Budget android dilemna

K

Hi everyone....
I am planning to buy my first android smartphone next month. But I am in a dilemna due to the numerous options available and so i needed some suggestions on what phone to buy. My budget is 7-8k and can be extended to 8.5k max. I have shortlisted some phones below:
Lg optimus me p350
samsung galaxy pop
huawei ideos
spice mi-310
Any other suggestions are welcome. I can wait upto september if the prices are going to drop or any better phones will be launched.
Is the price of Lg Optimus one going to come down anytime soon as i cant extend my budget beyond 8.5k under any circumstances. And as i have been using symbian smartphones previously how will be the android experience? I mean i have read everywhere that android is miles ahead of symbian.... So is that really true.
Please dont suggest me to increase my budget because its just impossible.

The longer you wait, better and cheaper phones will come. If you can wait till September, please do and ask on the eve of buying. That way, you will get the best deal.

Save some extra money till September so that you can extend your budget a little more. It would be a shame if you get a sub-par experience after spending so much money. You buy a phone once and use it for atleast a year. There should be no regrets after you've made your decision.

So, I suggest, till that time, start reading on the phones available. This forum is an excellent place to discuss.

Currently, I own an LG Optimus One (around 9k to 9.5k). In my family, we also have a Samsung Galaxy SL and iPhone 3GS.

Nothing can beat iPhone's touchscreen quality and response.

Android is very flexible. In some ways, my sub-10k Optimus One has more features than the iPhone. Wifi tethering out of the box, Divx support, syncing contacts, calender, SMS to my Google account, plug and play music and apps without 3rd party software... its awesome.

If you had to buy a phone right now, I would suggest stretch your budget to the max and get an LG Optimus One. I have seen my friend's Galaxy Fit (another 10k phone). The camera there is awesome, but screen resolution sucks. If you prefer an excellent camera but are willing to trade-off performance and screen for it, then Galaxy Fit is also a good choice...

Avoid all the cheaper phones...

Cheers!

S

i heard abt samsung pop the whole finish of it feels like plastic so it doesnt feel gud....is it true..?

Pop = another cheap Android went wrong by Samsung. Galaxy 3, Galaxy 5, Pop & Fit. all these have 1 thing in common. bad or odd screen resolution. and Samsung have made this a habit now. if this trend continues, Samsung will loose their position as top mobile maker before they even take it from Nokia.

dump all and go for Optimus One,it will cost u 9k after using discount coupon on letsbuy.

K

What about the dell xcd 28? Is it good?

DUMP IT. if i start to reason why one should not buy XCD28, you'll run away.

android 2.1, bad resolution, no community support, resistive screen are a few.

oh BTW if you are interested in XCD28 after watch HS18, i'll suggest stop watching the channel as a whole.

K

@Sam
yeah...that was precisely the reason why i asked about the dell xcd28...

and yeah i have stopped watching that dreaded channel long back...

So i guess the O1 is the only option left now.... What about the Optimus me? Is it going to get a GB upgrade?and is there any other major problem with it leaving aside the low resolution issue?

no. LG O1 have standard HVGA resolution for that class of android mobile. entry level Galaxy series (upto fit) have the low resolution problem.

O1 will definitely get gingerbread update as another rom is leaked.

K

You got me wrong Sam...
I was asking about the Optimus ME not Optimus ONE....
Is there any possibility that the optimus me will get a GB upgrade in the future...
I dont care about the low resolution screen on the optimus me as its just 2.8 inches compared to the pop's 3.14inch screen. And almost all the features of O1 and O-me are same except for screen size/res.,3G speed and some pre-installed applications. So if the prices of the O1 do not come down by september i'll get the O-me...

K

Hey guys, can someone compare the samsung galaxy pop and the lg optimus me and give a conclusion on which one is better?
The optimus one is out of my budget...

kevz22 said:
Hey guys, can someone compare the samsung galaxy pop and the lg optimus me and give a conclusion on which one is better?
The optimus one is out of my budget...

both are useless. check Galaxy 3. It is available on flipkart and infibeam for some 7.5k it seems. also check Spice Mi-310

Cheap Android phones are a BAD BAD experience.

