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The best buy now, pay later (BNPL) apps
BNPL apps allow you to finance with zero interest, among other tricks. Here's how they work
The sharp rise of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) apps leaves consumers, especially electronics consumers, with a question that's new and very old: Should they save the cash to buy more expensive items or use a type of financing?
Nokia's newest Android Go phones have removable batteries and other 2014 specs
Let's party like it's the 2010s again
As an Android brand, Nokia has found its own rhythm with phones — make them cheap without looking or feeling so, make them easy to maintain, and then (try to) maintain them. It's a strategy that has helped its parent company, HMD Global, achieve its first profitable year in 2021. And it hopes to continue that winning streak with a second batch of aggressively budget-minded products for 2022.
Apple and Samsung are surviving the global chip shortage in ways only they can
Well, it's actually the global 'everything' shortage
Those on a tight budget for a new phone these days are facing the crises surrounding the global pandemic head-on. From lengthening lead times to a never-ending chip shortage, manufacturers are coping by putting number one first. And a new report indicates that consumers will be in for another year of this mess.
Americans seem to have a soft spot in their hearts for the Motorola brand — with the demise of LG's mobile business, it's essentially #3 in the U.S. smartphone market. Most of those purchases come from the successful Moto G series which usually sit around the $200 level. But does that history favor the newest and most basic G phone? It could have. It probably should have. The surprising answer, however, is "no."
With the Moto G Pure, Motorola makes $160 go farther than last year
Coming everywhere very, very soon
Motorola's budget phones really do get around. Whether it's a Moto G or a Moto E, they're a popular standout at carrier stores that cuts between the richer Samsung and Apple devices. And it just so happens that we have a new one landing this month that changes several major things about what the Lenovo-owned manufacturer has been doing in a very specific price category.
Move over, Fire tablets: Samsung's brand-new Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is already 20% off
Amazon and B&H have it for $130
It's tough for Android tablets to compete in the market, especially with Apple's iPad single-handedly dominating the space. But for casual users looking for a cheap and portable "Netflix machine" to stream from the comfort of their couch, nothing fits the bill better than Samsung's Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. It's a great bang-for-buck tablet that could easily outpace its Amazon Fire competition, and today, you can pick one up for $130 on Amazon and B&H — normally priced at $160.The Samsung Tab A7 Lite is no iPad, equipped with decidedly middle-of-the-road specifications. Its 8.7-inch TFT LCD screen with 1340 x 800 (WXGA+) resolution is nothing to write home about, but its slim and sturdy metal frame should provide decent protection to the tablet. It's got a quad-core MediaTek Helio P22T processor, 3GB of RAM (configurable to 4GB), and 32GB of eMMC flash storage. There's a single USB Type-C port (capable of 15W charging) and a microSD card slot on the side if you need more storage, too. The A7 Lite runs Android 11 using the company's One UI 3.1, and its 5,100mAh battery is ample enough to get you through an entire day.Samsung's Galaxy A7 Lite is a capable tablet for casual media use, and you can snag one from Amazon and B&H for $30 off right now. For those on the fence about grabbing the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, it's a great budget tablet for the money — and one you should pull the trigger on.Buy: Amazon, B&H
Gift the Moto G7 Play as a first phone for the record low price of $100 ($30 off)
The basics done right and for the right price
Looking to buy a smartphone for a first-timer old or young? The Moto G7 Play is a lovely choice — easy to use, decent battery life, and cheap as it is. But since we're in Black Friday, of course, it's cheaper. Like, $30 cheaper to be exact.The phone's pretty darn livable with seemingly average specs: a 5.7" 19:9 720p display, a Snapdragon 632 processor with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage (can take up to 512GB via microSD), a fingerprint sensor and single 13MP camera at back, an 8MP unit up front, and USB-C data and 10W charging input — that last bit punches above its weight at this price tier as most stick with 7.5W or even 5W. Plus, you can take it to AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, or any of their affiliate networks.
Poco attempts a $100 gaming phone as price wars with Realme continue
That's an introductory price, by the way
Xiaomi spin-off Poco has been intensely engaged with Oppo spin-off Realme in a budget smartphone pricing war in India. Its latest salvo comes in the form of a Rs. 10,000 device called the Poco C3 featuring formidable core specs to enable quality gaming at a new price tier. There are, though, a few trade-offs to have made this product possible.
The Pixel 4a will have the longest life of any budget Android phone
Three years of guaranteed OS updates and a future-proof camera mean you won't need to upgrade anytime soon
The Pixel 4a has it goin' on. It's affordable, its camera is truly outstanding, and it's got great battery life for a small phone. But Pixels come with another key perk: long software support is part and parcel of Google phones, even the less expensive ones. The 4a is going to have incredible staying power for its price point.
