Geoff Augutis from Queensland Computers in Bundaberg writes about the latest smart phones and what's the best value for money and quality.
We give a lot of attention to whatever is latest and greatest in market when it comes to technology.
For phones this means paying around $2000 for the iPhone 11 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G.
However this product set only represents a portion on consumers.
For many of us a phone is simply just a phone.
Whether you are in the market for yourself or for your teenager's first phone, budget is important.
So what is available in the market at almost a tenth of the price of the flagships?
Samsung Galaxy A20: a large 6.4”, 13mp rear plus 5mp selfie camera and fast processor, this Android device is a genuinely usable phone in a top tier brand.
Oppo AX5: at a similar 6.2” display, 13mp rear and 8mp selfie camera, the Oppo AX5 lines up closely with the Samsung A20.
At a similar price point, software and feature set, the AX5 gives consumers genuine options.
Nokia 4.2: you heard right, Nokia live on.
While it has a smaller 5.7” display (still big enough), the camera config is on par with the Oppo option.
On paper and budget the Nokia stacks up, however user feedback and reviews have been underwhelming.
Motorola G7 Power: many eyes are on Moto at the moment with the release of a brand new Razr folding smart phone.
That being said they have been producing a steady stream of budget phones as well.
The G7 Power sports an almost exact spec and feature set as the Oppo AX5 and at a similar budget – it stacks up.
iPhone you ask? We are talking budget phones here.
Apple refuse to play in this market for now.
The best you can get is a many generations old device at almost twice the price of the above options.
While we tend to complain about the rising price of goods, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to smartphones.
In 2020 you can easily get yourself into a decent device with just $250 in your pocket.
- This will be Geoff's last column until April 2020.
Samsung Galaxy A50 is also a good choice for this list – better specs than the A20 and comes at a reasonable price.