Having worked in the technology sector for years, a good part of my circle of family, friends and acquaintances They often ask me for advice on changing their cell phone.. While I always encourage you to value other opinions, I also try to reaffirm my own based on my experience testing cell phones over the years, especially in the entry-level range.
Recommending a high-end terminal is relatively simple because today almost all options are valid. But choosing an affordable mobile phone is more complicated. And here I am clear on three things. That, yes or yes, you have to have a cheap phone for me to recommend it.
Android Go should be a must-have
Image: Google
We assume that anyone looking for an affordable mobile phone already gives up on having the best, either for budget reasons or because You don’t want or need anything else.
Android Go is the natural replacement for Android One, a simplified version of Android with equally lightweight applicationssuch as Google Go, Google Maps Go or YouTube Go. These are applications that provide the most important things, eliminating some more superfluous functions or those that require more powerful hardware.
I was able to try phones that were very limited in hardware with the manufacturer’s own layers that, despite attempts to lighten them, They turn the experience into absolute chaos.. I won’t deny that Android Go might lack more customization options, but everything works fine.
Fortunately, more and more manufacturers are betting on Android Go, this system in their economic ranges. Xiaomi, Realme and Nokia These are just a few examples, although not all of their phones offer Android Go, so it’s important to pay attention to them.
4GB of RAM is the minimum barrier
You might think it’s a bit contradictory to ask for Android Go and then 4GB of RAM, but nothing could be further from the truth. 4GB is already the standard for many mobile phones, although my experience has shown me that sometimes it’s not enough to successfully manage resources software. So the combination of 4GB and Android Go is ideal.
There are no phones with Android Go and more RAM. And if they do, I’ve never come across them. The problem is that there are too many smartphones with Android Go and less amount of RAM. We’re not even talking about 2GB, we could get by with 3GB, but it’s worth going to 4GB.
USB-C port and with charging over 10W
Luckily for everyone, since this year, the EU already requires all smartphones (and other devices) to be equipped with USB-C in Europe. And this obviously also affects Android manufacturers, who They didn’t have that standardized charging port. in the economic field until recently.
Many manufacturers continued to choose integrate Micro USB on their entry-level cell phones until last year. So if you’re thinking about buying a phone before 2023, check that it doesn’t come with Micro USB, an outdated and less universal standard that loses versatility, transfer speed, and… yes, charging speed.
There are also models that implement USB-C, but in a layered standard that prevents having Fast charging greater than 10W. Considering that the batteries have, on average, a capacity of 5,000 mAh, recharging becomes excessively slow. A minimum of 2 hours is guaranteed. If you charge it at night, it’s not a problem, but if you’re in a hurry, it can be a problem. A minimum of 25 to 30 W is recommended.
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