’s live now. But even without this useful accessory, the smartphone has become more expensive
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Advantages of the model: |
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Availability and start date: |
available in Indian market since January 2016 |
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Competitors: |
Alcatel Idol 3 (5.5), Meizu MX4 Pro, Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 |
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Price: |
without VR helmet - from $177 (~13.5 thousand rubles) with VR helmet - from $185 (~14 thousand rubles) |
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Detailed information: |
Lenovo K4 Note smartphone goes on sale |
Modernization for the sake of modernization: nothing that could tempt K3 buyers, and virtual reality on the dead video accelerator of the budget MediaTek will not impress anyone at all - except for watching Indian movies in 3D.
K5 Note
Lenovo seemed to realize how weak the update to the once formidable phablet was, and less than a month later (!) they rolled out the K5 Note model. And guess what? The fifth generation relative to the fourth is “a completely different story.”
This already looks like new model! For Russians, the metallic and inexpensive Lenovo will be a new thing, although “aluminum shovels” have long been in use on the Chinese market - these are the kind of competitors that the phablet with the K5 index should put in its place. In general, it makes sense to keep watch over such a smartphone in the windows of Chinese stores.
Xiaomi
Redmi 3
Remember this name - this is one of the best budget smartphones of 2016 (if not the best). While innovations in flagships come from giants (Apple, Samsung and others like them), affordable smartphones The Chinese have been setting the tone for a long time. And this time, the famous Chinese brand included a very cool filling in the desired 105 bucks.
Xiaomi, if anyone doesn’t know, is not a semi-basement office where a family in an empty province collects mobile phones, but the fourth smartphone manufacturer in the world, which has a lot of experience. In Russia, Xiaomi is still sold through intermediaries, but in China, smartphones of this brand are being snapped up at a speed comparable to iPhones.
In Redmi 3, we can immediately note only a couple of shortcomings: firstly, the HD display (for complete happiness, you want 1920x1080, like the Lenovo Lemon 3 mentioned above). Secondly, the obsessive pattern with diamonds on the back cover has already set many people on edge in clothing design.
Redmi Note 3 Pro
Still confused about the names? Then take a look: a 5.5-inch phablet with a clear display, high power (almost 2 times faster than that aka Honor 5X), a capacious battery and a metal case for 13 thousand rubles!
The Chinese simply copy each other's habits to the point of indecency! Like Lenovo, which staged a circus with the announcement of the K4 Note and K5 Note, Xiaomi also released an upgraded version of the newly released phone a month after it was put on the production line. However, in the case of Redmi Note there is an option that it will remain in mass production new option smartphone, or that the previous variation will become cheaper. And this is good for us, buyers, in any case.
In our turbulent and unstable times, many users are interested in what are the best budget smartphones of 2016 in terms of price-quality ratio.
Everyone wants to have a device with a good camera and battery, but not pay exorbitant amounts for it. And now for some, even 500 dollars is a fabulous and unaffordable amount.
Therefore, it makes sense to analyze which phones today can be considered the best in terms of price/quality ratio. To do this, we will take user ratings on various websites with equipment and resources where you can compare prices.
Although there will be clear leaders in the review, so in a sense this is still a rating, but a non-standard one.
Our TOP 10 includes only those models that were released in 2016.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro
This is undoubtedly the best modern budget phone! Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is the most popular phone in the Asian market, and in Europe it is simply swept off the shelves.
This is not surprising, because for such a price (in some stores it can be found for $142) they offer us a real monster!
Moreover, at the very beginning of sales it cost about 250 dollars, and then the price was increased to 350 due to the huge number of customers.
Now the cost has fallen and it is available to the average Ukrainian or Russian citizen for an average of 160-170 bucks.
Specifications:
- screen – 5.5 inches, color IPS;
- main camera 16 MP, front camera 5 MP;
- six-core (!)! Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 MSM8956 processor with a frequency of 1.8 GHz;
- built-in memory – 32 GB (there is an expansion slot up to 128 GB);
- RAM – 3 GB (!);
- 4050 mAh battery (!);
- There is a fingerprint scanner.