THe cheapest quality droid is Optimus P500 @ 8.5-8.8k

You guys are being a bit too harsh on the budget androids. They are really not so bad. They are aimed at a different category of people, budget phone users who can just stretch their budget a bit. I myself bought a pop at 8k. My budget was 7.5k but I extended it a bit to buy the pop and that’s the buyers these phones aim at. They aim to give low end users a taste of android.

Of course if you have the budget then by all means buy the O1. But if not there is no harm in buying budget androids if you are short of budget to buy the O1. The budget phones like the pop are super fast and most of the essential apps do run on it. Its only the new HD game titles that don’t but I doubt whether it would run smoothly if the resolution was 480*320 anyway.

So I think if someone can just stretch their budget to a android like the pop they should because it atleast gives them the android experience !! And the QVGA screen is not so bad. I used a SE W350i for 3 years so after that my pop feels just awesome to me !! But if you can definitely buy the O1.

P.S.dont buy spice androids as they are not recognized by the android market !! Many users complain that their Mi-310s are not listed in the devices in the android market. And don’t but the Optimus Me because the pop also costs the same but the pop has a 3.2” screen opposed to the 2.8” on the Me.

har said:
You guys are being a bit too harsh on the budget androids. They are really not so bad. They are aimed at a different category of people, budget phone users who can just stretch their budget a bit. I myself bought a pop at 8k. My budget was 7.5k but I extended it a bit to buy the pop and that’s the buyers these phones aim at. They aim to give low end users a taste of android.

Of course if you have the budget then by all means buy the O1. But if not there is no harm in buying budget androids if you are short of budget to buy the O1. The budget phones like the pop are super fast and most of the essential apps do run on it. Its only the new HD game titles that don’t but I doubt whether it would run smoothly if the resolution was 480*320 anyway.

So I think if someone can just stretch their budget to a android like the pop they should because it atleast gives them the android experience !! And the QVGA screen is not so bad. I used a SE W350i for 3 years so after that my pop feels just awesome to me !! But if you can definitely buy the O1.

P.S.dont buy spice androids as they are not recognized by the android market !! Many users complain that their Mi-310s are not listed in the devices in the android market. And don’t but the Optimus Me because the pop also costs the same but the pop has a 3.2” screen opposed to the 2.8” on the Me.

There is more to android experience than just having an OS named android running on a phone. When the manufacturers need not pay a single penny for OS license, why are they giving inferior hardware for these phones. Just go and try a phone like W:S or Defy with proper resolution and you will understand what your galaxy whatever is lacking. Look at Nokia E5. It can easily run Android and it costs some 9k. Look at the h/w and look at the design. Also, check Nokia 5230. except for S60v5, this device is superb when it comes to quality (be it display or other functionality).

It's hard to accept this but It is because of these clueless buyers, we are seeing really junk midrange droids (entire galaxy midrange and budget series, wildfire, x10 mini series etc) in the market. Had these clueless buyers gave a second though and understood what they are missing due to pathetic screens, the makers would've brought out better phones.

LG O1 is perfect example. It broke sales of Wildfire and Galaxy phones so much that HTC had to bring out W:S with proper spec and it seems that Samsung too understood a bit.

^^Very very well said!! liked the part about E5 & 5230!!

Now this is a misunderstanding. The customers are not really idiots. I was fully aware of the screen res problems that my pop would cause me when I bought it. And I am OK with that. Most of the apps do work and work very well. Even angry birds work without any lag. So I am okay. I know that QVGA doesn’t do justice to Android. But in todays scenario even the 480*320 screen doesn’t do justice to it. Just look at the screen res of the galaxy s2.

I am just talking about best bang for the buck. Pop is available at 8k. O1 at 9.5k. The only cheaper option is the nokia 5233 but the resistive screen was just too bad to use. And believe me I know what I am missing. I had used my cousins HTC desire for a week when he came to stay with us. He says my pops screen is very bad. But then when my uncle for the US who owns an iPhone 4 came, he said the desires screen was too bad even to look at.

Every 2k-3k difference gets you a better phone. Pop is available at 8k, O1 at 9.5k, Ace at 12k, defy at 14k and so on. And the latest HD games from gameloft doesn’t run smoothly on the O1 even though it supports its screen resolution. And though HTC released the wildfire S it costs 13k so its no big deal.

So don’t think that the customers who bought the budget androids are idiots. The guys who bought the defy will think the o1 guys are idiots because they could have spend just 3k more and get the defy. The guys who have the Nexus S at 19k will think the same of the defy guys and so on…..

