Buyer’s Guide: 3 Best Budget-Friendly Smartphones Worth Considering

If you’re hunting for a new smartphone, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great opportunities to pick up a brand-spanking new device that’ll appease your needs for some time to come. In terms of what smartphones you should have on your radar, though, we’ve rounded up 5 of the most value-worthy devices that’ll give you serious bang for your buck this year.

Nokia 2.3

Price: from R2,499

With more and more people looking to mid-range devices as opposed to purchasing the top-of-the-line, wallet-punishing flagship, Nokia is offering a fantastic Android option in the form of the Nokia 2.3. The features won’t blow anyone way (there is only 2GB of RAM and no finger-print scanner), but with a sizeable 6.2-inch HD+ screen, 13MP rear and 2MP front-facing cameras, a larger 4,000mAh battery, the Nokia 2.3 will offer more than enough for the average user, who ends up not utilising all the fancy bells and whistles on their R10k+ smartphones anyway.

Redmi 9A

Price: from R1,999

This brand-new entry-level Xiaomi is equipped with a massive 6.53” Dot Drop display for an immersive viewing experience and a 5000mAh high-capacity battery that’ll give you more juice for those longer days out-and-about. The Redmi 9A also features a MediaTek Helio G25 octa-core gaming chipset, which allows for a smooth operation and some seamless mobile gaming if that’s your poison. It also sports the AI-optimized 13MP rear camera that can quickly and easily capture crisp and clear images in light and dark scenarios.

Dooggee Y9 Plus

Price: from R2,299.90

Spanish-turned-Chinese brand Doogee is seeing decent growth in South Africa, with their devices becoming available throug Cash Crusaders and other retailers, and their Y9 Plus is a fantastic Android option for those looking for something more-than-capable at an affordable price. This mid-range release includes Android 9.0, a sizable 6.3-inch display, Face ID and fingerprint scanner, and in terms of snappers, has a 16.0MP front and a 16.0MP + 8.0MP + 8.0MP triple lens rear camera combo. With 4GBs of RAM and 65GB of storage, this is a suprisingly robust offering that, while it may not go toe-to-toe with the bigger South Korean and American giants out there, delivers all the bells, whistles, and functionality you need.

Which smartphone are you looking to purchase? Let us know by commenting below and tweeting us @MenStuffZA, posting on our Facebook page, or commenting below.