If you have 150 bucks in your pocket and want to buy a powerful phone with a good camera and battery, don’t think twice, buy the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro! You simply won't find anything better.
Xiaomi Redmi 3
If you can’t take the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro, which simply blew up the market at the beginning of 2016, there is a very good replacement from the same manufacturer – Xiaomi Redmi 3.
Most of their characteristics are very similar, but many things are still different. For example, the screen here is not 5.5 inches, but only 5. Although the difference is visually quite small.
Here is an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 MSM8939v2 processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz in the first four cores and 1.2 GHz in the second four. There is 2 GB of RAM.
This combination works no worse than the Redmi Note 3. In addition, the battery here is larger – 4100 mAh. Considering that less energy is needed to maintain a 5-inch screen, Redmi 3 will work longer.
The developers also sacrificed a fingerprint scanner.
Other features of this device are:
- built-in memory – 16 GB;
- price – 150 dollars.
Huawei Honor 5X
It makes sense to buy this phone with live Xiaomi representatives only if you want even more power or you just like Huawei.
Also, maybe someone will like the design of Honor 5X more. This smartphone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939 processor with 8 cores with the same frequency of 1.8 GHz (in all eight cores, without any divisions).
There is 2 GB of RAM. Huawei Honor 5X performs all the main functions just fine. It ranks very high in most rankings.
In terms of other technical characteristics, this smartphone is very similar to the two aforementioned Xiaomi representatives.
Other technical features the following:
- screen – color IPS with a diagonal of 5.5 inches;
- pre-installed Android 5.1 OS;
- main camera 13 MP, front camera 5 MP;
- built-in memory – 16 GB (there is an expansion slot up to 128 GB);
- 3000 mAh battery;
- there is a fingerprint scanner;
- price – 230 dollars.
Samsung Galaxy J1
And our TOP 10 continues with the modest fellow from Samsung. It is “modest” in terms of technical characteristics. Everything here is much smaller than that of the giants from Xiaomi and the representative of Huawei.
But the screen is here Super AMOLED, and, as you know, such screens always look much better than the same IPS or even TFT IPS.
In addition, there is a proprietary camera from Samsung, and it is also better in every way than other cameras, even with a large number of megapixels.
Not in vain best camera mobile phone today Samsung representative. And the service life of smartphones of this brand has always been higher than that of Lenovo or even LG.
Therefore, this modest fellow has a place in our review of the best budget smartphones of 2016 in terms of price/quality ratio. But it costs less than the aforementioned smartphones.
So if you have $100 in your pocket, but are not looking for high performance, feel free to buy the Galaxy J1.
The technical characteristics of this device are as follows:
- screen diagonal – 4.5 inches;
- camera – 5 MP (there is only one here);
- proprietary Samsung Exynos 3475 processor with 4 cores at 1.3 GHz;
- own memory – 8 GB (only 4.1 GB is available to the user, there is an expansion slot up to 128 GB);
- RAM – 1 GB;
- 2050 mAh battery;
- price – 93 dollars.
Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini
Everything said above about the Samsung Galaxy J1 also applies to the J1 Mini. Everything here is almost the same, only the screen diagonal is 4 inches.
Accordingly, this device costs less - only $75. There are other minor differences. For example, the screen here is not Super AMOLED, but color TFT.
It looks, frankly, worse - the picture is dimmer, not as saturated. There is no information about the processor at all, although one can guess that it is a Samsung Exynos 4210 (judging by the presence of 4 cores and a frequency of 1.2 GHz).
The Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini has 768 MB of RAM – a very unusual amount. The battery here is also correspondingly smaller – 1500 mAh.
But for such a device you don’t need more. Overall, this is the most budget-friendly of all the really good budget smartphones available today.
If you have very little money, feel free to take the Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini.
Other characteristics:
- built-in memory – 8 GB (only 4.4 GB is also available to the user, there is an expansion slot up to 128 GB);
- main camera 5 MP, front camera 0.3 MP;
LG K7 X210DS
The second top five of our review is opened by a representative from LG. The K7 X210DS is suitable for those who have a little more than $100 in their pocket and want a little more powerful camera than the above-mentioned Samsung representatives.