And in todays hardware scenario, even the O1 is outdated.

^^ I couldn't control myself from posting here.

@har
Well what desiibond said and what you wrote, both are valid from one's own perspective, but the truth is "you get what you pay for". I bought Galaxy SL and it was good for me, till i saw the S2 and now i feel pissed off. It is nature.

But what desiibind suggested is, you should not buy entry-level-android because it is ANDROID. It will ruin your experience and leave a bitter opinion on Android. Some n00b user's curse ANDROID because it is slow in his Galaxy Pop, they never knew that the hardware is not good enough to run an app they just installed. So obviously that n00b will be a ANDROID hater. I guess, this is what desiibond wanted to say.

har said:
Now this is a misunderstanding. The customers are not really idiots. I was fully aware of the screen res problems that my pop would cause me when I bought it. And I am OK with that. Most of the apps do work and work very well. Even angry birds work without any lag. So I am okay. I know that QVGA doesn’t do justice to Android. But in todays scenario even the 480*320 screen doesn’t do justice to it. Just look at the screen res of the galaxy s2.

I am just talking about best bang for the buck. Pop is available at 8k. O1 at 9.5k. The only cheaper option is the nokia 5233 but the resistive screen was just too bad to use. And believe me I know what I am missing. I had used my cousins HTC desire for a week when he came to stay with us. He says my pops screen is very bad. But then when my uncle for the US who owns an iPhone 4 came, he said the desires screen was too bad even to look at.

Every 2k-3k difference gets you a better phone. Pop is available at 8k, O1 at 9.5k, Ace at 12k, defy at 14k and so on. And the latest HD games from gameloft doesn’t run smoothly on the O1 even though it supports its screen resolution. And though HTC released the wildfire S it costs 13k so its no big deal.

So don’t think that the customers who bought the budget androids are idiots. The guys who bought the defy will think the o1 guys are idiots because they could have spend just 3k more and get the defy. The guys who have the Nexus S at 19k will think the same of the defy guys and so on…..

And in todays hardware scenario, even the O1 is outdated.

Most buyers have no clue about what kind of phone they are buying. Go to any mobile shop and see how people are buying Wave 525 in droves because they think its a cheap iphone... It is very sad.

People recommend Optimus One, not just for its screen resolution, but its overall performance and feature set is excellent. Screen is important, but overall package is more important.

With the Optimus One, you get awesome developer support.. most people buy it for that reason. Secondly, it has decent screen resolution. Processor can be overclocked easily and safely... It has 512 MB RAM... which is awesome... add to it 1500 mAh battery... all that for 9k... the overall package is awesome...

If it was just the screen resolution, anyone could have bought the Dell XCD35 for 9.5k which has a 800x480 WVGA 3.5" screen. But no one recommends that phone... because it has a smaller battery (1250 mAh) and lower RAM. Also, for such a high res display, processing power is inadequate.

So, the best VFM goes to Optimus One for good overall balance...

I am glad that you are happy with POP.

lower RAM.

512MB isn't low

processing power is inadequate.

can play almost all HD games. and every app works

^^ Whose post you are quoting?

comp@ddict said:
512MB isn't low

Its specifications state its 256 MB

comp@ddict said:
can play almost all HD games. and every app works

I agree XCD35 a good phone... Excellent price for the kind of screen you get...

K

Thanks a ton for your replies guys...
Well my mom has agreed to extend my budget to 9k and so i wanted to know what the current market price of optimus 1 is? I wont be buying it online though. And has the dust accumulation problem been solved in the O1? Also i have previously used the Nokia 5233 and c5. So is the O1 better than them?

9.5k street price and if you can, bargain and reduce. Dust problem is not solved but it can be fixed by service center guys as per Sam's post in some other thread.

kevz22 said:
Thanks a ton for your replies guys...
Well my mom has agreed to extend my budget to 9k and so i wanted to know what the current market price of optimus 1 is? I wont be buying it online though. And has the dust accumulation problem been solved in the O1? Also i have previously used the Nokia 5233 and c5. So is the O1 better than them?

Definitely the O1 is the best buy at 9k. At my city the shops were quoting 10k-10.5k for it. So it was way out of budget for me . But it will be cheaper at around 9.5k at metros. My dad didnt allow me to buy online so I had to buy the pop at 8k. The O1 is definitely miles ahead.

