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NEW THREAD: Mobile Reference Guide. This thread will no longer be updated.
Best Mobile for Money: September 2012
NOTE: The prices are indication of cheapest deal available online with genuine manufacturer warranty (hence no ebay, snapdeal, etc). You can manually check the price by clicking on the mobile link. Credit goes to 91mobiles for the updated prices.
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UNDER 2K:
Type Mobile Display Battery Dual Sim Bluetooth Price Basic Mobile Nokia 101 1.8" 1020mah YES NO 1.4k Music Mobile Samsung Hero Music 1.8" 1000mah YES YES 1.7k
At this budget most just want a mobile that have dual sim and excellent battery life. And Nokia 101 is just the right choice for this kind of mobile with a huge 1000mah battery. However in case you want Bluetooth as both these mobiles have memory card support and music player, select Samsung E1232B better known as Samsung Hero Music.
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FROM 2-5K:
Type Mobile Display Resolution Input Type Camera Dual Sim 3G (speed) WiFi Price Camera + Dual Sim Nokia 110 1.8" 128X160 NO VGA YES NO NO 2.2k Camera + Dual Sim Nokia X2-02 2.2" 240X320 NO 2MP YES NO NO 3.2k Touchscreen + Dual Sim LG Cookie Smart T375 3.2" 240X320 Capacitive Touchscreen 2MP YES NO Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g 4.9k Touchscreen + 3G Samsung S3770 2.8" 240X320 Capacitive Touchscreen 2MP NO 7.2 Mbps HSDPA Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 4.8k QWERTY + Dual Sim Nokia Asha 200 2.3" 320X240 QWERTY 2MP YES NO NO 3.8k
Some of you mayn’t have a high enough budget but still require a mobile with camera. Cheapest of them is Nokia 110 with VGA camera. In case you require a slightly better camera check Nokia X2-02 which sports a 2MP camera. There are mobiles with 3.2MP camera but that doesn’t improve quality much.
Don’t expect any Android mobile under 5k as Android require a decent amount of processing power and a proper screen size which no manufacturer can provide at this pricepoint though there are quite a few touchscreen mobiles. Before going forward a small advice to all: Select capacitive touchscreen and avoid resistive touchscreen at all cost.
First of the touchscreen mobile is LG Cookie Smart T375. There are quite a few Cookie Smart so remember the model no. Next is Samsung S3770. Both cost almost same so decide depending on the features you want: bigger screen or 3G.
Lastly if you want QWERTY, there is one choice here: Nokia Asha 200 which is available in multiple colours. It has dual sim but lack 3G and WiFi.
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FROM 5-10K:
Android Smartphone:
Position Mobile Operating System Display Resolution Camera Front camera Processor GPU Ram Internal Memory Price 1 Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Android 4.0 3" LED-backlit LCD 320X480 5MP + LED NO Qualcomm MSM8255 1Ghz Adreno 205 512MB 320MB 10k 2 Huawei Ideos X5 Android 2.3 3.8" 480X800 5MP + LED NO Qualcomm MSM7230 800Mhz Adreno 205 512MB 1.5GB 9.1k 3 Sony Xperia Tipo Android 4.0 3.2" 320X480 3.2MP NO Qualcomm MSM7225A 800Mhz Adreno 200 (enchanced) 512MB 2.5GB 8.9k
The best android mobile under 10k is definitely Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini. It is the only Android 4.0 mobile from international brand.
If 3” is a bit too small there are 2 more choice for you: Sony Xperia Tipo and Huawei IDEOS X5 (not pro) that sell for less than 10k. We all know it was coming and it is finally here, The Sony Xperia Tipo. It is a mild upgrade over Explorer but packs 2 signification upgrades: Android 4.0 and 2.5GB of usable space. As for X5 Pro, it is and will be forever stuck in Gingerbread but have much better specs. Though clockspeed of X5 and Tipo is same but X5 beats Tipo hands down in processing as well as graphics power.
Feature Phone:
Type Mobile Display Resolution Camera Front cam Dual Sim 3G WiFi Price Bar + Camera Phone Samsung Primo 2.4 240X320 5MP + LED NO NO HSDPA 7.2 Mbps NO 5.2k Touchscreen + Dual Sim Samsung Star III Duos 3.0" 240X320 3.2MP NO YES NO Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 5.0k Touchscreen + 3G Nokia Asha 311 3.0" 240X400 3.2MP NO NO HSDPA 14.4Mbps; HSUPA 5.76 Mbps Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 6.3k QWERTY + 3G Nokia Asha 302 2.4 240X320 3.2MP NO NO HSDPA 14.4 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 6k
Not everyone like Android as these mobiles are touchscreen based. Moreover almost all budget Androids have 2-3MP camera and that also without flash. If you are in the hunt for a basic bar mobile, there is only a single option that have the best camera in non-touch mobile: Samsung Primo.
