New budget Nokia feature phone from Microsoft.
Microsoft has unveiled a new budget internet-enabled handset called the Nokia 215.
The device is what’s known as a feature phone – a handset that incorporates some of the basic functions of a smartphone like being able to browse the web.
The Nokia 215 has a physical, numerical keypad, a 2.4-inch 320x240 portrait display and comes with 2G and Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity.
The device runs on Nokia’s Series 30 operating system, but users will be able to access standard apps like Facebook, Messenger and Twitter as well as browse the web using Bing Search and Opera Mini.
Features of the handset include a 0.3MP VGA rear facing camera, LED torchlight, micro SD card slot supporting up to 32GB of storage and an incredible battery life - the phone will last 29 days on standby. It will be available in white, green or black as a Single SIM or Dual SIM handset.
Microsoft says the phone is perfectly suited as an entry-level handset or as a second phone and will roll out the device in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe in the first quarter of 2015 for just $29 (or around £19) before taxes and subsidies.
The best budget smartphones
Though not quite a smartphone, the Nokia 215 incorporates a few smartphone features at a very affordable price.
However if you want to go for the real thing, there are a growing number of budget smartphones on the market right now.
Here are a few examples of the best out there.
Nokia Lumia 530
The Nokia Lumia family features a wide range of high end and budget handsets using the Windows operating system.
The latest addition the family is the Lumia 530, which has an RRP of just £90, but can be found for less than £60 at the moment on eBuyer.com.
The 3G handset has a 4-inch screen, 480x854 resolution display, 5MP rear facing camera (no front-facing camera), 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 512MB of RAM, Bluetooth connectivity, 4GB of on-board storage (expandable up to 128GB via a MicroSD card) and runs on the latest version of Windows 8.1 operating system.
The Lumia 520 (RRP £60) and 630 (RRP £99.95) are also highly regarded as decent budget phones by reviewers and users.
EE Kestrel
The EE Kestrel is a 4G handset from mobile network EE, which it claims is the cheapest 4G-ready pay-as-you-go smartphone on the market with a price tag of just £99.
It’s made by Huawei and comes with a 4.5-inch screen, 540x960 resolution display, 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 5MP rear camera, 1MP front camera, 8GB of internal storage (expandable up to 32GB via a MicroSD card), Bluetooth connectivity and runs on Android 4.3.
Motorola Moto G 4G
Motorola has a whole family of decent budget smartphones including the Moto E (RRP £89) and MotoSmart (RRP £100), which are quite highly regarded.
[SPOTLIGHT]But it’s the Moto G which regularly comes top among reviewers and users. You can go for the Moto G 2013 (RRP £114), Moto G 4G (RRP £145) or there’s the newer Moto G 2014 (RRP £120) which doesn’t have a 4G version yet.
A Moto G 4G handset costs around £145 and comes with 4.5-inch screen, 720x1280 resolution display, 5MP rear facing camera, 1.3MP front facing camera, quad-core 1.2 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM , 8GB on board storage (expandable up to 32GB via a MicroSD card) , Bluetooth connectivity and runs on Android 4.4.
How to shop for a cheap smartphone
If you’re on the hunt for a budget smartphone, but don’t know what to look for, here are a few things to consider:
Operating system - The operating system or OS for short will determine how your phone runs and what apps you can download. There are three main operating environments around for smartphones; Apple iOS, Google Android OS and Windows Phone OS, though when shopping for budget smartphones you’ll mainly find Android and Windows operating systems. You should aim for a phone which runs a recent version of the operating system so you can receive software updates and enjoy the latest apps.
Storage - If you're planning on using your smartphone for taking pictures, videos or downloading music, apps, films and games you will want to make sure it has enough storage. Most smartphones start at 8GB, but there may be more expensive models that offer bigger 16GB, 32GB or more on-board storage. Look out for devices which allow you to expand memory with a MicroSD card as this is a more affordable route to upping your storage capacity.
Cameras - Any decent smartphone will come with a rear-facing camera, but if you want to take selfies and make video calls you will need a front-facing one too. A 5MP rear and 1.3MP front-facing camera are good benchmarks to aim for.
Connectivity - For the fastest internet connectivity and downloads you will want to get a 4G-ready smartphone, but you will also need to ensure you have a 4G contract or 4G SIM to benefit. 3G and 2G handsets offer slower connections but tend to be much cheaper. Also look out for Bluetooth connectivity, which allows you to share information wirelessly.
Battery life – A big problem with hi-tech smartphones that can take pictures, stream movies, browse the web and make calls is a short battery life. So you should compare what different models offer to ensure you get a handset that can at least last a day before needing to be charged again.
Screen and display - The size of your screen and resolution is important too. Entry-level smartphones tend to have small screens – typically around four inches – with much lower resolutions than you find on more expensive models. A 320x480 screen resolution is common, but aim for a 480x800 display for a better experience.
Speed - The speed and ability to multitask of a smartphone depends on its processor and RAM. Budget smartphones tend to have 1GHz single-core processors and 512MB RAM which can make the phone sluggish, especially if you're trying to use multiple apps at the same time. Look for a phone with at least a dual-core processor and 1GB RAM.
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