Although here you can still argue whose camera takes better pictures, because, as mentioned above, Samsung camera always better, even with fewer MPix.
In any case, the LG K7 X210DS has two cameras - the main one is 8 MP and the front one is 5 MP. The front camera here is certainly better than any of the Samsung Galaxy J1.
Otherwise, everything is quite standard - users will not find any ultra-high specifications here, but among budget employees this device looks at a very high level.
Characteristics:
- MediaTek MT6580M processor at 1.3 GHz (4 cores);
- built-in memory – 8 GB (there is an expansion slot up to 32 GB);
- RAM – 1 GB;
- battery – 2125 mAh;
- the case has a special protective glass 2.5D Arc Glass;
- the front camera has a virtual flash;
- price – 115 dollars.
LG K5 X220DS
And this device is suitable for lovers of LG products who have exactly $100 in their pockets (that’s how much it costs this smartphone). We can say that this is a simplified copy of the K7 X210DS.
True, it uses a different processor, and many technical characteristics are inferior to the X210DS. Although some of them are the same on the K5 X220DS.
For example, this device uses a MediaTek MT6582 processor, which also has 4 cores and a frequency of 1.3 GHz. In addition, there is also 8 GB of internal memory (there is an expansion slot up to 32 GB) and 1 GB of RAM.
It also uses exactly the same virtual flash of the front camera. This phone will perform all the main tasks with great success.
Peculiarities:
- main camera – 5 MPix;
- front camera – 2 MPix;
- 1900 mAh battery;
- screen – color TFT with a diagonal of 5 inches;
- pre-installed Android 5.1 OS.
Lenovo Vibe K5
Among our best smartphones of 2016 in terms of price/quality ratio there is also a Lenovo representative, albeit the only one.
In principle, this is the only device from this company that has been released in the last few years and deserves attention.
The rest “distinguished themselves” only by the fact that they constantly freeze, break down quickly and generally serve a very short and problematic time. But judging by customer reviews, this practically does not apply to the Vibe K5 model.
This is a really good smartphone that, among other things, looks great. The body is made of metal and plastic, there are branded touch buttons and spectacular design.
The technical characteristics of this smartphone are as follows:
- pre-installed Android 5.1 OS;
- main camera – 13 MP;
- front camera – 5 MPix;
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 415 MSM8929 processor with 8 cores and a frequency of 1.4 GHz;
- built-in memory – 16 GB;
- RAM – 2 GB;
- battery – 2750 mAh;
- price – 231 dollars.
ASUS ZenFone Go ZB452KG
In January 2016, a new representative of ASUS was released, who managed to gain enormous popularity this year. The most important thing is that it works really well and does not break.
In addition, it performs all the main functions with great success.
In particular, ASUS ZenFone Go ZB452KG is distinguished by high quality communication (it catches the Internet in many hard-to-reach places), works with office applications and performs many other functions and at the same time does not glitch or freeze.
The average user doesn't need anything more. In terms of design, this device is also very good.
Of course, fans of ASUS products will be most pleased - the branded metal panel at the bottom and the logo at the top are present.
Specifications:
- pre-installed Android 5.1 OS;
- screen – color IPS with a diagonal of 4.5 inches;
- main camera – 5 MPix;
- front camera – 0.3 MPix;
- Qualcomm MSM8212 processor with 4 cores and a frequency of 1.2 GHz;
- built-in memory – 8 GB (there is an expansion slot up to 64 GB);
- RAM – 1 GB;
- battery – 2070 mAh;
- price – 85 dollars.
Meizu M3
Meizu is very similar to Xiaomi and these two companies have been competing with each other for a long time. They are similar mainly in that they produce very powerful and productive smartphones, tablets and other equipment (in particular, smart watches).
At the same time, they sell their products at very low prices compared to their competitors.
After the two aforementioned Xiaomi representatives broke the market at the beginning of the year, Meizu specialists decided to make their move in response and released the M3 model.
The technical characteristics of this device are simply excellent, considering the price - just over $100 (to be precise, the Meizu M3 today can be bought for about 103 units of US currency).
It will handle all heavyweight games and applications, and also cope with basic tasks. In general, for its price it’s just a great smartphone!