In case someone wants a cheap touchscreen that also offers dual sim but not based on Android check Samsung Star III which have WiFi but no 3G.
Though it may look surprising, but finally Nokia has delivered a featurephone that almost breach the gap between feature phone and smartphone yet priced really low. Enter the Nokia Asha 311. It packs a 1Ghz processor but don't be fooled by it cause you can hardly utilize it to half its potential and it doubt it has any dedicated graphics chip yet should run any game without any lag.
Lastly for those who want QWERTY, there is Nokia Asha 302 having WiFi as well as 3G.
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FROM 10-15K:
Android Smartphone:
Position Mobile Operating System Display Resolution Protection Camera Video Front Cam Processor GPU Ram Internal Memory Price 1 Sony Xperia U Android 2.3 3.5" LED-backlit LCD 480X854 Scratch-resistant glass 5MP + LED 720p YES ST-Ericsson U8500 1Ghz dual core Mali 400 (singlecore) 512MB 4GB (non-expandable) 14.9k 2 Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray Android 4.0 3.3" LED-backlit LCD 480X854 Scratch-resistant glass 8MP + LED 720p YES Qualcomm MSM8255 1Ghz Adreno 205 512MB 300MB 15.0k 3 Huawei Ideos X5 Pro Android 4.0 3.8" 480X800 Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating 5MP + LED 720p NO Qualcomm MSM8255 1Ghz Adreno 205 512MB 1.5GB 11.5k
Dual Core. 3.5" FWVGA resolution. 4GB internal free memory. 5MP camera with flash. 720p video recording. Front camera. All these is sufficient to steal the first place of the 10-15k region. Though it lacks a memory card and is still stuck in gingerbread (should get Android 4.0 update soon), if you can ignore these 2 issue, there is nothing better than U at 15k.
If you want excellent pics and ok with a single core processor, there is the Xperia Ray. 3.3" high resolution display is another winning point for Ray. Lastly you can also check the Huawei X5 Pro. It is an upgraded version of X5 U8800 and comes with better processor (slightly higher clocked, thats all) and ICS. Just like X5 U8800, it too have terrific DEV support.
NON-Android Smartphone:
Mobile Operating System Display Resolution Input Type Camera Video Front Cam Processor GPU Ram Internal Memory Price BlackBerry Curve 9320 BlackBerry OS 7.1 2.5" 320X240 QWERTY 3.2MP + LED YES NO Marvell PXA930 806Mhz NA 512MB 512MB 14.2k Nokia Lumia 610 Windows Phone 7.5 3.7" 480X800 Touchscreen 5MP + LED 480p NO Qualcomm MSM7227A 800Mhz Adreno 200 (enhanced) 256MB 8GB (non-expandable) 12k Nokia Lumia 710 Windows Phone 7.5 3.7" ClearBlack 480X800 Touchscreen 5MP + LED 720p NO Qualcomm MSM8255T 1.4Ghz Adreno 205 512MB 8GB (non-expandable) 14.5k
For those who had enough of Android, WP is there: Nokia Lumia 610 current pricing of just ~12k makes it an excellent deal for those who want a good camera, touchscreen and non-Android mobile. But increasing budget by a few thousands brings in its bigger brother, Lumia 710. It has better video recording, better display (same size) and faster processor. But remember none of these will get the WP 8 update.
If the requirement is a business phone, check the newly launched Blackberry Curve 9320 with Blackberry OS 7.1. It has 3G but lack WiFi.
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FROM 15-20K:
Android Smartphone:
Position Mobile Operating System Display Resolution Protection Camera Video Videocall Camera Processor GPU Ram Internal Memory Price 1 Samsung Galaxy S Advance Android 2.3 4" Super AMOLED 480X800 Gorilla Glass 5MP + LED 720p YES ST-Ericsson U8500 1Ghz dual core Mali 400 (singlecore) 768MB 16GB 18.9k 2 Sony Xperia Sola Android 2.3 3.7" LED-backlit LCD 480X854 Scratch-resistant glass 5MP + LED 720p NO ST-Ericsson U8500 1Ghz dual core Mali 400 (singlecore) 512MB 5GB 18.0k
At the time of writing this guide the best mobile under 20k was Xperia Sola but a last minute move by Samsung stole the top place. Welcome the Samsung Galaxy S Advance that beats Sola is almost everything aspects scoring a direct win. Better-bigger display, more ram, more internal memory, front camera. This is absolutely the best one can get at under 20k.
