Under the umbrella of affordability: 5 smartphones under $100

The Chinese company Lenovo has a strong position in the market of low-cost smartphones. The laurels of one of its most affordable products are given to the A Plus model — an ultra-low-cost mobile gadget running Android 5.1 OS.

The textured plastic case of the smartphone fits tenaciously in any hand. And it's not even about the embossed shape of the back cover, but about the optimal size of the device — the 4.5" diagonal is one of the most convenient to use. There are wide frames around the screen, which cannot be called its decoration. The display itself is built on the basis of a TFT matrix with its inherent features in the form of unimportant viewing angles and fading of the image when direct sunlight hits the screen.

Despite the modest hardware (MediaTek MT6580M processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal memory and Mali-400 graphics accelerator), the smartphone gives good performance — everyday tasks are given to it without complaints at all, and there are slowdowns in games. Nevertheless, Asphalt 8 runs on Lenovo A Plus with maximum graphics settings. As an example, we can also cite the popular game World of Tanks Blitz — on the basic parameters, the frame rate in it confidently stays at around 25-35 fps.

I am glad that the manufacturer has allocated separate slots for each SIM card and an external drive (microSD flash drive). Some will also like the possibility of replacing the battery — an alternative to using power banks. And what potential buyers will definitely like is the presence of a headset in the package. For some reason, this useful accessory has ceased to be a mandatory attribute of the configuration of modern smartphones.

Lenovo A Plus is the optimal low-cost solution for surfing the web, communicating in messengers, consuming video content, simple gaming and performing the main function of the phone — receiving and making voice calls.

The 5-inch representative of the Asus family of low-cost smartphones has absorbed the best design features of the model popular in the past Asus Zenfone 5 16 GB . Therefore, the appearance of the mobile gadget will appeal to many.

The model is based on a 4-core entry-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 chip, which is inexpensive, but shows good performance results when performing simple tasks. In addition, a good optimization of the ZenUI proprietary shell, rolled over Android 5.1 OS, in most cases eliminates lags and interface slowdowns during smartphone use. But you don't really need to count on the opportunity to spend time in front of the model's screen playing games.

An inexpensive smartphone needs a simple screen. The resolution of the display is only 854x480 pixels, and its viewing angles cannot please with the ability to read information while looking at the screen at an angle. But it turned out not to be very voracious in terms of energy consumption, thanks to which the charge of the built-in battery with a capacity of 2600 mAh is usually enough for 1.5-2 days of full-fledged operation of the gadget.

The main and front camera modules of the smartphone have a resolution of 8 and 2 MP, respectively. But if with the help of a rear camera you can still get a high-quality result when shooting in good light conditions, then the front camera frankly does not shine with detail and quality of pictures. However, there are enough features for Skype communication with relatives and friends.

Asus ZenFone Go is surprisingly fast and has decent build quality. You can recommend it for purchase to those who are looking for a universal and affordable solution for making calls, checking mail and communicating in social networks. Also, a smartphone can be a good option for older people who are eager to get to know modern technologies more closely.

LG K7 is a low-cost employee from a well—known brand with good build quality and attractive appearance. Perhaps, at this point, praising epithets for the smartphone could no longer be given, but let's take a look at it in more detail.

The low-cost of the phone gives out a plastic case and wide frames around the display, whose resolution at a diagonal of 5" is only 854x480 pixels. The lower part of the screen is also selected by the navigation keys. Moreover, the updated version of the smartphone in the face of LG K7 2017 8 GB / 1 GB the display resolution remained at the same level, which is clearly not enough for 2017.

The hardware platform of the smartphone is based on the Mediatek MT6580M processor operating at a frequency of 1.3 GHz in conjunction with 1 GB of RAM. Heavy games on such hardware will not go well, but with the performance of everyday tasks (launching undemanding applications, navigation, etc.), the hardware handles at a decent level, providing a nimble responsiveness of the Android 5.1 shell interface. The performance of the model according to the results of synthetic tests is estimated at 24K points in the AnTuTu application, which corresponds to the typical level of low-cost devices.

Of the total 8 GB of memory in the built-in data storage, about 3.2 GB is allocated to the user. But you should not be upset with such a small volume, since the smartphone supports the installation of microSD memory cards with a maximum capacity of up to 32 GB. The slot for the drive is hidden under the back cover, and a removable battery is also installed under it.

