These smartphones look set to excite some budget buyers with what they have to offer, scoring high in several respects. They are basically the same as the Xiaomi Redmi 3, safe for a different CPU and newer software, amongst a handful of changes.

Mi

Design and Display

The Xiaomi Redmi 3S shows off somewhat premium design being crafted out of metal. It is built to fit nicely into your hands with a thickness that is about 10% lower than that of the Redmi 2. The smartphone tips the scale at a manageable 144 grams. It will be available in gold, silver and dark grey colours. On the front is a 5-megapixel IPS display with an HD resolution of 720 x 1,280 pixels.

Camera and Storage

For image capturing, the Xiaomi Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime are equipped with a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. This is arguably the best combo you can expect on a phone in their price segment. The main shooter boasts autofocus, face detection and Full HD (1,080p) video recording capability. You get 16 GB of onboard storage on the regular variant and 32 GB on the Prime model. Storage is expandable by up to 128 GB using a microSD card.

Performance and OS

These budget Xiaomi phones are driven by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor that is paired with an Adreno 505 GPU. This is a reliable configuration for enjoyable performance, although the CPU is clocked at just 1.1 GHz. RAM of 2GB capacity and 3GB capacity will be available on the Xiaomi Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime respectively. They boot Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system.

Sundry Specs and Features

A key selling point of the Redmi 3S devices is a humongous battery with a capacity of 4,100 mAh and rated to support up to two-day use on a charge. The Prime version also adds a fingerprint sensor for an extra layer of security. The phones support dual-SIM (Micro + Nano) functionality as well as 4G LTE connectivity. It should be noted that one of the two SIM slots doubles as a microSD card slot.

Pricing and Availability

At a price of Rs. 6,999 in India, there is no arguing Xiaomi Redmi 3S delivers good value. You should expect an amount in the range N30,000-N40,000 in Nigeria at that rate. The Redmi 3S Prime will set you back by an amount in the range N35,000-N46,000. GSMArena reports the first 90,000 units of the Prime made available were sold out in just eight minutes. The first sale of the regular Redmi 3S is scheduled for August 17, on which the higher-end model is also expected to be available again.

Xiaomi Redmi 3S at a Glance

– Metal body
– 5″ HD IPS display
– 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras
– 1.1GHz, octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 CPU
– 2GB/3GB RAM
– 16GB/32GB onboard storage
– 4,100mAh battery
– Optional fingerprint scanner
– 4G LTE
– Dual SIM

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LG

Build and Display

The range in which the LG K3 falls is not one where you’d usually expect to see awesome-looking smartphones. It is no surprise from this perspective, therefore, to see it sporting a plastic body. The phone adds a bit of appeal with curved edges. It is fitted with a 4.5-inch display having an FWVGA resolution of 480 x 854 pixels. This is an IPS panel, so you may not be wrong to expect manageable wide viewing angles.

Camera and Storage

The primary camera on the K3 has a resolution of 5 megapixels which is a hallmark of budget devices. It is supported by LED flash. You get a measly VGA (0.3-megapixel) front-facing camera for selfies. However, the selfie snapper uses screen lighting to enable you take decent shots in poorly-lit settings. You can take sequence selfies by simply making hand gestures, thanks to a Gesture Interval Shot feature. Onboard storage capacity stands at 8 GB and you will be able to expand this by another 32 GB using a microSD card.

Performance and OS

The LG K3 is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor clocked at 1.1 GHz. The chip is backed by 1 GB of RAM. This one is indeed decked out to satisfy mostly entry-level users. What is most interesting about this budget smartphone is that it runs off Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system. This means you can expect to enjoy some features available on significantly more-expensive devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 and its rugged Active variant.

