Comparing Android Touch Phones Under Rs. 20K

[Honest 836]

Comparing Android Touch Phones Under Rs. 20K

Similar looking phones with minute differences makes it tough for consumers to make a buying decision

Intro

Phones with Google's Android are being baked and sent to the market one after the other. This open-source mobile operating system has been more than a blessing to many phone makers, who had the expertise in making the hardware, but didn't really have a polished OS with enhanced functionality to run them on. The best part about Android is that it's free for any manufacturer to take and slap on their devices. Also, there isn't a stringent hardware checklist to follow, unlike Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.

This enables companies to roll out cost-effective smartphones that are within the reach of many. Not to say that they have to compromise on certain features to get that price down, and the degradation in the performance of these when compared to the flagship Android phones is noticeable. But considering the lackluster interface, laggy performance and fragmented availability of apps on phones that were sold before Android was born, things definitely have gotten better.

Today, I am honestly not skeptical about touchscreen phones as I was, maybe, two years before. The interfaces are intuitive, the touch response is accurate, which makes me not miss hardware buttons anymore. Thus, we're taking a look at touchscreen only phones that have cropped up aplenty between the Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 20,000 price range. By comparing the specs, you'll see that they are quite similar. There are only a few minute differences that differ from model to model. Let's take a quick peek at what those differences are. Now, I don't want to go on rambling about the same things over and over again, so I'll just list out features that are common to all in this segment:

a) All are 3.5G ready (i.e. HSDPA compatible). This is good since we're witnessing private operators roll out 3G services one by one. Other forms of connectivity i.e. Wi-fi, Bluetooth and data cable are present as well. Lastly, all have a GPS chip that is necessary for extremely nifty apps like Google Maps.

All have capacitive screens that are optimized to be used with fingers.

c) All have accelerometers for automatic rotation of the content on the screen according to the way you hold it.

d) All have FM Radio; a feature that may be of prime importance to some.

Now that we've gotten this out of the way, let's take a closer look at what each phone has to offer.

LG Optimus P500

Let's face it, LG's first Android handset - the Optimus GT540 - other than for its somewhat good looks, was unimpressive. It failed to impress mainly because of its resistive screen and Android 1.6 OS. In today's highly competitive market, that's like two fatal punches resulting in a KO. They are trying it again, but this time LG definitely has made amends. Their upcoming Optimus P500 fixes it by using a capacitive screen with a standard HVGA (320 x 480 pixel) resolution, which in our opinion is the bare minimum for better readability.

Another bonus is that it comes with Android 2.2 (Froyo) by default, thus making it the first handset to have the most recent Android version (till tonight, that is). So, what are the major highlights of Android 2.2? Share your internet to other devices by making your phone act like a wireless router, a faster performance, ability to install apps on an SD card, and compatibility with some of the recent Google apps (like Voice Actions).

LG has given DivX and XviD playback out of the box, which its 600 MHz processor should easily accomplish. Fret not, you always have third party apps that do the same thing if the Android phone of your liking doesn't support it. But in our experience a 600 MHz processor is a minimum to accomplish this task. It is a phenomenon across most of the phones that follow; the camera takes a backseat.

While the P500's measly 3.2 megapixel camera at least supports autofocus. There's no LED flash for taking acceptable night shots though. Lastly, the 1500 mAh battery sounds promising and if not anything else should run for at least a day (Android phones in general aren't great with battery life). The Optimus P500 is going to sell at a fair Rs. 13,000. Out of all the phones, this one does seem to be the most promising in the under Rs. 15,000 bracket.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X8

This one's got a slightly smaller display than the previous LG (measuring 3.0 inches) but of the same resolution. A good thing to note is its apparent scratch-proof nature, which should ideally eliminate the need for that scratch guard, which I personally am not a big fan of. In our usage, we felt that the QWERTY keyboard was cramped due to that 0.2 inches size reduction. Another irritating aspect is it running Android 1.6 from the medieval times. And while the XPERIA X10 and X10 mini/mini pro are getting the 2.1 update as we speak, the XPERIA X8 doesn't get it now. We wonder how long one would have to wait till the X8 finally gets it. Also, the 3.2 megapixel sensor on it has a fixed focus.

With all these shortcomings, I seriously don't think I'll pay Rs. 14,000 for it.

Samsung Galaxy 3 i5801

We had gotten our brief hands-on time on this one, and while its got a speedier 667 MHz processor, DivX and XviD playback and unique features like Wi-fi 802.11n and Bluetooth 3.0 compatibility, we had things to crib about. Firstly, the display while measuring the same 3.2 inches like many others, is longer and thus has a narrower width. This makes the on-screen QWERTY in portrait mode feel cramped.