According to the good old tradition of LG, the volume control rockers and the gadget off key are located on the back of the smartphone. Above them you can see the module of the main camera, the resolution of which is 8 MP. Nevertheless, the main focus is not on it, but on the front camera with advanced capabilities for taking selfies. Both photo modules allow you to get a high-quality result when shooting in fairly good lighting conditions, with their deterioration, the detail of the images decreases. However, this feature is common to all low-cost-class devices, so it is not a criterion for choosing an inexpensive smartphone. In general, nothing bad can be said about the LG K7 — it will fully fit for undemanding tasks.

The model with the index 4a is the most affordable representative of the fourth generation of the Redmi line. For the sake of low cost, the smartphone has lost some useful equipment, for example, a fingerprint scanner. But this did not affect the overall performance of the model in any way.

The display and camera of Xiaomi Redmi 4a have no differences from the older representatives of the family. The 5-inch HD screen gets a well-deserved plus for excellent colour rendering quality, and the cameras on board the device can be safely recorded in the squad of strong middle—class people — they do not provide anything outstanding, but they do their job very well. The average score the phone also earns in performance tests is 36K. The "points" in AnTuTu serve as a vivid confirmation of this. In fact, this assessment turns into good responsiveness, smooth operation of the interface and the ability to launch modern games (although not at the maximum graphics parameters).

An entry-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chip is installed in the heart of the smartphone. More details about the class division of mobile processors are described in the framework of the material"With which processor to buy a smartphone or tablet?". A distinctive feature of the chip used is the support of Quick Charge 2.0 fast charging technology. However, for some reason the Chinese manufacturer did not bother to put the appropriate charger in the box with the phone.

The hardware of the gadget is hidden under a plastic shell of good build quality — creaks and backlashes are not terrible for the smartphone case. There is also a battery with a slightly reduced capacity compared to the other models of the line — 3120 mAh.Thanks to excellent optimization, the battery charge lasts for 2 full days of not too active phone operation.

The minor shortcomings of the model can be written down except that the lack of illumination of the navigation touch keys. This disadvantage is more than covered by the presence of an IR port for controlling home appliances (for example, a TV or air conditioning). In its price category, serious competition for a smartphone can be made by units (in particular, Meizu M5 16 GB / 2 GB ), therefore, the label "thunderstorms of state employees" was glued to Xiaomi Redmi 4a at the time of the announcement. And the model corresponds to this title at the root.

The parade of announcements of new products from the Chinese company Meizu went on at sunset in 2016 in an almost endless stream. One of the novelties of that time was a state employee with the M5 model index — a copy of the popular smartphone Meizu M3s 16 GB / 2 GB according to the hardware, but enclosed in a plastic case instead of a metal one and having a screen size grown to 5.2".

The new diagonal did not affect the display resolution — it remained at the same level as its predecessor (1280x720 pixels). The top of the screen is covered with 2.5D glass, which gives the smartphone an elegant appearance and makes it more convenient to grip it in the hand. Another nice feature of the display is the support for fine adjustment of the colour temperature, which makes it possible to set its value according to your own preferences.

Traditionally for Meizu smartphones, a multifunctional touch-mechanical mTouch key combined with a fingerprint scanner is located under the screen. You can also unlock the gadget by double-tapping on the display (by pre-selecting the specified parameter in the settings). The remaining mechanical buttons are on the right side, and in some instances of the smartphone they are slightly backlash.

The model scores a little more than 40K points in the AnTuTu test, the merit of which lies on the shoulders of the Mediatek MT6750 processor, working in conjunction with 2 GB of RAM. A more advanced modification of the smartphone carries 3/32 GB of memory on its board. From a practical point of view, the performance of the Meizu M5 is more than enough to perform all the usual tasks and simple gaming.

Among the strengths of the model, you can additionally record good sound quality in headphones and an abundance of body colours. The brightest colours are made in gloss, so handling them requires caution. Otherwise, the case will quickly be covered with small scratches. As a result, the Meizu M5 appears to the public in the role of a balanced entry-level smartphone with decent work speed and a fingerprint sensor on board, which is extremely rare in the family of state employees.