Sony Xperia Sola takes the back seat. It is priced almost same as S Advance and have lower spec but should receive Android 4.0 update soon and even Android 4.1 whereas S Advance mayn’t even get the Android 4.0 update forget 4.1.
NON-Android Smartphone:
Windows Phone: Nil. If you want to buy a WP, get Lumia 710. No use spending 16-17k on these mobile.
Blackberry: Stick to Blackberry 9320.
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FROM 20-25K:
Android Smartphone:
Position Mobile Operating System Display Resolution Camera Video Processor GPU Ram Internal Memory Price Motorola RAZR Android 4.0 4.3" Super AMOLED Advanced 540X960 8MP + LED 1080p 1.3MP TI 4430 1.2Ghz dualcore SGX540 1GB 11.5GB 24.9k 2 Sony Xperia P Android 4.0 4" LED-backlit LCD 540X960 8MP + LED 1080p ST-Ericsson U8500 1Ghz dual core Mali 400 (singlecore) 1GB 13GB (non-expandable) 22.5k
Motorola RAZR under 25k is surely the mobile to consider not cause of its processing power but slim body and Kevlar back. Unless you are way too paranoid about Motorola discontinuing their operation in Asia (i.e. no new product but services will be offered) grab this without a second thought.
Alternate comes in the form of Xperia P but lower price means a big tradeoff in performance and slimness. Processing and graphics powers are lower than RAZR but you get peace of mind. Sadly the biggest tradeoff is not performance but lack of expandable memory as it lack a memory card slot.
NON-Android Smartphone:
Windows Phone: Don’t waste 20k+ on WP7 mobile when Windows Phone 8 is already launched. Expect the first WP8 mobile is a month’s time.
Blackberry: You may check Blackberry 9790 but again the only upgrade is the slow outdated processor, more ram and 2.4” touchscreen which is too small to be of any use.
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FROM 25-30K:
Android Smartphone:
Position Mobile Operating System Display Resolution Camera Video Processor GPU Ram Internal Memory Price 1 Sony Xperia S Android 4.0 4.3" LED-backlit LCD 720X1280 12MP + LED 1080p Qualcomm MSM8260 1.5Ghz DualCore Adreno 220 1GB 26GB (non-expandable) 26k 2 Samsung Galaxy S II I1900 Android 4.0 4.3" Super AMOLED Plus 480X800 8MP + LED 1080p Samsung 4210 1.2Ghz DualCore Mali 400MP (QuadCore) 1GB 13GB 26.8k 3 Motorola RAZR MAXX Android 4.0 4.3" Super AMOLED 540X960 8MP + LED 1080p TI 4430 1.2Ghz dualcore SGX540 1GB 11.5GB 30k
Usually 25-30k section have the top mobiles of the market, not this time. You’ll have to content with last gen dual core based mobiles.
First up is another Sony mobile, Sony Xperia S (not to be confused with Xperia Arc S). Sony has made it a habit to bring in mobiles with last gen processors but next gen looks. Xperia S is no different and at the front is a 4.3” display sporting an exceptionally high resolution display of 720X1280 which equates to a pixel density of 342 leaving even the iPhone 4S to bite the dust. But do remember this mobile is based on Qualcomm’s Scorpion architecture based processor and not Kraits (S4). But just like Xperia P, it too doesn’t have any memory card and internal memory is 26GB.
In case you want something other than Sony, there are 2 choices: Motorola RAZR MAXX or Samsung Galaxy S2. Razr MAXX is the upgraded version of Motorola Razr and has the biggest battery in a mobile phone giving it unmatched battery backup. Also the processor is clocked 200Mhz higher in MAXX.
In case you go for Galaxy S2, remember that there exist 2 Galaxy S2: I1900 and I1900G with the former powered by Samsung’s own Exynos processor and having ARM Mali 400MP (quad core) GPU which is much more powerful than SGX 540 and the latter having same SOC as Razr/Razr MAXX. Go for I1900 if you find one.
