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4 reasons to buy a used laptop instead of a budget alternative
If you're on a budget, it might be easy to go for a low-end laptop or Chromebook. But don't rule out used or refurbished machines.
Budget and midrange devices are becoming more capable than ever, and our favorite cheap laptops are no exception. It's possible to get a brand-new, capable daily driver for around $500 or $600 in 2024. However, if that's above what you can spend, the buying situation gets complicated. For people that can spend just a few hundred on a laptop, you basically have three options. First, you can buy a low-end Windows laptop that is barely serviceable, usually featuring massive compromises like slow processors, eMMC storage, or older and low available memory. There's also the Chromebook route, but the best ones are still quite expensive and ChromeOS might be limiting for some. These factors are why I'd recommend exploring the third and final option, which is purchasing a used laptop.
Best budget monitors in 2024
You don't have to spend a fortune to get a good monitor these days — here's what you need to know.
Many of the best monitors on the market can reach well into a four-figure price tag, putting them out of consideration for a vast majority of users. The good news is that even value-oriented monitors are generally great these days, as panel technology has matured to the point that both IPS and VA are viable options. Maybe you need specific features, like USB-C input, to use with one of the best laptops as a one-cable connection for power and display. Or you could want a faster refresh rate for high-intensity gaming use. Whether your goal is productivity or gaming, we have you covered with the best budget monitors available.
Nokia 3.1 Plus Android One smartphone launches in India
The Nokia 3.1 Plus has launched in India, and will be available for purchase from October 19th. It is also part of the Android One program.
HMD Global has been pretty active as of late, first unveiling the Nokia 7.1 in London last week as part of the Android One program. Now they've launched the Nokia 3.1 Plus in India, also a part of the Android One program.
Android Go - How does Google's lightweight ecosystem compare to the original?
Android Go is Google's lightweight version of Android and features a number of specially made applications too. We've compared them to their full versions.
Android Go is Google's lightweight mobile platform that aims to run on lower system specifications than usual. It's aimed at developing and lower-income areas, where devices with poor processors and small amounts of RAM will be most prevalent. It exists basically to make sure that those in developing nations can still avail of applications and products in the smartphone world. As such, lower specifications requires some applications to be reworked in order to work within smaller RAM constraints. YouTube Go, Maps Go, Gmail Go, and Google Go are all examples of these applications, and third-parties offer them too. But that's not all, as a number of modifications are made to keep system requirements even lower. RAM compression, reduced system memory usage, and better memory management ensures the device will be as quick as can be.
Blackview A20 Review - One of the First Android Go Phones
The Blackview A20 is one of the first Android Go phones to hit the market, and we've reviewed one supplied to us, courtesy of Blackview.
For those unfamiliar, Android Go is Google's stripped down version of Android designed to run on lower-end hardware. It's optimized to ideally run on about 1GB of RAM, but it can go lower or higher. It was developed for the next generation of entry-level devices so that those in developing nations can still purchase affordable smartphones that do everything a user may need. The Blackview A20 is an Android Go-based smartphone. We'll be focusing largely on the software experience, as that's where all of the changes under the hood reside.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 and Snapdragon 439 may be coming for Android Go devices
Qualcomm is preparing to launch the Snapdragon 429 and Snapdragon 439. These chips are aimed at low-end hardware such as Android Go phones.
There are some folks who don't need the power of the Snapdragon 845 or even a mid-range chipset like the Snapdragon 636. Sure, it can be nice to have but this increases the overall cost of the device and this can be the sole reason why someone delays getting a new smartphone (or even their first smartphone). Google is attempting to solve this with a modified version of Android 8.1 Oreo that they're calling Android Go and a new rumor suggests that Qualcomm will soon launch two chipsets (the Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 439) designed with this version of Android in mind.
Xiaomi Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime: Quick First Impressions
We got a chance to go hands-on with the Xiaomi Redmi 3S and the Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime! Read on for our quick first impressions of the new budget devices!
Xiaomi's Indian launches are accompanied with a lot of fanfare: there's big venues, a lot of Mi fans are invited, extensive talks and demo... they go the whole nine yards. But with the Redmi 3S, Xiaomi chose to come in without too much ceremony.
How do YOU Define Smartphone Brackets (Mid-range, etc)? Price, or Specs?
Join us in a debate where we look at how we define smartphone brackets, from specifications to price and also the implicit geographical context!
The open nature of Android has led to many things. While the fragmentation experienced in the ecosystem can be frustrating due to slow updates, developers also have similar headaches to developing an Android app and having to work across different software versions and hardware configurations.
Only Have $100? Here are the Best Phones You Can Get (Part 1)
Jordan is going to be spending a lot of quality time with four devices under $100. We're going to crown the "King of Sub-$100 Android phones."
Enough talk about flagships. Let's scrape the bottom of the barrel and see what can be had for those on the tightest of budgets. Let's find the best sub-$100 phone available. Because the reality is that while you might be forgoing a super-high resolution screen and amounts of RAM that some manufacturers still can't take advantage of, ahem, there are a lot of really solid choices out there if you don't have much to spend on a new phone.