If you’ve shopped for a budget phone recently, you know just how challenging an undertaking it can be. While most phones around the $200 mark aren’t exactly best-in-class, some manage to surpass expectations — but they can be tough to find. To make things easier, we rounded up the best budget phones of 2017. Here’s a list of our top three picks.
Our criteria for the best “budget” smartphone
Picking the year’s best smartphones is a lot easier if money’s no object, but most folks don’t have that luxury — nor does it make sense to spend $500+ for a phone when you can smartly shop the budget phone category, save a lot of money, and have a really great phone for years to come. To help make this decision easier, we developed a three-prong methodology to whittle down the list.
We looked for phones that punched above their weight class:
- They had to deliver on value. Our picks offer compelling features for their price brackets. Whether that means an innovative design or a wealth of accessories, these devices distinguished themselves from the rest. We tried to find phones that sell for around $200 brand-new.
- They had to have a supportive community. Our selections are more than just great products in and of themselves. XDA’s all about community and development, and we chose the phones that are supported by passionate developers and development teams. These phones, regardless of OEM support, are likely to enjoy software updates and mods for years to come thanks to a strong development community, and it’s always nice to have the option to change ROMs or get root access.
- They had to have great hardware. We chose phones that offer fantastic hardware for the money. They’re not packing run-of-the-mill processors from an off-brand you’ve never heard of; they’ve got solid specs, translating to amazing performance whether you’re running multiple apps or playing the latest games. Additionally, all of these phones are made with premium materials, so they feel great in the hand.
Runner-up 1
MOTO G5S PLUS
Motorola Moto G5S Plus smartphone was launched in August 2017. The phone comes with a 5.50-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels. Motorola Moto G5S Plus
The Motorola Moto G5S Plus is powered by 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and it comes with 4GB of RAM. The phone packs 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Motorola Moto G5S Plus packs a 13-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 8-megapixel front shooter for selfies.
KEY INFO
- Launched on December, 2017
- Price –
- India : 13,999.00 INR
- USA : $ 229.00 (Standard Version)
HIGHLIGHT
- 2.0GHz Snapdragon 625 Octa-Core Processor
- 4GB RAM With 64GB ROM
- 5.5 Inch FHD Display
- Dual 13MP Rear Camera With Dual Tone LED Flash
- 8 MP Front Camera
- VoLTE/WiFi
- Fingerprint Sensor
- Bluetooth 4.2
- Water Repellent Coating
- Turbo Charging
- 3000 MAh
REASON TO BUY
- Snapdragon 625 Processor
- Full Metal Body with Premium Design
- 12MP Dual Camera with A Monochrome Lens and EIS
- 8 MP Front Camera with LED flash
- Almost Stock Android
- Moto Gestures
- Turbo Charger
REASON NOT TO BUY
- Slow Camera Shutter Speed
- No USB C-Type
WHO SHOULD BUY THIS MOBILE
- Those who want Stock Android
- Almost Stock Android
- Style Statement
- Full Metal body with Premium Design
- Music Lover
- Loud Speakers
- Travel Lover
- Long Lasting Battery and Turbo Charging.
More Detail Moto G5s Plus
Runner-up 2
XIAOMI MI A1
Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone was launched in September 2017. The phone comes with a 5.50-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels.The phone has a striking full-HD 5.5-inch display, a 2GHz octa-core processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB storage, along with a 3080mAh battery, making it a real beast on paper. There’s a 5-megapixel front camera, and 12-megapixel dual cameras on the back, which makes it a great pick in the best phones
HIGHLIGHT
- 2GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 Processor
- 4GB RAM With 64GB ROM
- 5.5 Inch FHD LTPS Touchscreen Display
- Dual SIM
- Dual 12MP Camera And Dual Tone Flash
- 5MP Front Camera
- 4G VoLTE
- WiFi
- Bluetooth 4.2
- Infrared Sensor
- USB Type-C
- 3080 MAh Battery.
KEY INFO
- Launched on December, 2017
- Price –
- India : 13,999.00 INR
- USA : $ 229.00 (Standard Version)
REASON TO BUY
- Next 2 Android OS Update Support by Google
- Snapdragon 625 Processor
- Full Metal Body with Premium Design
- 2.5D Display
- 12MP Dual Camera with A Wide Angle Telephoto Lens
- Almost Stock Android (Android one)
REASON NOT TO BUY
- No Fast charger in Box
- No Stabilization in Camera
WHO SHOULD BUY THIS MOBILE
- Those who want Stock Android
- Almost Stock Android
- Next 2 Android OS Update Support by Google
- Camera Lover
- One of best 12MP dual camera with telephoto lens for depth effect
- Style Statement
- Full metal body for premium design
- Movie Lover
- 2.5D Display
Winner
Huawei Honor 7X
Huawei Honor 7X smartphone was launched in October 2017. The phone comes with a 5.93-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 2160 pixels.
The Huawei Honor 7X is powered by 1.7GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 659 processor and it comes with 4GB of RAM. The phone packs 32GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Huawei Honor 7X packs a 16-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 8-megapixel front shooter for selfies.
The Huawei Honor 7X runs Android 7.0 and is powered by a 3340mAh non-removable battery. It measures 156.50 x 75.30 x 7.60 (height x width x thickness) and weigh 165.00 grams.
The Huawei Honor 7X is a dual SIM (GSM and GSM) smartphone that accepts Nano-SIM and Nano-SIM. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, USB OTG, 3G and 4G (with support for Band 40 used by some LTE networks in India). Sensors on the phone include Compass Magnetometer, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor and Gyroscope.
KEY INFO
- Launched in December 2017
- Price –
- India : 12,999.00 INR
- UK : £299.99
HIGHLIGHT
- 2.36GHz Octa-Core Kirin 659 Processor
- 4GB RAM With 32/64GB ROM
- 5.93-Inch 18:9 2160x1080p Display
- 2.5D Glass
- 16MP + 2MP Camera With LED Flash
- 8MP Front Camera
- Fingerprint
- 4G/WiFi
- Bluetooth 4.1
- FM Radio
- 3340 mAh Battery
REASON TO BUY
- 2.36GHz Octa-Core Kirin 659
- Full Metal Body with Premium Design
- 5.93-Inch 18:9 FHD+ Display
- 16MP + 2MP Camera With LED Flash
- 2.5D Glass
- 3340 mAh Battery
- Affordable Price
REASON NOT TO BUY
- No 4K Recording
- No Stabilization in Camera
- No USB C-Type
- No Any Type of Fast Charging
WHO SHOULD BUY THIS MOBILE
- Style Statement
- Full metal body for premium design
- Movie and Game Lover
- 5.93-Inch 18:9 2160x1080p 2.5D Display
