Android smartphones are a dime a dozen at this point. From flagship devices that cost thousands to budget-friendly Androids that cost less than a new video game, there is a smartphone for everyone at every price range. Name brands like Samsung and Google rule the roost with quality devices running the latest version of Android, but for every Pixel device there are tons of cheap phones out there that should be avoided.
Browsing on Amazon you’ll see phones from manufacturers that you’ve probably never heard of. Some of these brands are popular around the world and you can often find a device that punches far above its weight. But more often than not, you’ll end up buying a smartphone that isn’t very smart, very fast, potentially full of bloatware, and maybe even counterfeit. Cheap doesn’t always mean something is bad, but when it comes to Android, you often end up getting what you pay for.
There are a lot of reasons why Android phones can be sold so cheap, with Amazon flooded with smartphones for well under $150. Taking a look at reviews will give you some insight into the build quality, device support, and the processing power that many of these devices can often lack. If you ever come across the following smartphones online, steer clear of them and save yourself the extra money you’ll spend on treating all the headaches they’ll cause.
Deepbito K70
Companies trying to trick consumers is nothing new, with even Amazon hosting fake Apple products through third parties. The Deepbito K70 is the perfect example of this ongoing problem. The K70 is actually a pretty fantastic smartphone from Redmi and has nothing to do with the K70 from Deepbito. This dupe goes as far as to take official photos from Redmi’s marketing for its Amazon listing, simply removing the Redmi name from everything.
The company can seemingly get away with this as Redmi doesn’t sell phones in the United States, making spotting the marketing tricks far more difficult for the average consumer. For its part, the Deepbito K70 has the lowest rating on Amazon for any smartphone, a stunningly low 2.4 stars out of 5. Those who purchased the smartphone state they have issues with not being able to get any reception and with it lacking any WiFi calling capabilities, something advertised on the listing.
Others made note that the K70 would not even charge out of the box, turning it into nothing more than a purple paperweight. All of these issues and concerns mean that whatever Deepbito has listed in the specifications should be taken with a grain of salt. Even at under $100 any phone listed as a K70 on Amazon should be avoided, at least until Redmi finally decides to jump into the American market.
Nokia G10
Nokia used to be a brand associated with excellence. Makers of some of the most popular and unique phones to ever be released, the company never quite adapted in the age of the smartphone, having been relegated to mostly licensing out their name to various products. The Nokia G10, designed and manufactured by HMD Global is the perfect example of this.
Users are often left less than impressed as they note the Nokia G10 is a slow device that suffers from bouts of freezing and often lags when even using basic features. Multitasking becomes a serious issue, and running demanding applications can cause the phone to slow to a crawl. The included camera supports decent audio quality, but it lacks any stabilization, making videos very shaky.
Everyday tasks will leave you frustrated thanks to the underpowered Mediatek CPU, with users saying that even accessing the keyboard is sluggish. The included 3GB of RAM simply isn’t enough to keep up with modern applications. It’s a little surprising that this smartphone from 2021 is still being sold today, especially when so many mid-range devices blow it out of the water and only cost a few bucks more.
Umidigi C1
“You get what you pay for” is a popular saying that often comes up when buying something cheap, or that sounds far too good to be true. The Umidigi C1 fits this saying as on the surface everything sounds solid for a budget device. This unlocked smartphone features a large 5150mAh battery, a 6.25″ screen, and a 13MP camera with 2MP depth sensor. But the one thing that really holds this device back is the paltry 2GB of RAM.
Even running Android 12 Go, the Umidigi C1 can’t keep up with only 2GB of RAM. Users who purchased the device constantly face issues with the unit crashing under minor loads, experiencing serious lag in applications and menus, and a battery that doesn’t last as long as stated. One user even noted that the USB-C port can fall apart over time, while another stated that the airplane mode or DND turns on randomly, causing the user to miss important calls.
Paying $60 for a modern smartphone really does seem too good to be true, and that can be seen in the online user reviews of the C1. While Umidigi has been praised for focusing on the budget smartphone market, stay far away from the C1 and spend a little more to get something that won’t leave you frustrated.
TCL 30 Z
TCL is best known for making televisions, so it only makes sense that they would take that expertise into the world of smartphones. The company tends to focus on the mid-range market, while still pushing some impressive tech. But they also have a range of budget-focused devices that, while cheap, leave a lot to be desired. Case in point, the TCL 30 Z.
You can find the TCL 30 Z online for under $100, being listed on sale for $64.99 from the official TCL website. You can often find the phone for less depending on your carrier, with users reporting finding it as low as $40 from Verizon. Featuring a 6.08″ display, 32GB of expandable storage, 3GB of RAM, and a MediaTek chip, the TCL 30 Z sounds like a decent phone for the price on paper.
The problems arise when you start using the device. Users noted that the TCL 30 Z has some strikingly large bezels, comes preloaded with a lot of bloatware, and can often lag and glitch when scrolling through content and using applications. The lack of NFC is a shame, but the real problem is that the phone is still using a micro-USB port to charge. You can easily find something better for not that much more.
BLU G53
Founded in 2009, BLU is one of the smallest manufacturers of smartphones in the United States. This position allows the company to focus its energy into the budget smartphone market, making several phones that are liked by consumers and well-reviewed by critics. But this also means that a number of their devices skimp in certain areas, the BLU G53 being a good case in point.
The BLU G53 features a 6.5″ display, 2GHz Cortex A7 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 5000 mAh battery, and 13MP camera. You get all of this for only $90, making the BLU G53 look like a pretty impressive smartphone for those on a budget. The G53 is also a sleek looking smartphone with very clear design choices and even comes packaged with a rugged case, saving you some money in the process.
Where you’ll run into issues with the BLU G53 is in the software and setup process. Reviews note that the BLU system is not very user-friendly and that Google is deeply embedded into the device, preventing the deletion of several included apps. The BLU setup also recommends you dozens of apps based on your age and gender, while also trying to force special offers onto the user before first starting up.
