Years back, buying a mobile device is something that only the well-off ones can do, considering the hefty price tag of these portable gadgets. For those who are a little low on cash, they either settle on buying secondhand Android mobile devices or cheaper ones that suit their budget. After all, they assume that although the price difference can be quite obvious, the quality is not that far from pricier ones. Well, not exactly. The truth is, cheaper Android devices hardly give you the best value for your money – and this is something that penny-pinchers out there need to know.
So, before you make a major mistake of saving some cash by relying on poor quality and cheaper devices, you may want to take a look at these top reasons why you should never buy a low-cost device.
10. Poor-Quality TouchScreen Technology
Most types of affordable Android devices come with low–quality touchscreen that will fall way below your expectations. With resolution that is much lower than 480 x 320 pixels, you can expect images and text to appear completely fuzzy and barely readable. What’s more, these cheap devices are prone to responsiveness issues, so expect them not to function as efficiently as you want them to. It is also not surprising to encounter dead pixels that add to your stress in trying to decipher what appears on the blurry screen.
9. Slow Performance
Nothing can suck the fun more in anything than having a device that functions slowly. Unfortunately, this is what you can expect from a low-cost and poor quality Android device. Instead of getting hooked in your online games, you may end up keeping the device and taking a nap because slow performance can get quite boring. These cheap devices come with a single-core processor that is clocked below 1 GHz, and their GPUs are not capable of running most of the graphically-advanced online or offline games today.
8. Barely Sufficient RAM
It’s one thing that your device performs at a snail’s pace, but it’s another problem when it lacks enough hardware to run essential apps for your everyday needs. If you decide to save on cash, you will lose your chances of getting the best apps that are meant to take a hold of the superior processing power of future smartphones. So, if you lack the hardware that you need now, just imaging the major setback you are bound to experience in years to come. In fact, inexpensive Android devices have only about 512MB (or even less) RAM. When you download apps that require more RAM than that such as the Google Play apps, then you will start experiencing problems and dissatisfaction with your device. What does this mean to you, then? You can expect to buy another device within a few months, and that means wasting your money on nothing.
7. Cheap Materials
Some people prefer mobile devices made of steel and glass instead of plastic since the latter vary in terms of durability and overall appearance. If you want to make your smartphone last at least a couple of years without unsightly dents and scratches, then you might as well be wishing for the moon when what you have is a device made of cheap plastic. Just one bump, and you can expect your phone to get a nasty scratch or dent that is impossible to hide. On the other hand, high-end Android phones can resist wear and tear much because they are made with scratch-resistant and even waterproof components. Cheaper ones will start showing signs of its poor quality in a few months, and it is not impossible for you notice squeaking sounds the moment you drop your phone the first time.
6. Zero Updates
Cheaper Android devices barely offer any Android updates, which means you may as well be using a smartphone that is way behind in terms of features and performance. Most smartphone manufacturers can send updates a little later even with their high-end models, but you can stop expecting these updates to reach you when you own a budget-friendly device. Well, unless you are fine with zero updates, then having a cheaper phone might suffice. Keep in mind, though, that this means not being able to maximize your benefits from your smartphone, which is a terrible drawback on your part.
5. Poor Specifications
Naturally, you cannot expect your smartphone to have all those functional and impressive specs when it stays outdated. In addition, its exterior matter as much as its interior features, so to put it simply, there is not much you can do with a low-cost device.
4. Subsidization of the Carrier
Most high-end Android smartphones cost as much as $250 and backed by a 2-year contract for the carrier. Although the price for unlocked Android phones is about $600, you may even qualify for a $400 discount in some sellers. However, a cheaper smartphone priced at $100 or under may come with a $200 discount. This feature does not apply with unlocked low-priced phones, though, which can be a huge concern for most buyers.
3. Missing Apps
One of the main reasons why people buy a smartphone is because of the apps. Unfortunately, you are bound to encounter missing apps on a cheaper device, which means you may have to settle not having any apps for Gmail or Youtube, to name a few. To make things worse, it may be impossible to install on a branded phone the Android Market when it has been modded and tweaked to exclude this feature.
2. Security Risks
A serious concern about modded smartphones with a cheaper price is their security risk since there are numerous grey-import mobile devices everywhere. Alternative app stores for Android also fail to check for malware, so you can expect to receive malicious apps when you download anything on your device.
1. Contain Pre-Installed Third Party App Store
If you buy a cheaper device, it is likely to have a pre-installed Chinese third party apps store (since most cheap smartphones may be bought in Chinese gadget malls). These phones may also come with an Android version that can be impossible to remove, and this adds to your disappointment in using the device.
So, still got your heart set on buying a cheaper Android device? Hopefully, this post on what you can expect from a low-quality and inexpensive device will help you make a better choice that is worth your time and money.