Best budget Android phones: review roundup

High-spec, high-price smartphones might be what get us excited, but the real work is being done at the budget end of the Android market, with workhorse devices that make the daily business of organising our lives, entertaining us and keeping in touch seem easy and hassle-free. Top tier technology is steadily trickling down to the lower price points too, sometimes in less than a year, making this an increasingly competitive area, and harder than ever to tell the crackers from the squibs. Here are a few of the best budget Android devices that have come across our desk in the last few months.

Huawei Ascend G300

Chinese manufacturer Huawei made quite a splash with the G300 last year and it still takes some beating, with its large, sharp four-inch screen sitting securely behind tough Gorilla Glass and a fast, capable 1GHz processor backed by 512MB RAM. It's got a fair quality five-megapixel camera with autofocus that starts up impressively quickly, making it ideal for quick snaps. The metal casing is nice to see at this level. While it's no great looker, and with Gingerbread starting to look a bit old now, for the price, this is a cracking little device from a brand that's getting serious about smartphones.

Specifications
Software: Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread
Processor: 1GHz
Display: 4in 800x480 pixels
Camera: 5 megapixel
Size: 123x63x11mm
Weight: 140g
Wired: 4in screen, 1GHz processor, good spec for the price
Tired: Camera lacks features and could be better quality
Score: 8

Sony Xperia Tipo

The Xperia Tipo may not be a world-beater in terms of spec, but it's excellent value for the sub-£100 price. Its bijou 3.2-inch screen offers a so-so resolution of 480x320 pixels. It has a 3.2-megapixel camera, which doesn't look great on paper, but this being Sony the snaps are a cut above some of its similarly specced rivals from HTC and others. The 800MHz processor does a decent enough job too, but this is just about the cheapest handset we've yet seen that comes with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box -- smoother, more intuitive and generally nicer to use, it's a serious step up from Gingerbread.

Specifications
Price: £70
Software: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Processor: 800MHz
Display: 3.2in 480x320 pixels
Camera: 3.2 megapixel
Size: 103x57x13mm
Weight: 99g
Wired: Basic but solidly built, okay camera
Tired: Screen not very sensitive
Score: 6

HTC Desire C

HTC Desire has been a smartphone powerhouse in recent years, churning out all sorts of variations on the theme. The Desire C is the cheapest one they do, but still manages to pack in a decent spec, with Ice Cream Sandwich on board from the off, good-sized 3.5-inch screen and a pretty decent five-megapixel camera. The 600MHz processor is a bit too low-powered to impress, though HTC has pared back the Sense interface to make it a bit smoother -- apps can still take a while to load up though and the fancier games won't be seen at their best. It's got typical HFC high build quality and NFC's on board for wireless payments and quick-change settings if you're keen to use the latest thing,

Specifications
Price: £100
Software: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Processor: 600MHz
Display: 3.5in 320x480 pixels
Camera: 5 megapixel
Size: 107x61x12mm
Weight: 98g
Wired: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, HTC Sense 4.0, decent camera
Tired: Slow processor, unresponsive screen
Score: 7


Acer Liquid Glow

Debuting with Ice Cream Sandwich, the Liquid Glow has the power to back it up with a 1GHz processor and 512MB RAM that helps make navigation and use smooth'n'easy, whatever you're doing. The large 3.7-inch screen offers a sharper than usual resolution of 800x480 pixels -- one of the best you'll see at this price point, and all the better for watching movies or for showing off the pics from the really rather good five-megapixel camera. There's no front-facing camera for video calls, but its sleek, tactile casing is a joy to hold.

Specifications
Price: £130
Software: Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich
Processor: 1GHz
Display: 3.7in 480x800 pixels
Camera: 5 megapixel
Size: 117x59x12mm
Weight: 125g
Wired: Good spec for the price, Ice Cream Sandwich, solid build
Tired: No front-facing camera
Score: 7