A

furious_gamer said:
9.5k street price and if you can, bargain and reduce. Dust problem is not solved but it can be fixed by service center guys as per Sam's post in some other thread.

are u trying to say that once i open my pack i will have to take that phone to service center right away?frankly i am little careless person and if this is the case then surely my o1 will be damaged in a week

also i would like to know about spice mi410 and about its review?at that price it is surely worth more than defy or wildfire s?

furious_gamer said:
^^ Whose post you are quoting?

The one above me

Its specifications state its 256 MB

Official 2.2 update from Dell itself brings 512MB AFAIK.

CM7 gives 512MB anyhow.

dust problem is gone. just check the manufacturing date is of 2011 & not some old stock.

K

Is there any feature in android phones such as an Over-the-air firmware upgrade like the one found in nokia phones?

Is there any feature in android phones such as an Over-the-air firmware upgrade like the one found in nokia phones?

Yeah AFAIK it is, but it's region wise, so it may take a long time to get here.

However, Samsung has exquisite focus in India.

kevz22 said:
Is there any feature in android phones such as an Over-the-air firmware upgrade like the one found in nokia phones?

If by "over the air" you mean without cables, then I do it all the time.

1. Download latest firmware from XDA using Wifi
2. Move it to root of SD Card
3. Boot into Custom Recovery
4. Flash the update and reboot.

Totally over the air...

kevz22 said:
Is there any feature in android phones such as an Over-the-air firmware upgrade like the one found in nokia phones?

yes. most of the devices support over the air firmware upgrade. Usually, the option to upgrade will be in the menu that lists OS's detail.

AndroidFan said:
If by "over the air" you mean without cables, then I do it all the time.

1. Download latest firmware from XDA using Wifi
2. Move it to root of SD Card
3. Boot into Custom Recovery
4. Flash the update and reboot.

Totally over the air...

you changed the meaning of OTA update :grin:

@kevz22, it varies from mobile to mobile. most mobile support it but it also depends on the region. with Samsung (in India particularly) you'll need KIES, LG is PC Suite4. Motorola & SE have no such problem as their customers never get any (major) update.

only HTC supports OTA here i think.

K

Accompanied my friend to the univercell showroom today to buy a phone for him and when i asked the sales guy there about the optimus one dust problem he said it hasnt been solved yet. So that was pretty much it for me. So i dont think i'll buy the O1...

Now the only options left are galaxy mini and optimus me. Can anyone tell me if the sony ericsson x10mini or x8 is still available in the market and how much would it cost???

hmmm, though i can't tell with absolute surety but the ppls who brought O1 after February-March are not facing the dust issue.

though at XDA some users are complaining about the dust problem. you better create a poll to check how many are facing this problem.

K

Hey guys....anyone using the sony ericsson x10 mini or x8???
Are these phones good??? I mean the features are quite good and the outdated OS problem can be easily solved by using custom roms. So are these phones worth buying? The x8 is available for around 9.5k. Whats the current market price of x10mini?
please do reply...

kevz22 said:
Hey guys....anyone using the sony ericsson x10 mini or x8???
Are these phones good??? I mean the features are quite good and the outdated OS problem can be easily solved by using custom roms. So are these phones worth buying? The x8 is available for around 9.5k. Whats the current market price of x10mini?
please do reply...

SE X8 and x10 mini are outdated. They have outdated hardware, outdated software and are too expensive. Please don't buy them.

kevz22 said:
Hey guys....anyone using the sony ericsson x10 mini or x8???
Are these phones good??? I mean the features are quite good and the outdated OS problem can be easily solved by using custom roms. So are these phones worth buying? The x8 is available for around 9.5k. Whats the current market price of x10mini?
please do reply...

things to mind:

X8 = 600Mhz proccy with 168ram = extremely bad multitasking. not even custom rom will help here. screen is only 3" & trust me, it'll hurt your android experience. i.e. no user satisfaction & waste of 10k

X10 mini = a SUPER 2.55" screen. forget about processor, ram, ROM, android. when you spend 10-11k in 2011, you should expect at least a 3.2" proper mobile.

if you think i am wrong, ignore my post & get one.