Sundry Features

A 1,940mAh battery supplies juice to the LG K3. While this juicer might not look awesome, in terms of what to expect in battery life, it is a good thing that it will be replaceable. But then, estimated battery life of 14 hours is not really bad. The phone offers users lightning-fast 4G LTE connectivity for seamless browsing and content streaming. It comes with the usual connectivity features, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Pricing and Availability

The LG K3 has been released in the United States for Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile. It sells at a price of $80. It is unclear if the smartphone will be sold outside the U.S. You should expect to pay a price around N25,000-N30,000 to have a unit in Nigeria by whatever means. At that price, rival offerings such as the Meizu m3 may be said to provide better value for money.

LG K3 at a Glance

– 4.5″ FWVGA IPS display
– 5MP rear and 0.3MP front cameras
– 1.1GHz, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 CPU
– 1GB RAM
– 8GB expandable storage
– 1,940mAh battery
– 4G LTE support

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UberGizmo

Design and Display

Although featuring a chassis made of plastic, the Liquid Zest does look attractive for a device aimed at the budget buyer. It is given a premium feel with a brushed metal finish on the rear. The compact smartphone has nicely curved edges and looks slim.

The Acer Liquid Zest sports a 5-inch On-Cell Touch display with a resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels for a pixel density of approximately 294 ppi. Given this is an IPS panel, users are in for enjoyable wide-angle viewing. The screen features Zero Air Gap technology to enable you see clearly under sunlight. It also uses Acer BluelightShield allowing users regulate the amount of blue light they are exposed to.

Camera and Storage

You can capture the exciting times in images using the decent 8-megapixel primary camera with LED flash and exposure control. The Acer Liquid Zest also offers a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter with an 85-degree lens for wide-angle selfies. It will reportedly have 32 GB of onboard storage, which will actually be highly generous if true. The storage will be expandable using a microSD card.

Power and Performance

The Acer Liquid Zest will be powered by a quad-core MediaTek processor, which is clocked at 1.3 GHz for the 3G variant and 1.1 GHz for the 4G model. It will come with 1.5GB of RAM to enable more enjoyable performance for an affordable smartphone. Buyers will also be excited to learn that the Liquid Zest runs on the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system, which is quite cool.

Sundry Features

Do you love playing games on your device? The Acer Liquid Zest has you covered. Its two models come with Acer GameZone preloaded for awesome gaming experience. You can enjoy access to some of the most popular games around and even record sessions to share with your friends.

Superb sound is also part of the package. The 3G model of the Liquid Zest will feature DTS Sound Studio, while the 4G offering will come with DTS HD Premium Sound. The summary of this is that you should expect audible and clear sound when gaming or watching movies.

Pricing and Availability

For all the Acer Liquid Zest has to offer, the 3G model will sell for just €109 and the 4G version for €149. This puts the prices in the ranges N24,000-N35,000 and N33,000-N50,000 respectively, going by the current exchange rate situation in the country. Interested buyers will be able to get the Liquid Zest starting in April and the Liquid Zest 4G from May. But if you know someone in China, the Xiaomi Redmi 3 offers even a better bargain.

Acer Liquid Zest Specs at a Glance

– 5” HD IPS display with On-Cell Touch technology and Acer BluelightShield
– 8MP rear and 5MP front cameras
– 1.1GHz or 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor
– 1.5GB RAM
– Expandable storage
– Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS
– Optional 4G LTE
– DTS Studio Sound/DTS HD Premium Sound
– Acer GameZone

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GSMArena

Design and Display

Amazingly for a smartphone this affordable, the Xiaomi Redmi 3 parades an aluminium body. It measures 8.5 millimetres in thickness and 144 grams in weight, with the textured rear making for comfortable grip. The phone comes in gold, silver and grey colour variants. It sports a 5-inch IPS LCD display with an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels – outdone by the Full HD resolution offered by the Lemon 3. The screen should still deliver enjoyable wide-angle viewing nevertheless.

