In keeping with April’s announcements, there is one word now being uttered more often than almost any other. In a country where such things don’t happen very frequently, accomplishments in any sector always seem to lift our spirits in some capacity or the other, whether that sector be cricket, tennis or in this case – telecom. They provide a tiny glimmer of hope which always means different things to different people. In April, that word was “3G”. Whether the utterer understood it’s meaning or it’s repercussions was irrelevant, just the fact that we now had something that we didn’t previously possess and the staggering costs associated with it were enough to make most of realize that something big was here – something we will soon NEED and not WANT.
To cater to this very upcoming need (and keeping the depth of the average Pakistani pocket in mind) TechJuice brings to you our compilation of the Top 10 Budget 3G Smartphones that the everyday Jamil and Jameela (read: Joe and Jane) should look at before making his (or her) decision. This list does in no means endorse these products entirely, nor does it attempt to decisively rate them – it is meant as a guide and whether one phone conquers the other depends on the unique usage each consumer presents. However, in the interest of transparency, the major factors we considered were: the subjective look and feel of the product, the reliability of the brand, the date of release and (of course) the prevalent market price. The prices mentioned are also subject to the location of the reader and the location of their purchase. Let’s get to it.
To be fair to both the big leagues and the little ones, we’ve divided the list into to sections.
The Big Leagues
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2:
Samsung’s Dual-sim offering caters to a lower-end niche with 768MBs of RAM, Dual-core 1.2 GHz processing, a 4-inch TFT touch-screen and rear-camera with a 5 MP lens.
This modest offering is available around the bracket of PKR 16,000 in most markets within Pakistan.
Sony Xperia SP
The year old Xperia SP comes up next. The SP boasts a 1.7 GHz Snapdragon processor along with 1 GB of RAM and a Sony endorsed 8MP camera along with 8 GB’s of internal memory and present upgradeability to Android 4.3 with plans to go up to 4.4 (KitKat) which is the latest version of Android.
An added feature of this phone is Sony’s unique android experience and the legendary ruggedness of their Android devices. The smooth, swift UI doesn’t hurt either. If style is your thing, the SP was made for you.
This Xperia entry falls in at around PKR 25,000.
Motorola Moto G
Now on this list, the device made for every hand, the Motorola Moto G. Packing a quad-core 1.2 Ghz chip, 1 GB RAM, a 5 MP camera with 720p recording and with KitKat out-of-the-box, Motorola has shipped out the hottest selling budget smartphone of 2014. Heavily recommended in reviews, this smartphone is perfect for those of you who want all of the goodness without any of the greatness. The makers of the Moto G had only one question in mind: “Is it crucial?” If the answer was a yes within two seconds, it goes in; if not, it’s a goner. As if that wasn’t enough, catering to the never ending struggle to decide your network, the Moto G offers you dual-sim capabilities.
Probably the most surprising aspect of this phone is the jaw-dropping price, you can get your hands on your own brand new Moto G for a meager PKR 23,000. Don’t run away to grab one yet, there’s more.
Galaxy Grand Neo
Moving back in to the big leagues, Samsung brings us the 5-inch Galaxy Grand Neo. Quad-core 1.2GHz, 1 GB RAM, an industry-standard TFT Capacitive display, Android 4.2 and Dual-SIM. It’s got everything and more. If screen size is a factor for you, the Grand Neo is they way to go.
The Grand Neo, despite its 140g weight and impressive size is astoundingly light on the pocket coming in at PKR 23,500.
Samsung Galaxy S3
Finally, although another moderately outdated feature, the Samsung Galaxy S3 falls in at a solid PKR 30,000.
Released in May 2012 and featuring an amazing Super AMOLED display, this gargantuan release completely radicalized the phone market at the time it hit the market. With over the top features like smart-stay and a 4.8 inch screen. 1 GB RAM, extendable storage, 8 MP on the back and 1.9 MP on the front. Upgradeable to Jelly Bean 4.3, and powered by a quad-core monster Cortex A9 packing a massive 1.4 GHz. Its really doesn’t get much better in the budget 3G market. The S3 continues to remain the phone to hold.
The Little Leagues
Q Mobile I9:
QMobile continues to astound bringing us as a dual-sim offering packing 1 GB RAM, a 5-inch HD screen and 1.3 GHz of power backed by a quad-core processor with the I9. Add to that all sorts of connectivity options and an 8MP camera in the back and 2 MP in the front and you have a delicious PKR 16,500 package in your hands.
Q Mobile A900i:
The A900i only minutely adds to the cost go the I9 but gives you upgrades in the form of an extra 4 GB’s of internal storage bringing the total up to 8 GB packed inside. It also offer’s a qHD screen which, despite being 0.3” smaller than that of the I9 in simply a beauty to be adored all the while adding to the battery life of the device in hand. As a reminder, this present comes with a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor and 1 GB of RAM with two camera of 8 MP and 2 MP respectively.
Price: PKR 17,200
Huawei Honor 3C
The Honor 3C is Huawei’s budget monster. Everything from the 2 GB of RAM to the 8 GB of internal memory and the 1.3 GHz quad-core processor has been utilised to make this phone high-end. Aside from the above. The 3C also offers dual-sim and two camera’s of 8 MP and 5 MP. Honestly, for PKR 22,500, what more could our Jamil want?
Voice Xtreme V70
A modest offering by Voice brings 4 GBs of internal storage, 1 GB of RAM, a quad-core 1.2 GHz processor and two camera with a whopping 12 MP in the back (backed by LED flash) and 3 MP in the front. Voice has upped it’s game with the dual-sim V70. Good going Voice, good going.
The V70 is priced at PKR 19,300.
Q Mobile Quatro Z3:
Finally, our last slot is filled by potentially the best budget-offering available from within the little leagues. The beautiful Quatro Z3. The Quatro not only has a 1.5 GHz quad-powered core, it also has a countless further array of features including (but NOT limited to) a gigabyte of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, a 4.8” Super AMOLED display, and the QMobile standard camera of 8 MP in the back but a surprisingly over-the-top 5 MP in the front. Despite all of this, the Z3 caps it price at a very meagre PKR 23,500. Quite a lot of juice for a reasonable amount of paper.
In conclusion, we would want our readers to note that since the mobile computing industry is probably one of the most exponentially growing and developing sections of modern day, it’s very possible that we might have missed a few smartphone with amazing potential. It’s also possible that a smartphone you had in mind simply did not make the cut. Either way, do not hesitate to drop a comment below mentioning phones that you believe are worth detailing to the public and we’ll be glad to make further amendments and references within the article to the rest of our readers.
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