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ABOVE 30K:
Android Smartphone:
Position Mobile Operating System Display Resolution Camera Video Processor GPU Ram Internal Memory Price 1 Samsung Galaxy S III Android 4.0 4.8" Super AMOLED 720X1280 8MP + LED 1080p Samsung 4412 1.4Ghz QuadCore Mali 400MP (QuadCore) 1GB 16GB 34k 2 LG Optimus 4X HD Android 4.0 4.7" True HD-IPS 720X1280 8MP + LED 1080p Nvidia AP30H 1.5Ghz QuadCore ULP GeForce (12core) 1GB 12GB 31k 3 HTC One X Android 4.0 4.7" Super IPS LCD2 720X1280 8MP + LED 1080p Nvidia AP33H 1.5Ghz QuadCore ULP GeForce (12core) 1GB 26GB (non-expandable) 33.9k
This is the territory of the quads, android mobile powered by Quad Core processor. One 3 quad core Android mobiles are available here: HTC One X, LG Optimus 4X HD and Samsung Galaxy S3. So which one to get?
It all boils down to personal preference. S3 has the best display, processor (despite lower clocked) and camera. If you are ok with the looks, don’t give a second thought. Next is HTC One X and following HTC’s policy its bootloader is locked which means you can’t try custom rom directly like S3 or LG’s Optimus 4X HD. The difference between processor used in One X and 4X HD is AP30H has a lower clocked ULP GPU. HTC loses another point cause just like Sony, it too ship without any memory card slot but with 26GB NAND flash memory.
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ANDROID from INDIAN BRANDS:
PS: Not arranged in any definite manner. Mobile that packs best hardware made it to the list.
UNDER 5K:
Mobile Operating System Display Resolution Camera Processor GPU Ram Internal Memory Price Karbonn A5 Android 2.3 3.5" 320X480 2MP Qualcomm MSM7225A 800Mhz Adreno 200 (enchanced) 512MB 200MB 5.0k Micromax A57 Ninja 3 Android 2.3 3.5" 320X480 3MP Qualcomm MSM7225A 1Ghz Adreno 200 (enhanced) 256MB 130MB 4.6k
PS: Both of these mobiles are dual sim so ommitted the column.
FROM 5-10K:
LOWEND:
Mobile Operating System Display Resolution Camera Videocall Camera Dual Sim Processor GPU Ram Internal Memory Price Micromax A87 Android 2.3 4.0" 480X800 2 YES YES Qualcomm 1Ghz Adreno 200 256MB 130MB 5.8k Spice Mi 355 Android 2.3 3.5" 320X480 5 + LED YES YES Qualcomm MSM7225A 800Mhz Adreno 200 (enhanced) 512MB 140MB 6.3k
Originally the plan was to create a single table but none of the recommended mobile had price lower than 9k so made the table highend a second lowend table was created to make space for the cheaper ones.
HIGHEND:
Mobile Operating System Display Resolution Camera Videocall Camera Dual Sim Processor GPU Ram Internal Memory Price Karbonn A18 Android 4.0 4.3" IPS LCD 480X800 5 + LED YES YES MediaTek MT6575 1Ghz PowerVR SGX 531 512MB 2.5GB 9.5k Micromax A84 Android 2.3 4.0" IPS LCD 480X800 5 + LED YES YES 1Ghz -- 512MB 100MB 10k Spice Mi 425 Android 4.0 4.3" IPS LCD 480X800 5 + LED YES NO Qualcomm MSM7227A 1Ghz Adreno 200 (enhanced) 512MB 149MB 9.1k Micromax A100 Android 4.0 5.0" 480X854 5 + LED YES YES Qualcomm MSM7627A 1Ghz Adreno 200 (enhanced) 512MB 1.5GB 9.7k
The GPU on the A84 is missing but most likely the chipset is Qualcomm MSM7225A and GPU will be Adreno 200 at slightly higherclock. MMX A100 is not a good buy and is a special mention only as it packs really weak internals and even the display is of low quality and pixel per inch (ppi) is low making images look grainy.
ABOVE 10K:
Mobile Operating System Display Resolution Camera Video Videocall Camera Processor GPU Ram Internal Memory Price Micromax A90 Android 4.0 4.3" AMOLED 480X800 8MP + LED 480p YES MediaTek MT6575 1Ghz PowerVR SGX 531 512MB 2GB 13k
Remember this is not a best buy mobile at 13k. It carries "awesome" specs but not so awesome pricetag of 13k. Of course if you compare A 13k mobile from International brand mobile with this one, the former will take a whole lot of beating in features but this one have a damn lot of weak points like processor, internal memory, weak GPU, video recording hence is only for mention. DON'T BUY. Instead go for Xperia U or Xperia Ray. Or wait for dual core version of the same.
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