Camera and Storage

The Xiaomi Redmi 3 comes with a powerful 13-megapixel snapper on the rear. This camera with an f/2.0 aperture features LED flash and phase detection autofocus for spectacular shots, at least on paper. It can shoot Full HD (1080p) videos at 30 frames per second. There is a wide-angle 5-megapixel selfie camera, which is also capable of Full HD video recording. You get generous 16 GB of onboard storage memory, extendable by up to 128 GB via the microSD card slot.

Power and Performance

On the inside, the Xiaomi Redmi 3 packs an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor clocked at a speed of 1.5 GHz. Although the chip is a bit dated, it should still support better performance than what can usually be expected at this price point, especially when you consider the 2 GB of RAM on board. The smartphone boots Android 5.1 Lollipop software, with Xiaomi’s MIUI 7.0 skin on top. It will be accompanied by a jaw-dropping 4,100mAh Li-Ion battery that should get it running for many hours – this unit beats the 2,750mAh juicer on the Lenovo Lemon 3 out of the water.

Sundry Features

The Xiaomi Redmi 3 is a dual-SIM device, with one of its SIM slots doubling as a microSD card slot. You will be able to enjoy blazing-fast data connection speeds on this smartphone as it is 4G LTE-enabled. Connectivity features also include microUSB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.1 with A2DP, 3G and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with Wi-Fi Direct and hotspot. GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS and BDS are all available for finding your bearing from place to place.

Pricing and Availability

This phone delivers great value as it is reportedly priced at 699 Yuan, same as the Lemon 3, putting the price in Nigeria in the range N21,000-N30,000 after conversion, depending on the source of exchange rate. But, as is common with Chinese companies when pushing out tantalizingly-priced devices, the Xiaomi Redmi 3 currently sells only in the Asian country, but it can be bought online.

Highlights

– Metal body
– 5-inch HD IPS display
– 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras
– 1.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor
– 2GB RAM
– 16GB onboard storage with 128GB microSD card support
– Android 5.1 Lollipop with MIUI 7.0
– 4,100mAh battery
– Dual SIM
– LTE

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Microsoft

Design and Display

Microsoft Lumia 550 features a plastic body, which is just what you would expect to see on a budget-focused device. It is neither the slimmest nor the lightest smartphone you have seen at 9.9 mm and 142 g respectively. The phone packs a 4.7-inch LCD display with an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels for a pixel density of 314 pixels per inch, making for relatively enjoyable gaming and movie watching.

Camera and Storage

The phone comes with a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, autofocus and other features and settings to enable you capture great images. The snapper can be used to record HD (720p) videos at 30 frames per second. You will also get a budget-class 2-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video chats. Onboard storage on the Lumia 550 is 8 GB, extendable by up to 200 GB via the microSD card slot.

Performance and Operating system

Kitted with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor, Microsoft Lumia 550 will deliver a level of performance that ranks among the better by an entry-level smartphone. The processor is paired with a measly 1 GB of RAM which somewhat limits the level of multitasking you should expect the device to handle. One of the more interesting things about the phone is that it will boot the latest Windows 10 Mobile operating system from its maker. What this means is that you will be able to enjoy access to exciting features such as the digital personal assistant Cortana.

Sundry Features

Microsoft Lumia 550 packs a powerful 2100mAh battery, which is rated to deliver up to 17 hours of talk time or an impressive 28 days of standby time. It gives you access to latest Office apps and comes with the new Microsoft Edge browser. The phone also offers super-fast 4G LTE support on compatible networks. Connectivity options also include microUSB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.1, 3G and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with hotspot.

Pricing and Availability

It appears Microsoft will debut its new budget smartphone in European markets from December. Microsoft Lumia 550 will be available in markets elsewhere in 2016. It will command a price of $139, equivalent to around N28,000-N32,000 in Nigeria.

HIGHLIGHTS

– 4.7-inch HD LCD display
– 5MP rear and 2MP front cameras
– Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor
– 1GB RAM
– 8GB storage with microSD card slot
– Windows 10 Mobile OS
– 2100mAh battery
– 4G LTE

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