budget phone - 2/2 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Nov

Why You Should Never Buy A Low-End Android Phone On A Major US Carrier (Read: They’re Junk, And You’re Getting Screwed)

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Editorials

Android’s massive worldwide popularity has, in large part, the availability of cheap, low-end handsets to thank. We all know this. In developing markets in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, Android powers almost all of the smartphones that are being purchased by growing numbers of prepaid subscribers.

Cheap Android phones are, for that reason alone, a great thing. They’re empowering consumers in developing economies, giving them access to the full web wherever they go - something that has generally been the privilege only of the wealthy and of Western nations in the past decade.

But there’s a dark side to cheap Android phones here in the good ‘ol US of A.

Oct

T-Mobile Announces Samsung's Exhibit II 4G - An 'Affordable 4G Smartphone'

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Galaxy Exhibit 4G, News, T-Mobile

Tonight, Samsung Mobile and T-Mobile announced the Exhibit II 4G, a new 4G smartphone aimed at the budget-conscious subscriber. The Exhibit II 4G will be the first no-annual-contract 4G smartphone sold at most Walmart stores, and is set for an October 27th release.

The budget smartphone will also come to T-Mobile retail stores November 2nd, offered at the low price of $29.99 after a $50.00 mail-in rebate with a two-year agreement and qualifying plan. The Exhibit II 4G will also be available for $199.99 off contract.

Here are some of the specs the Exhibit II 4G will be offering this fall:

Android 2.3 Gingerbread
3.7" WVGA TFT display
Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor at 1GHz
3MP rear camera with flash
Wi-Fi connectivity

For subscribers interested in finding a budget Android phone, the Exhibit II 4G is a good option.

Oct

T-Mobile Unveils The LG myTouch And myTouch Q - Designed For "Adopting The Benefits Of Smartphones For The First Time"

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Gingerbread 2.3, LG, myTouch, myTouch Q, News, T-Mobile

T-Mobile announced yesterday the latest additions to their myTouch family - the LG myTouch and myTouch Q, devices designed to help users adopt "the benefits of smartphones for the first time."

The LG myTouch packs a 3.8" touch screen, while the myTouch Q offers a slightly smaller 3.5" display, but boasts a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Both devices hold a 1GHz Qualcomm processor and 5MP rear shooter capable of 720p video recording, as well as Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

The handsets will each have two variants - the myTouch will be available in black or white, and the myTouch Q will be offered in either gray or violet.

Sep

HTC Explorer Announced, Aims To Redefine The Term "Budget Smartphone"

Posted by John Thompson in HTC, News, Three UK

HTC has virtually every corner of the Android phone market covered, with unlocked phones ranging from under $300 all the way up to $700. Whether you're looking for a smartphone on a budget, or you just want as much power as you can have in one hand, you'll generally be covered.

Today, HTC has announced the Explorer, which sits firmly on the budget end of the smartphone spectrum. You won't find many bells and whistles on this phone, which will have a 3.2-inch display with a resolution of just 480 x 320, and a 3MP camera around the back.

Under the hood, you'll find a 600MHz processor which, on the surface, seems somewhat insufficient, as the phone will be running Android 2.3.5 and Sense 3.5.

Aug

Huawei Unveils The Vision - And It Looks Eerily Like The Nexus S

Posted by David Ruddock in Huawei, News, Vision

Huawei is a very interesting company. They're heavily subsidized by the Chinese government. There's been a lot of controversy surrounding their products in terms of intellectual property infringement and military ties.

And then they go and unveil this thing, the Huawei Vision - and, as the title says, it bears a striking resemblance (from the front, at least) to a certain other phone:

The phone so nice, they made it twice.

Here's a quick spec breakdown:

3.7-inch (probably WVGA SLCD) display
1GHz Snapdragon MSM8255 processor (same one you'll find in the Thunderbolt and other phones)
512MB RAM / 2GB internal storage
Huawei "3D" UI overlay
5MP rear camera / 720p video recording
Android 2.3

The Vision doesn't have the Nexus S's trademark "hump" along the bottom of the phone, but otherwise, it's the spitting image of Google's most recent Nexus handset.

Dec

US Cellular LG Optimus U Review: What Free Phones Should Be Like

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in LG, Optimus U, Phone Reviews, Reviews, US Cellular

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

Introduction

Let's face it: free phones are usually synonymous with crap phones. That's what the Optimus U is trying to change - and, at least on paper, it looks like it might just be able to accomplish the task. That said, this is a phone sold by LG and US Cellular, both of whom have yet to display real talent when it comes to Android - and there's a lot that could go awry, what with the lack of Flash (both on the camera and in the browser) and the 600 MHz processor. So did the two companies succeed? Has a free Android phone that doesn't suck finally been made available?