Budget Android phones aren't actually all bad (and they're getting better)
In the early days, there was almost no point in taking a photo with a budget Android phone unless you needed to prove something had happened -- the resolution and noise of any image would be garbage.
While I've primarily been an iPhone user for the past decade — my daily driver is an iPhone 16 Pro — I cut my teeth on Android phones.
Initially, I was hesitant even to spend money on a smartphone, but I quickly realised I was being left behind, and Android phones were the most affordable option.
My first smartphone was a budget LG model. It was slow, with a tiny amount of storage, and wouldn't run many of the apps other Android phones could handle.
But the times are a-changin'.
I had a hard time picking a favourite among them -- not so much because I didn't know the hardware, but because most of them would've been fine for her needs.
It struck me that the budget world has come a long way, even if you still need to be cautious or flexible about what "budget" means.
Camera quality
For many, many years, buying a budget Android phone was a risky proposition. Decent ones did exist, but regardless, you were usually making some sort of serious compromise. As with my old LG phone, you could end up with a slow processor and too little RAM, which would make it difficult or impossible to use the latest apps. Indeed, I don't think I ever used Google Maps on a phone until I bought one of the first Google Nexus devices.
For the first year or so after moving to Texas, I had to use a dedicated Garmin GPS unit that my parents had let me borrow.
Storage was usually less of a concern, but only because microSD slots were still commonplace. Some devices were outright unusable without an expansion card, and even once internal storage improved, there was still a chance you'd need to transfer photos, music, or even secondary apps to a card to keep things practical.
The thing that sticks out most in my mind is camera quality.
In the early days, there was almost no point in taking a photo with a budget Android phone unless you needed to prove something had happened -- the resolution and noise of any image would be garbage.
Things improved, of course, but there was still a long era during which you couldn't count on decent photos or video unless the lighting were perfect. Even the two Nexus phones I owned did a miserable job at recording nighttime concerts.
Budget Android phones have become more affordable for several reasons: economies of scale and phone makers addressing fundamental problems. In the early days, new flagship phones pushed the limits of design to address complaints as much as impress people -- buyers weren't always satisfied with durability or cellular bandwidth, let alone processor power, RAM, or photo sharpness.
Sales of those more expensive phones paved the way for their parts (or versions of those parts) to be cheaper to produce for lesser models, bringing upgrades with each new flagship generation.
The result is that even the Samsung A16, one of Samsung's most affordable devices, features a 6.7-inch OLED display, an eight-core processor, a 50-megapixel primary camera, and 128GB of internal storage.
You do have to pay extra for a 5G version, but even the 4G model should handle apps like Instagram and Google Maps without much trouble. Hypothetically, the base A16 can download at speeds of up to 400Mbps, which is sufficient for multiple 4K video streams.
Less likely to break
Simply put, processors, storage, durability, and cellular technology have advanced far enough that you're only likely to encounter trouble with a budget Android phone under specific circumstances. You shouldn't expect to play console-quality 3D games on one, for example, but many lighter 3D titles should play just fine.
I'd also insist on something better for telephoto shots, or low-light photos and video, but you might not even notice the difference versus my iPhone 16 Pro when it comes to shooting in sunlight or well-lit rooms.
Flexibility is really what you're paying for with modern flagships.
My 16 Pro can handle the most demanding apps, including generative AI, and its cameras are good enough to make low-light photos and videos worth taking, although still a little shaky when using the telephoto or ultra-wide sensors.
If I somehow get lost in the woods, it can send messages via satellite, and it's less likely to break if I drop it on a hard surface or in water. You may also receive perks such as faster refresh rates or improved outdoor visibility.
You should still be wary when buying a budget device, naturally. If your phone is your only camera, it's going to be incredibly disappointing if you discover that you botched recording a memory because of a noisy sensor, say, or because you couldn't zoom in far enough.
In terms of performance, budget phones are more likely to fall short of "acceptable" within a few years, as both apps and Android itself continue to advance.
Takeaway
More features tend to mean more intense processor and RAM requirements.
Some products on sale today will never get any integrated (generative) AI features beyond the most basic version of Google Gemini, if that much.
The safer decision is often to spend a little more money on a mid-range phone.
There's a growing blur in what constitutes a "budget" phone, in fact -- at $500, the Galaxy A56 5G isn't exactly cheap, but it's still $300 less than the Galaxy S25, and $800 less than the S25 Ultra.
I think many people would set the budget threshold at $300 or lower, but that might not be as feasible as it once was. Smartphones are becoming increasingly complex, and prices are rising across the entire tech industry.
Ultimately, then, it's still important to read reviews and buy the best you can afford within your budget if you want something to last a while.