K

Sam said:
things to mind:

X8 = 600Mhz proccy with 168ram = extremely bad multitasking. not even custom rom will help here. screen is only 3" & trust me, it'll hurt your android experience. i.e. no user satisfaction & waste of 10k

X10 mini = a SUPER 2.55" screen. forget about processor, ram, ROM, android. when you spend 10-11k in 2011, you should expect at least a 3.2" proper mobile.

if you think i am wrong, ignore my post & get one.

Well u guys are the experts and i am the noob...thats why i am asking suggestions from you all...under such conditions how can i ignore when someone advises me something....

So any other good options for about 8.5-9k.
I really wanted to get the O1 but the dust problem hasnt been solved yet and the lg service centers in mangalore are pathetic. So i dont think i'll be buyin it.
Is the samsung galaxy pop going to get a Gingerbread upgrade. If yes then i'll buy it now and then after a year or so upgrade to a better phone.

kevz22 said:
So any other good options for about 8.5-9k.

another option is DELL XCD35 but it too isn't free of problems. slow proccy, uncertain ram (256Mb & heard newer ones are sold with 512Mb), avg camera, small battery (though battery backup maybe same as O1) are the main points but community support is there for ZTE Blade (same mobile) so it should work for this one too if you decide to install custom roms, kernels, etc. superb display (for price) & lastly its price is same as O1.

kevz22 said:
I really wanted to get the O1 but the dust problem hasnt been solved yet and the lg service centers in mangalore are pathetic. So i dont think i'll be buyin it.

i understand. and if there is dust problem, you'll start blaming us :grin:

kevz22 said:
Is the samsung galaxy pop going to get a Gingerbread upgrade. If yes then i'll buy it now and then after a year or so upgrade to a better phone.

may get. though there is no news of any update yet.

K

Is the huawei ideos x3 available in india?
The features seem to be quite good...

Hey guys... I have finally decided to buy my first android smartphone on 14th i.e.,next week but i'am still not sure about which phone to buy...

My budget is 8.5k and i cant extend a penny beyond that. So i would like to know the best phone among the following:
Lg optimus ME
Samsung galaxy POP
Spice MI-310
Any other suggestions are welcome.

Go for Galaxy POP or If possible LG Optimus 1

K

Thanks for your help guys... I have finally decided to buy the pop today...

Sorry bro the Galaxy POP screen sucks please avoid it, I have used it (my friend owns)

kevz22 said:
Thanks for your help guys... I have finally decided to buy the pop today...

think again. There are better droids than this pop with it's ugly screen, pathetic camera and poor build

K

But my budget is strictly 8.5k. Cant extend even a penny beyond that. Anyway i will be buying a better phone next year. So my only options are pop and optimus me.... Is the optimus me better than pop???

kevz22 said:
But my budget is strictly 8.5k. Cant extend even a penny beyond that. Anyway i will be buying a better phone next year. So my only options are pop and optimus me.... Is the optimus me better than pop???

POP is very plasticky... doesn't feel good in the hand.

I guess if you have already decided, then go for it...

P. S. Give a thought about Spice Mi-310. It retails for around 7k. The brand is local but its better than hat POS POP... -- YouTube - ‪SPICE MI 310 Budget Android 2.2 FULL REVIEW - iGyaan.in‬&rlm;

See Spice Mi-310 | Spice Mobile Phones | Saholic.com

*static1.saholic.com/images/1001224/spice-mi-310-default-0.jpg

Spice Mi-310 is an Android Froyo phone with 3.1 inch capacitive touchscreen and optical trackpad. The phone has 3G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth support. It comes with 2MP camera and video recording & editing features. Other features include A-GPS, proximity & accelerometer sensors, document viewer, direct access to multiple IMs & email accounts, and 16GB expandable memory.

kevz22 said:
But my budget is strictly 8.5k. Cant extend even a penny beyond that. Anyway i will be buying a better phone next year. So my only options are pop and optimus me.... Is the optimus me better than pop???

me is another junk. Galaxy 3 is a better option for your budget.

K

Well I bought a samsung galaxy pop for 8.3k and i think its great value for money... The display did not bother me at all... The dealer had no lg phones whatsoever... He gave me the reason for it as poor aftersales service and very poor resale value... Thanks once again for your help everyone. I activated 3G on my airtel sim and recharged with the 750rs pack. The speeds are pretty good.