Eight Great Budget Smartphones

As we all know t’is the joyous time of years and for those of us who chose to embrace the holiday spirit will understand gifts are in order.

As we all know times are hard and all year we’ve all been feeling the squeeze, but that’s not a good enough excuse for stealing the smile from our loved ones faces. So to aid you we’ve compiled a list of 8 budget smarphones to aid you spread holiday cheer – Santa would be proud!

HTC Desire V - NGN 28,200 (Twenty Eight Thousand Two Hundred Naira)
 

HTC Desire V

Highlights

Android v4.0(Ice Cream Sandwich)

4.0 inch, Capacitive Touchscreen

5MP Camera, w/ LED Flash

1 GHz Processor

4GB Internal Storage

Sony Xperia E Dual – NGN 23,000 (Twenty Three Thousand Naira)

Sony Xperia E

Highlights

Android, v4.0.4(Ice Cream Sandwich)

3.5 inch, Capacitive Touchscreen

3.15MP Camera

Dual SIM

1 GHz Processor

4GB Internal Storage (2.2GB User Accessible) 

HTC One V – NGN 28,200 (Twenty Eight Thousand Two Hundred Naira)

Highlights

Android, v4.0.3(Ice Cream Sandwich)

3.7 inch, Capacitive Touchscreen

5MP Camera, w/ LED Flash

720p HD Video Recording

1GHz Processor

1GB Internal Storage  

Sony Xperia Miro - NGN 23,000 (Twenty Three Thousand Naira)

Sony Xperia Micro

Highlights

Android,v4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

3.5 inch, Capacitive Touchscreen

5MP Camera, w/ LED Flash

1GHz Processor

4GB Internal Storage

HTC Desire U - NGN 26,300 (Twenty Six Thousand Three Hundred Naira)

HTC Desire U

Highlights

Android,v4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

4.0 inch, Capacitive Touchsceen

5MP Camera, w/ LED Flash

1GHz Processor

4GB Internal Storage

Sony Xperia Tipo Dual – NGN 19,600 (Nineteen Thousand Six Hundred Naira)

Sony Xperia Tipo

Highlights

Android, v4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

3.2 inch, Capacitive Touchscreen

3.15MP Camera

Dual SIM

800 MHz Processor

2.9GB Internal Storage (2.5GB User Accessible)

HTC Desire X – NGN 26,600 (Twenty Six Thousand Six Hundred Naira)

HTC Desire X

Highlights

Android,v4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

4.0 inch, Capacitive Touchscreen

5MP Camera, w/ LED Flash

 1GHz Dual-Core Processor

4GB Internal Memory 

Nokia Lumia 520 – NGN 19,900 (Nineteen Thousand Nine Hundred Naira)

Nokia Lumia 520

Highlights

Window 8 Mobile  

4.0 inch, Capacitive Touchscreen

5MP Camera

720p HD Video Recording

1GHz Dual-Core Processor

8GB Internal Memory 

Will you be getting any of these devices for Christmas? Do you have any devices in mind that you feel should be on this list?

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Nokia Asha 311 Overview - Hit? Or Miss?

I’m sure we all remember the days when Nokia was dominating the Tech Headlines with their extensive range of stylish and ground breaking mobile phones. That was till 2003 when the mobile phone industry took a detour in its approach to device design and functionality with Apples release of the iPhone. The era saw the rise of the Smartphone and consumers began to demand for mobile phones with more functionality and capabilities. This demand has also ushered in Android Powered phones and Blackberry devices. Nokia soon saw its market share in the mobile phone Industry steadily decline. Today Nokia is seen as the underdog of the mobile phone Industry. Oh! How the mighty have fallen. Most experts categorise Nokia among the likes of RIM - the Canadian phone manufacturer who has also seen its market share on a constant decline, and according to speculations maybe on the verge of bankruptcy. RIM has bet all its chips on the Blackberry 10 OS and the phones and tablets that will run it, but I digress.   

Nokia may be down but it’s far from out, and that’s what the Finnish mobile legend is intent on proving to the world. Nokia has been trying to compete in the smartphone market with its vast range of feature and high-end smartphones.

Nokia’s Asha range of mobile phones are feature phones that just about match up to basic entry level android smartphones, these devices usually have a significantly low price point but run on Nokia’s Series 40 Asha platform, while the Lumia range of smartphones are high-end Windows powered devices, in the same ranks and the Samsung Galaxy model phones and Apple’s iPhone. 

