This year’s flagship phones are quite expensive. If the top phones get better, the budget phones also raise the bar. You can buy a budget phone of less than US$200-$240 and see it capable of many things you see at top-range phones.
The best way to get a cheap phone is to get it SIM-free. You should also remember that the phone is so cheap because the manufacturer had to cut some corners to achieve a low market price, but this doesn’t mean you cannot find a phone with Full HD display, a metal body and 4G.
Let’s check out which phone wins this competition: Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite, Honor 10 Lite, or Nokia 5.1?
Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite
Released in July 2018, Mi A2 Lite’s premium design includes with a 5.84-in display (19:9), and a notch. It comes in two versions: 4 GB RAM or 3 GB RAM.
It has a generous storage – 64 GB (or the 3GB RAM model – 32 GB) internal and upgradable to 256 GB (which has a dedicated slot), and a Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625.
The Mi A2 Lite cameras on the back have 12 MP, f/2.2 and 5 MP, f/2.2, with a depth sensor and an LED flash, and the selfie camera comes with 5 MP, f/2.0.
The smartphone was launched with Android 8.1 (Oreo) and has the Android One platform which may users prefer.
It has a 4000 mAh battery, which along with all the specs mentioned above should make the Mi A2 Lite a great buy – the Mi A2 Lite should be around $200 – for the 4 GB RAM variant.
Honor 10 Lite
The Honor 10 Lite model was launched last fall in November and it comes with a big screen. The display is 6.21 inches (19.5:9 ratio) it also has a small round notch.
The OS is Android 9.0 (Pie); EMUI 9, and it is powered by a Hisilicon Kirin 710 chipset.
The 10 Lite comes in two versions – 64/128 GB of internal storage and 6 GB RAM or 64 GB internal storage and 4 GB RAM.
It has a dual camera setup: one is 13 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), the other is 2 MP, and it comes with a depth sensor and an LED flash. The front camera comes with a whopping 24 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide).
The battery is a little smaller – 3400 mAh, but it has the USB On-The-Go feature.
As for the price, expect to find it at around $240 for the 6 GB RAM variant.
Nokia 5.1
The beautiful aluminum body makes the Nokia 5.1 look like an expensive phone. It has a 5.5 inches display (18:9 ratio), and chunkier bezels on the top and bottom.
It comes with an Android One OS – Android 8.0 (Oreo), and a MediaTek Helio P18 chipset.
As with the previous two smartphones, the Nokia 5.1 comes in two variants: 32 GB internal storage and 3 RAM or 16 GB internal storage and 2 GB RAM.
The camera setup has a single 16 MP lens and a Dual-LED, dual-tone flash and the front one is of 8 MP.
The battery is smaller – 2970 mAh, and it has the USB On-The-Go feature.
You can get the Nokia 5.1 for almost $200 – the 32 GB, 3 RAM variant.
Verdict: Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite, Honor 10 Lite, or Nokia 5.1?
Looking at what both $200 smartphones have to offer, we’d go with the Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite. If the extra $40 on Honor 10 Lite is not a concern, it is obvious that the Honor 10 Lite is the best choice.
The real competition here is between Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite and Honor 10 Lite. Mi A2 offers a bigger battery, 4 GB of RAM and a lower price, which is a great buy. However, the Honor 10 Lite has an improvement in RAM, an insane selfie camera, and a much larger screen.
Agnes is a technical writer, being in touch with reports to come up with the latest tech leaks.