Secondly, the 240 x 400 pixel resolution is lower than most other phones that have HVGA (480 x 320 pixels), thus making content on it not as crisp as you'd expect. Also, there's a chance that this odd resolution may not support every App on the Android Market. Lastly, the finish of this phone feels a bit cheap and plasticky.

The 3.2 megapixel camera at least has autofocus and Samsung has announced that it will upgrade the OS to version 2.2 in the future. It sells for Rs. 12,000. For about 500 to 1000 rupees more, you can get a phone with a proper HVGA screen. Sorry Samsung, the Galaxy 3 doesn't pass this test.

HTC Wildfire

HTC's Wildfire seemed like a decent choice a few months ago since there weren't many Android phones in this price bracket. The slim and pocketable shape, HTC's Sense UI enhancement - which had one of the best on-screen keyboards we've ever used - and the good social media integration were things going for it.

But today, its low QVGA (320 x 240 pixels) resolution on a comparatively big 3.2-inch display just looks bad. The 528 MHz processor is just a little too underpowered when shuffling between third party apps; it lagged a lot in some cases. The camera sensor is rated higher at 5 megapixels, but the low pixel density screen makes your well shot snaps look average on it.

All this, with an asking price of Rs. 15,000 doesn't feel worth it. Move on Wildfire, your time has passed.

Garmin-Asus A10

We tested this one very recently and it did turn out to be a fairly usable mid-range Android handset overall. A good 3.2 inch HVGA screen, Android 2.1 with some thoughtful UI enhancements and a sturdy build. One of the major USPs of this phone is the Garmin navigation suite built-in, which gives you turn-by-turn navigation facility in the whole of India. Also, there are some nifty pre-installed apps like Flight Status. The 5 megapixel sensor takes acceptable day snaps, but due to the lack of an LED flash, night shots are a compromise in terms of viewability.

But it sells for Rs. 19,000, which is pretty expensive in our opinion, since they don't even throw in a car kit along with the package. You need to ask yourself whether paying such a premium is worth the navigation services, especially when you have Google Maps that provides basic form of navigation (not voice assisted) for free.

Dell XCD35 a.k.a the ZTE Blade

This phone was announced on November 10 and it has definitely caught our attention. The biggest advantage is its larger-in-comparison 3.5 inch display with a much higher WVGA (or 800 x 480 pixel) resolution. If that wasn't enough, this capacitive layered screen is AMOLED in nature, which should call for deeper contrast and rich colors.

Rest of the specs are on-par with the rest of the models in this list: 600 MHz processor, Android 2.1 and a 3.2 megapixel autofocus sensor. Dell has announced this phone at Rs. 16,990, which isn't too bad. If you're going to be doing a lot of reading and surfing the web, the bigger and crisper screen is definitely beneficial.

Motorola Quench XT3 or the XT502

The Quench XT3 looks no different than most of the phones featured in this article. What is good about its 3.2-inch HVGA screen is the "Gorilla glass" covering - like the one on the Nokia N8, which in our experience has been able to protect the display from scratches, despite us violently rubbing the edge of keys on it. It supports DivX playback out of the box too, and its 3.2 megapixel camera, although not being autofocus, at least has an LED flash. Being a Motorola, we can expect it to have good build quality and good call clarity.

At the time we reported about its release, Motorola's official India site specified it running the older Android 1.6. But if you check now, they've updated it saying that it runs Android 2.1. If that is indeed the case, then for Rs. 12,500 the XT3 seems like a better buy than the XPERIA X8.

Videocon Zeus V7500 and Spice Mi-300

It's not just the foreign brands that are capitalizing on the Android bandwagon, we've got a couple of Indian companies investing into it as well. Starting with the Spice MI-300 that we tested; this phone sells for an unbelievable price of Rs. 10,000, especially when you look at what it has to offer. A 3.2 inch HVGA resolution screen, a good 5 megapixel camera with an LED flash and it runs Android 2.1. There were a few niggles we faced with it - mainly the call clarity wasn't good (but apparently others who own this phone say they don't face this issue). This was the only real issue that made us not shower it with praise.

If that wasn't "spicy" enough for you, have a look at the Videocon Zeus V7500. Not only is it spec-to-spec the same as the Spice Mi-300, the bundle comes with two batteries and an 8GB microSD card as well. At 11,000, this phone seems like quite a steal!

Conclusion

So, there you go; nine Android phones under the Rs. 20,000 mark that have a lot to offer. Of the lot, the phones we really like to take a closer look at are the LG Optimus One P500, the Dell XCD35, the Motorola XT3 and the Videocon Zeus.