OnePlus plans on selling affordable phones once again
The flagship killer sets its sights on the mid-range market
OnePlus launched itself into the smartphone market with the incredible value of the OnePlus One, which was priced at under $300 back in 2014. Since then, the company has steadily increased both the quality of its devices ... and their prices. Recently, though, there have been rumors going around about interest in getting back to offering a lower-cost phone, and now OnePlus CEO Pete Lau is confirming the company's commitment to offering a cheaper option.
Affordable Galaxy A21s brings quad rear cameras plus a headphone jack starting June 19
Not as sparkly as the forthcoming A21, but fits right into the €200 tier
It didn't take long for yesterday's leak to turn official — Samsung has announced another budget-tier Galaxy A phone for Europe. The Galaxy A21 has no sibling to speak of just yet, but the Galaxy A21s has the essentials for a phone of its price: a big screen, big battery, multiple cameras, and a headphone jack for good measure.
If you're looking for a phone to tide you over this rough patch the world's going through right now and don't mind or wholly welcome a phone with a MediaTek processor, a removable battery, and Micro-USB, you can pick up a Nokia 2.2 right now from Amazon for just $100.The Nokia 2.2 might be stacked as a low-end phone with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage in the US., just two cameras on the device total, and a 720p LCD (decently-designed as it is), and it would've been a pretty questionable buy at $140, its original MSRP here.
Motorola's product strategy for the past few years has been to release a phone at every price point imaginable. The Moto G8 was announced last month, while the G Power and G Stylus just went up for pre-order, and now another G8 model is here: the Power Lite.
T-Mobile introducing $15 plan in wake of coronavirus (Update: Fine print)
Metro offering temporary $15 rate, other deals
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One of the many concessions T-Mobile promised if it were allowed to merge with Sprint was that it would offer super-cheap wireless plans starting at $15 per month. Since then, however, the novel coronavirus has forced many customers out of work. While ISPs are accepting deferred payments for monthly bills, that may not be enough for people whose budgets continue to shrink. So, T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile have decided to roll out those new rate plans starting this Wednesday, March 25.
Android Pie Go-based Nokia C2 launches with removable battery
At least it can now connect to LTE networks
After MWC was called off, the Finnish smartphone maker HMD announced a separate event where a bunch of new mid-tier devices is expected to see the light of day. While there's no flagship model in sight until at least a few months from now, Nokia just introduced a new budget smartphone ahead of Wednesday's event — the Nokia C2.
One of our audience's most anticipated smartphones of 2020 may come from, of all places, Google. While the Pixel 4 has been a critical flop (though it also was our readers' choice), the Pixel 3a was championed as an all-around utility unit by almost every corner of the Android geekdom. Now, we're getting what might be our first look at the phone to supersede that one — a Pixel 4a, if you will.
HMD Global is keeping up the pace on releasing new Nokia-branded Android smartphones (and TVs!) with yearly refreshes on its varied series ranging from the premium side to the penny-pinchers. For the most part, the new Nokia 2.3 brings progress for its most basic line of offerings, but as we're headed to 2020, there's one big thing about this phone that doesn't scream "future-proof": the microUSB connector.
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If you're looking to grab a good and cheap phone to tide you over for a hot second — especially with all the crises that can be posed this very Thursday — we're just gonna point you to a lightning deal for Samsung's Galaxy A10e on Amazon right now. Like, seriously, now now.The A10e has gotten around the carriers as a leaner version of the more popular mid-ranger, the A50. It's got a 5.8" display with fairly good surface coverage, 32GB of storage, and a 3,000mAh battery. No army of cameras, just humble front and back units to do what you need. It's no screamer in the performance department, either, but you'll be able to use it at your carrier of choice in the U.S.
It's been 7 months since the Moto G7 series went public and Verizon, being Motorola's closest carrier partner in the United States, began selling them shortly after launch. However, it did not sell — and oddly enough, did not support BYO unlocked units of — the lightweight Moto G7 Play.Well, the 32GB phone has finally been listed with the network for a full retail price of $168. It's free if you start an account or add a new line and take it on a 24-month payment plan (the "free" part comes with monthly credits). It's $180 at Amazon.We just thought you should know.Source: Verizon
Need a new phone for cheap? How about two new phones for cheap? The Moto G6 could be a great candidate for either your primary phone or your side carry and we've got a couple of deals on right now with the 64GB version at its lowest price yet on Amazon and a free 32GB unit if you buy another phone direct from Motorola.If you're thinking that the G6 is yesteryear's mid-range phone, you bet your face it is — and it's a great budget phone this year. You've got TurboPower USB-C charging, a headphone jack, a half-decent 2:1 display, and a Snapdragon 450. In some regions, you're looking at a clone of this year's Moto E6 (at least in some regions), but the G6 just packages everything together... better. It's a very handy device, too, because you can take it to any carrier working off of the four major carriers. Yep, CDMA ones, too.