The technical characteristics of the Meizu M3 are as follows:
- pre-installed Android 5.1 OS;
- screen – color IPS with a diagonal of 5 inches;
- main camera – 13 MP;
- front camera – 5 MPix;
- MediaTek MT6750 processor with 8 cores – 4 with a frequency of 1.5 GHz and 4 with a frequency of 1 GHz;
- built-in memory – 16 GB (there is an expansion slot);
- RAM – 2 GB;
- 2870 mAh battery.
Below you can see the TOP 10 best smartphones of 2016 (not only budget phones).
“All these years we sold Nexus at a low price, like fools, by God. But Apple is cutting money - we need to join the premium too,” the guys from Google decided and released smartphones of the Pixel family. To ensure that the new “super-prestigious” Google Phone is not confused with its cheap predecessors, the developers at all presentations persistently emphasized that this is an “all-new” (“completely new”) smartphone, which was not developed by subsidiary brands (LG/Samsung/Huawei/HTC/ Motorola), and Google itself! However, it’s no secret that HTC, respected by Google, still assembles smartphones.
But we are less interested in politics and marketing; let’s talk about the technical component. In this regard, the new Google Phone is encouraging great camera(the best among smartphones in general, according to some experts), good AMOLED display and very powerful Snapdragon processor 821 with ideal system optimization.
By the way, about the system - now it has been added exclusivity and the latest “empty” Android Nougat has been given a new design, and English-speaking users can already talk to a smartphone like a person. That is, no more “inexpensive pickled cucumbers in Moscow” - you can immediately address them with the phrase “Pixel, where can you buy a good snack nearby?” Pleasant innovations? Yes, simply excellent! The Pixel design is a little strange, but the smartphones cannot be confused with anything else.
Another question is that the 8.5 mm thick model (like the Xiaomi Redmi 3S with 4100 mAh) houses a 2770 mAh battery with a ridiculous capacity. However, thanks to the perfectly optimized Android and AMOLED matrix, the Pixel will still last the day. But almost any flagship smartphone is more compact than the new Google phones, which don’t even bother to implement optical stabilization in the camera.
And the main thing is that such pleasure costs from 50 to 65 thousand rubles, even just in terms of European prices (Russians are so rich that smartphones in the Russian Federation usually cost more than in Europe). Would you like to shell out a thousand dollars for a “prestigious” Google nameplate? Yes, everyone already understands that you don’t want to, and that’s why Pixels are not sold in Russia. And for 65 thousand in Russia, smart guys buy an iPhone 7 Plus with 128 GB of memory from gray suppliers or a still cool Samsung Galaxy S7 edge for 40 thousand. And they do it right.
The Pixel is an excellent model in its own right and the best alternative to the great and terrible iPhone (which is why the smartphone made the list). But for record-breaking performance at a high price, we already have Samsung, and Google’s “unique” software can even be made to work on cheap smartphones. That is, no matter what Google creates, it turns out to be Nexus. Only this time, an expensive, slightly strange Nexus that does not encourage reflashing, which did not manage to jump higher than its glass “head”.
4. Honor 8
In contrast to Google, Huawei knows a lot about “color differentiation” and has been successfully selling almost identical smartphones under different nameplates. For image-conscious citizens, mobile phones under the name Huawei are coming out. And for everyone who doesn’t care about Scarlett Johansson and the nameplate of partner brands, the Chinese offer Honor models.
So in 2016, engineers “re-shoeed” the expensive Huawei P9 into a glass case, dismantled the Leica logo and began selling this model 40% cheaper than the flagship. Even by Russian standards, Honor 8, worth 28 thousand rubles, looks very cool - of similar quality models, only the “gray” versions of Xiaomi and Meizu are cheaper.
And you can’t say that Huawei saved money on customers in any way: a good fast processor (although not as cool as your Snapdragon 820), two cool rear cameras with which you can “blur” the background in photographs, a high-quality display. Honor 8 is not a flagship of the “nowhere better” format - it is rather a middle ground between expensive “top models” and middle-class smartphones. Such smartphones have become an endangered species - Chinese brands nowadays they are arrogant and strive to compete in price with Samsung, so it was impossible not to mention the “anti-crisis” Honor in a special way.