So here’s the scoop, the Asha 311 is a touchscreen device with a 3 inch screen and 56K colour pallet. It has 140MB of user accessible memory upgradeable up to 32GB via microSD card. It’s got a 3.2MP camera and it runs on the Series 40 Asha OS which supports Java and Series 40 web apps. You get the standard mid-range connectivity options such as 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It does have multitouch and a Corning Gorilla Glass screen, features usually reserved for high-end smartphones. Let’s not forget its rather flaunted data compression feature that shrinks transmitted data size resulting is faster loading Apps. With the Asha 311 you’ll get a pick of 40 EA games titles ranging from ‘ports’ of FIFA 12 to Need For Speed: The Run to The Sims. You’ll also get the regulars like Angry Birds, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.

But however you look at it the Series 40 App offerings are light-years away from that of Androids Google PLAY and Apples App store. Another downside is it doesn’t have Adobe flash support which leaves you with a limited browsing experience and with only a 3.2MP camera without a flash these pitfalls tilts the Asha 311 into the low performance market, that said I’m not sure where to place the Asha 311.

 As a feature phone it could easily be said to be the best in the world, bit its NGN 19,000 (Nineteen Thousand Naira) price tag bumps it out of the feature phone spectrum and into the low-end Smartphone realm. Today you could get an Android Smartphone within that price range, and the Android platform has a world of Apps enriching your mobile experience in comparison to the series 40 platform. In my opinion the Asha 311 looks like a Smartphone, acts like a Smartphone but sadly it’s not. I don’t see the younger crowd that its marketing has been targeting in Nigeria readily adopting it because of these pitfalls. The free games offered are a quaint novelty but hardly an incentive. I feel this novelty will quickly wear off as the Asha 311’s short comings become apparent.

I would only recommend this device to individuals who refused to get on the Smartphone bandwagon, but need a device that can keep up with the times. Come to think about it, I think I have an aunt this would be perfect for, thank goodness it comes in pink!

So what do you think? Is the Asha 311 a Hit? Or is it a Miss? Don’t be bashful let you voice be heard in the comment section below, and remember every time you leave comment a household brand is saved from bankruptcy!

T3 Awards 2012

T3 is the UK’s leading consumer tech and lifestyle magazine. On the 8^th of October, 2012 T3 held its annual Gadget Awards in London and here is a brief summary of it featured categories, finalists and of course the Winners.

The categories and nominees are handpicked by the T3 Tech experts and the winners are picked via online polls.

Phone of the Year Finalists 

Apple iPhone 4S

HTC One X

Nokia Lumia 800

Samsung Galaxy S3 - Winner

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Sony Xperia S 

Samsung Galaxy S3

Tablet of the Year Finalists 

Apple New iPad 3

Google Nexus 7 by ASUS – Winner

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

Sony Tablet S

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

AUSU Eee Transformer Prime

Gadget of the Year Finalists 

OnLive

Sony PS Vita

Sony NEX-7

LG 55LM960V

Samsung Galaxy S3

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime

Apple iPhone 4S

Philips Fidelio L1 (Headphones)

Google Nexus 7 by ASUS - Winner

ASUS Zenbook UX31

 Google Nexus 7 by ASUS

Computer of the Year Finalists 

Dell XPS 13

Samsung Series 9

ASUS Zenbook UX31 – Winner

Apple MAcBook Air 2012

Alienware M14x

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display

 ASUS Zenbook UX3

TV of the Year Finalists 

Sony KDL-55HX853 - Winner

LG 55LM960V

Panasonic TX-P50VT50

Toshiba 55WL863

Samsung UE55ES8000

Philips 42PFL7666

 Sony KDL-55HX853

Gaming Gadget of the Year Finalists 

Sennheiser PC 360 G4ME (HeadPhones)

Alieanware X51

Sony PS Vita - Winner

Nintendo 3DS XL

NVIDIA 3D Vision 2

OnLive

 Sony PS Vita

Work Gadget of the Year Finalists 

Epson PX830FWD (Printer)

Logitech Performance MX Mouse

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime

Apple iPhone 4S – Winner

Blackberry Bold 9900

Samsung Galaxy Note

 Apple iPhone 4S

Music Gadget of the Year Finalists 

Pure Avanti Flow (Headphones)

Philips Fidelio L1 (Headphones)

Urbanears Plattan (Headphones)

Jawbone Big Jambox (Bluetooth Speaker)

Sonos (Wireless Speaker)

B&W P3 (Headphones)- Winner

 B&W P3

So which of these devices will you be running out to buy? Don't be shy, let us know in the comment section below.

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