Courtesy : Techtree

[shadaabsharik 10]

+1.for.ur.Mehnat

[Genius 817]

Sir, good job it will help many and answer one question for at least 6 months,

+1

[Pulkit Gupta 47]

this will definetly help manyyyy

+1 for you sir

[amitnsonu 72]

dude u missed motorola bacflip and recently launched motorola flipout.....

[KumaarShah 143]

Its not kamal's comparison report, it is Techtree's

Hope you meant them, but by dude, I think you meant kamal bhai....

[amitnsonu 72]

Its not kamal's comparison report, it is Techtree's

Hope you meant them, but by dude, I think you meant kamal bhai....

oooo yes

but is here any end user of any of these phone, so that we can get actual feedback ?

pulkit bhai plz help me about wildfire (as u are using it)

[kkdeep 6]

wow!! We already have 10 android phones under 20k. it is just matter of time before we get a few phones under 10k. Will accelerate android even faster.

[csmart 472]

good informative article..

i was wondering why chinese & indian cos are not opting for Android..

[sgiitk 32]

Chinese are not in the higher price brackets. Indians are al(most)l rebadged Chinese! The Chinese have a non-descript OS and more often that not the support CD is junk!

[dkaile 1,051]

^

Under 10K?? how about under 3K... it may be under contract but can come around 5K...

How will Android beat a Verizon iPhone? Sub-$50 price tags

The Motorola Citrus launched today at $49.99 after rebate. It’s only running Android 2.1 and you won’t confuse it with a Droid X, but the pricing and eco-friendly branding (it’s made of 25% recycled materials) will ensure that a lot of Citrus phones become Christmas gifts.

Edited November 12, 2010 by dkaile

[rajanmehta 4,056]

Nice share Kamal. +1. Will help many prospective android buyers.

Now a days the only word one finds before "Prospective Buyers" is Android!!

[dkaile 1,051]

^

As I said in another topic, I dont agree with this Techtree's assessment and ranking of these phones. It is seemingly biased and I know what hardware specs have gone into each of these phones... so I would recommend the "prospective buyers" not to follow this report blindly and kindly so a little more internet research before taking a final decision, as it is a very fluid market changing daily with new launches and products...

[rajanmehta 4,056]

^

so I would recommend the "prospective buyers" not to follow this report blindly and kindly so a little more internet research before taking a final decision, as it is a very fluid market changing daily with new launches and products...

Fully agree with that. Any smart buyer has to do that particularly when you have Google as your friend. This can be one of the many source of information and not the complete data to finalise your buying decision.

[Honest 836]

This thread is only for informational purpose my dear friends. I always recommend the members here to search for other reviews on the net also before making any decision for purchasing the mobile from your hard earned money.

[Honest 836]

dude u missed motorola bacflip and recently launched motorola flipout.....

DUDE....wah wah kya baat hai boss. At the age of 60 if someone call you DUDE then obviously its great.

Otherwise all the KIDS use to call me DADAJI.

See what happened that day. I was going to mention about Motorola Flipout also in this thread but unfortunately your AUNTY (Daadiji) came and started blackmailing me. Bolne lagi ke abhi ke abhi logout nahi kiya toh kal ke kapde tumhe dhone padengey....... Now you can imagine. Agar aur thodi der loginned rehta Rimweb pe toh Kal Subah mujhe he kapde dhone padte. Isliye immediate logout ker diya tha.

And see I'm posting this right from the bed using my mobile phone. Bus CHAADAR odh ke chupke se ander he ander se post ker raha hoon. Is say pahle ki woh jaag jaye ye loh MOTOROLA FLIPOUT ka link :

http://www.rimweb.in/forums/topic/27768-motorola-flipout-hits-india/

Arey woh jaag gayi......Bhago......

:sleep3: :sleep3: :sleep3:

[rajanmehta 4,056]

मै सोच ही रहा था के dude word के ऊपर कमल का response आने वाला है पर इतना ferocious और hillarious होगा ये मै सोच भी नहीं सकता था !!!

[SUDYEcaZ 67]

any 1 using Motorola Backflip?

Has is got 2.1 upgrade?? what is the current price

[rajanmehta 4,056]

Don't even think of Motorola Backflip. Stuck at Android 1.5

See here frustration of Backflip Owners on Motorola Forum running into 166 pages and the topic is locked now. https://supportforum...tart=0&tstart=0

Price is Rs 15,999

[amitnsonu 72]

go for moto quench xt3/xt5. xt3 has 3 mp camera and xt5 has 5 mp camera.

but I will suggest not to go for moto handsets as these come and go without much notification and u may not get froyo update for moto.