3. Apple iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone just got better. Better by N percent, because it is not proper for noble dons to focus on the characteristics of mobile phones. Parasite designers, apparently, are still having unbridled fun with uninhibited girls and “washing powder” (iPhone 6 with almost the same appearance appeared in September 2014). But the revolution, comrades, begins from the grassroots, and iPhone buyers are still satisfied with the case design. Moreover, lovers of innovation still received the standard “glossy black” color - an important detail for those who want it new iPhone immediately distinguished from the old one.
Generally improved iPhone versions with the previous body design they usually receive an additional index S, but the name iPhone 6SS would sound provocative, and, frankly speaking, technical innovations have accumulated enough to change generations.
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
Judge for yourself: a new touch-sensitive Home key with imitation pressing, “identical to natural”. Water protection, which is not very useful in everyday use, but reduces the risk of “killing” a smartphone with liquid. Stereo speakers in a very compact body and a processor that, with four cores at a mediocre frequency, outshines all Qualcomm and MediaTek brands of any degree. 2x optical zoom (a small thing, it doesn’t always work, but it’s still useful). And this despite the fact that the iPhone, as we know, has never competed with rivals for show on the principle of “who has it longer”!
The iPhone 7 Plus still has a lot of shortcomings: ridiculous strap-worthiness, no support for fast charging, rather dismal shooting quality compared to Android flagships, a headphone jack amputated “for fun” or out of Apple’s greed.
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
But in order to criticize, you need to offer something in return. Google Pixel is not sold in Russia, and it can no longer boast of the slogan “Android smartphones are always cooler for the same price.” The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge has reached “retirement” age on the assembly line, but is still too expensive, has a modest 32 gigabytes of internal memory (a little more than 20 GB is available for games and applications), and is easily soiled and fragile. It is, of course, very technological in itself, but has changed little since the time of the “breakthrough” S6 edge. And there are already enough high-quality and cheaper flagships based on Android.
With such a preamble, the iPhone award sounds like glorifying the best of the worst smartphones, but Apple’s flagship still “raises the bar” with each new generation by a sufficient amount so that iPhone users do not migrate to Android phones and do not envy Samsung Galaxy users.
2. Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
They did not expect? But I think that the budget Xiaomi fully deserves such honors. Because Redmi has become a symbol and the most desirable budget smartphone during the crisis period not only in Russia, but also in other post-Soviet republics. To be honest, in 2016 Xiaomi made two “revolutions” at once - first, in January, Redmi 3 was born, which brought an unprecedented 8-core processor (not cheap, from Kvalkom bottling!) and a metal case to the budget ranks. And at the end of the year, when Huawei and Meizu released response smartphones, Xiaomi “finished off” all competitors with the release of Redmi 4 Prime.
A bright Full HD display in a smartphone for 8-9 thousand rubles! The coolest Snapdragon 625 - before this it was found in models at least 3 times more expensive! AND capacious battery, which pulls all this stuffing into slim body long time.
Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
Why not Xiaomi Mi Mix? Because now it is a very expensive and not very practical prototype smartphone with a flagship processor, but a mediocre camera. Why not Redmi Note 3? Because there is nothing breakthrough in it - Note 3 became a “restyling” of Redmi Note 2, and Note 3 Pro just received a slightly faster and more intelligent processor. Xiaomi Mi5, after a while, also looks like “just” another inexpensive one Chinese flagship, but the “compact” Redmi are developing much more sharply.
And I understand those who believe that such portions of praise for a budget smartphone are unnecessary. Still, you will have to polish it and Russify it yourself, the cameras in Redmi 4 are still mediocre, fast charging again is not supported due to savings on components.
Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
But there hasn’t been anything cooler in the budget class, no, and there won’t be in the foreseeable future - in exchange for 8-10 thousand you can “taste” quad-core models from slightly more arrogant vendors that are disgusting in terms of speed and quality, or, at best, buy a plastic Meiza at based on a “deformed” old MediaTek processor. Moreover, if there have never been problems in choosing good and expensive smartphones, then Redmi almost single-handedly defends the honor of truly cool budget models, for which it receives “silver” in our rating today.