The takeaway is that you're much less likely to get stuck with a lemon in 2025 than you were in 2015.
https://www.pocket-lint.com
Initially, I was hesitant even to spend money on a smartphone, but I quickly realised I was being left behind, and Android phones were the most affordable option.
My first smartphone was a budget LG model. It was slow, with a tiny amount of storage, and wouldn't run many of the apps other Android phones could handle.
But the times are a-changin'.
I had a hard time picking a favourite among them -- not so much because I didn't know the hardware, but because most of them would've been fine for her needs.
It struck me that the budget world has come a long way, even if you still need to be cautious or flexible about what "budget" means.
Camera quality
For many, many years, buying a budget Android phone was a risky proposition. Decent ones did exist, but regardless, you were usually making some sort of serious compromise. As with my old LG phone, you could end up with a slow processor and too little RAM, which would make it difficult or impossible to use the latest apps. Indeed, I don't think I ever used Google Maps on a phone until I bought one of the first Google Nexus devices.
For the first year or so after moving to Texas, I had to use a dedicated Garmin GPS unit that my parents had let me borrow.
Storage was usually less of a concern, but only because microSD slots were still commonplace. Some devices were outright unusable without an expansion card, and even once internal storage improved, there was still a chance you'd need to transfer photos, music, or even secondary apps to a card to keep things practical.
The thing that sticks out most in my mind is camera quality.
In the early days, there was almost no point in taking a photo with a budget Android phone unless you needed to prove something had happened -- the resolution and noise of any image would be garbage.
Things improved, of course, but there was still a long era during which you couldn't count on decent photos or video unless the lighting were perfect. Even the two Nexus phones I owned did a miserable job at recording nighttime concerts.
Budget Android phones have become more affordable for several reasons: economies of scale and phone makers addressing fundamental problems. In the early days, new flagship phones pushed the limits of design to address complaints as much as impress people -- buyers weren't always satisfied with durability or cellular bandwidth, let alone processor power, RAM, or photo sharpness.
Sales of those more expensive phones paved the way for their parts (or versions of those parts) to be cheaper to produce for lesser models, bringing upgrades with each new flagship generation.
The result is that even the Samsung A16, one of Samsung's most affordable devices, features a 6.7-inch OLED display, an eight-core processor, a 50-megapixel primary camera, and 128GB of internal storage.
You do have to pay extra for a 5G version, but even the 4G model should handle apps like Instagram and Google Maps without much trouble. Hypothetically, the base A16 can download at speeds of up to 400Mbps, which is sufficient for multiple 4K video streams.
Less likely to break
Simply put, processors, storage, durability, and cellular technology have advanced far enough that you're only likely to encounter trouble with a budget Android phone under specific circumstances. You shouldn't expect to play console-quality 3D games on one, for example, but many lighter 3D titles should play just fine.
I'd also insist on something better for telephoto shots, or low-light photos and video, but you might not even notice the difference versus my iPhone 16 Pro when it comes to shooting in sunlight or well-lit rooms.
Flexibility is really what you're paying for with modern flagships.
My 16 Pro can handle the most demanding apps, including generative AI, and its cameras are good enough to make low-light photos and videos worth taking, although still a little shaky when using the telephoto or ultra-wide sensors.
If I somehow get lost in the woods, it can send messages via satellite, and it's less likely to break if I drop it on a hard surface or in water. You may also receive perks such as faster refresh rates or improved outdoor visibility.
You should still be wary when buying a budget device, naturally. If your phone is your only camera, it's going to be incredibly disappointing if you discover that you botched recording a memory because of a noisy sensor, say, or because you couldn't zoom in far enough.
In terms of performance, budget phones are more likely to fall short of "acceptable" within a few years, as both apps and Android itself continue to advance.
Takeaway
More features tend to mean more intense processor and RAM requirements.
Some products on sale today will never get any integrated (generative) AI features beyond the most basic version of Google Gemini, if that much.
The safer decision is often to spend a little more money on a mid-range phone.
There's a growing blur in what constitutes a "budget" phone, in fact -- at $500, the Galaxy A56 5G isn't exactly cheap, but it's still $300 less than the Galaxy S25, and $800 less than the S25 Ultra.
I think many people would set the budget threshold at $300 or lower, but that might not be as feasible as it once was. Smartphones are becoming increasingly complex, and prices are rising across the entire tech industry.
Ultimately, then, it's still important to read reviews and buy the best you can afford within your budget if you want something to last a while.
The takeaway is that you're much less likely to get stuck with a lemon in 2025 than you were in 2015.
https://www.pocket-lint.com
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