Android smartphones starting @ Rs 7 per day

Android-based phones are one of the cheapest smartphones that one can use to stay connected to the world via the internet other than regular voice calls and texting. Every ultra-budget Android smartphone features a 2G internet access other than wireless connectivity for web surfing and internet chatting.

Android smartphones are available at extremely low prices and can fit the budget of every common man. The cheapest Android-based smartphones available today are priced below Rs 2,500, which actually converts to a mere Rs 7 per day calculated for a year.

Android smartphones in India are available from many manufacturers. While most claim they are manufacturing the unit, many are actually importing the handsets from an OEM manufacturer based in China and rebrand it under their names. Usually, these smartphones use older chipsets with smaller displays, which helps bring down the cost. Not everyone can afford smartphones ranging from Rs 10,000 and above and hence these manufacturers help bring lower-cost handsets to the common man.

Low-budget Android-based handsets are available from well-known manufacturers such as Micromax, Karbonn, Spice, iBall, LAVA, and Intex. Other not-so-famous handsets are available from various smartphone manufacturers such as ADCOM, JOSH, MAXX, Zync, and a few others. Other players in the market include brands such as Xolo, Gionee, Wickedleak and a few others who manufacture high-end smartphones, but try to keep their costs as low as possible.

There are high-branded manufacturers who are also playing in the budget smartphone category in order to push handset sales. These include Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, HTC and a few others. However, the budget range of these handsets is between Rs 7,000 and Rs 15,000.

If you are on an extremely low shoe-string budget, you can opt for smartphones that start from Rs 2,500 and go up to Rs 5,000. These include smartphones from Micromax, Spice, LAVA, ADCOM, MAXX, Zync, iBall, Videocon and Karbonn. These smartphones can either be your secondary handset for another SIM card or can be handed over to your office help or assistants for office use. The basic necessity for voice and text messaging can be solved with these smartphones. However, you can get additional benefits such as emails, maps, social networking such as Facebook and WhatsApp and a few others.

On the other hand, you should not expect too much from these low-powered handsets. The chipsets within can handle basic tasks such as emails, WhatsApp, Facebook and alike. Documentation, gaming and photography is out of the question—the tiny display is too small for typing long emails, while the low-end hardware cannot support proper gaming.

On the other hand, also you should not expect any firmware updates on the handsets. Usually, manufacturers who roll out ultra-budget smartphones don’t bother with firmware updates and software patches to ensure that their handsets are bug-free. Most handsets are programmed by third-party Android developers who offer no support in the future. Other than this, unknown manufacturers also don’t have their service centres available in every city or state. So in our opinion, once you opt for an ultra-budget handset, you should not expect any type of after-sales service for the same.

However, if you are looking for after-sales service, update patches and want to ensure that you are having your handset working until its end-of-life, then ensure you pick one from a well-known brand. Nokia, Motorola, Samsung are also into budget smartphones, but you would have to shell out a bit extra (at least more than Rs 7,000) for that additional satisfaction.

If you are looking for a little more powerful handset, with a larger display and more feature-rich options, then you could choose from manufacturers such as Xolo, LAVA, Spice, Karbonn, Wickedleak and a few others. These manufacturers are keen in increasing their presence in the smartphone race by implementing high-end smartphones for cheaper prices.

Those who are considering mainstream smartphones that feature higher-end hardware at lower costs can opt from manufacturers such as OPPO, Xiaomi, and Gionee, who have a well-known name in China. Their hardware is superior, but the cost is well within a decent budget.

Photo and price courtesy: Flipkart.com