Getting a budget device is always challenging. You need to be careful so you can buy a device that gives you the best value for money.
Many smartphones are out there, and the list is endless, with OEMs churning out different devices daily.
But what happens when you need a budget device as you can’t afford the top brands like the Samsung Galaxy, OnePlus, and Huawei Mate series?
To save you from stress, I have rounded up some of the best Android devices below N45,000 (on Jumia or retail outlets) that will give you the best performance and satisfaction:
PS: For non-techies, while considering the device specifications, it is good to consider the processor, its cores (octa-core is better than quad-core), and also the clock speed. Then, consider the RAM, which determines how fast your device will respond.
NOTE: Some devices on this list are below N45000, while others are only available at a discount; thus, they may be sold out quickly. All prices are correct as of when written.
Also, devices that use Android 7 and below are not included (except they can be upgraded)
Here Are The Best Android Phones Below N45,000 in 2021
Huawei Y6 Prime 2019
The Huawei Y6 Prime 2019 lives up to its reputation in this category. This stunning device has excellent specifications that many people will love.
The Huawei Y6 Prime uses a waterdrop notch and a narrow bottom chin to achieve a 6-inch display with a 720 x 1560 pixel resolution and 19.5:9 aspect ratio.
The 4G device is protected with front glass. The camera has a single 8MP selfie camera and a 13 MP rear module.
A MediaTek Helio A22 with Quad-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 chipset control processes is supported by a PowerVR GE8320 GPU and 2 GB RAM. The 32 GB storage space is also expandable to 512 GB via micro SD.
The phone runs Android 9.0 Pie under EMUI skin and has a 3020 mAh battery. The phone is priced at around N44,000.
Nokia 5.1 (Nokia x5)
Nokia 5.1 Plus, also known as the Nokia X5, fits well into this category. The phone giant’s 5.86-inch display with 3 GB RAM variant is also below N45000. The 4G device has an IPS LCD screen with a 1520 x 720-pixel resolution.
With durable glass protection on both sides of the phone, the device uses a Mediatek Helio P60 Octa-core processor clocked at 2.0 GHz. As stated above, 3GB of RAM space and 32 GB storage are available.
Memory cards up to 400 GB are also supported. The camera modules include a 13 MP + 5 MP dual rear camera and an 8MP front shooter. The 3060mAh battery device also supports USB Type C.
The Phone runs Android 8.1 and is upgradeable to Android 9.0 Pie. It is priced at around N45,000.
Lenovo A5
Lenovo A5 is a 4 G-enabled device with decent specifications. Although the screen size may put some people off, it is still worth buying.
The 5.45-inch device uses an IPS LCD screen with 720 x 1440 pixels. There is a single 13 MP rear camera module with a flashlight and an 8 MP selfie camera.
MediaTek MT6739 quad-core chip clocked at 1.5GHz alongside 3 GB of RAM space. For storage, there is 16 GB of space.
A 4000 mAh battery supplies power while the device’s Android 8.0 Oreo OS under the ZUI 9 skin is upgradeable. The phone is priced around N31,000.
Umidigi One
Umidigi One smartphone is one of the best iPhone clones in the market, with nice specifications that will thrill you in this segment. The 4G device uses a notch display and a thin chin to achieve an edge-to-edge design.
The front notch houses the selfie camera, and the phone’s back has a dual camera cutout. The fingerprint sensor is located at the side of the phone.
The 5.9-inch HD+ display has a 1520 x 720 resolution and a 19:9 aspect ratio. The internal modules include a 16 MP selfie camera and 12MP + 5MP rear camera modules assisted by a flashlight.
A Helio P23 SoC with octa-core chips clocked at 2.0 GHz is on board. For graphics, there is ARM Mali G71 MP2 clocked at 700 MHz.
If you choose to buy this device, you will get 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage space, expandable to 256 GB via an external storage card.
A 3550 mAh battery with fast charging provides power, and the software onboard is Android 8.1 Oreo, which can be upgraded to Android 9. There is also Wireless charging and NFC support. The phone is priced around N43,900.
Ulefone X
The Ulefone X is another beautiful iPhone clone that features a Glass Sandwich Design (there is protective glass on both the front and back).
Like in most notched devices, the notch in the Ulefone X houses the selfie camera module, among other sensors.
There is a fingerprint module at the back and a dual camera setup. The 4G device has a 5.85-inch display with an 18.9:9 aspect ratio and 1512 x 720 resolution.
The camera modules are also quite nice. The selfie camera module is 8 MP, while the dual rear camera is 13MP + 5MP Sony IMX modules with LED flash.
For hardware components, the Ulefone X has a MediaTek Helio P23 octa-core chipset clocked at 2.) Ghz. For graphics, there is ARM Mali G71 MP2 clocked at 700 MHz.
In the memory segment, there is 4GB of RAM and 64 GB storage space, which can be expanded to 256 GB using a micro SD. The battery segment has a 3300 mAh battery with Qi Wireless Charging.
The phone runs on Android 8.1 with OS updates. The phone is priced around N41,000.
Xiaomi Redmi 6
The Redmi series happens to be Xiaomi’s series targeting the budget device market, and the Redmi 6 is one of the cheapest Xiaomi devices around.
While the device may not sport an ultra-modern design due to the absence of notches or bezels, it still packs some nice specs.
The 4G enabled device has a polycarbonate body common among budget smartphones and also a dual camera cut out at the bank, next to the fingerprint sensor.
The display is 5.45 inches with 720×1440 resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio. A single 5 MP front-facing camera module is in charge of selfie shots, while a dual 12MP + 5MP camera module sits at the back.
The phone’s MediaTek Helio P22 octa-core processor, clocked at 2.0GHz, controls phone affairs alongside a PowerVR GE8320 graphical processing unit. 3 GM of RAM manages application multitasking, while storage space is 32 GB.
A 3000mAh battery provides power, and the software is Android 8.1 Oreo under the MIUI 9 skin.
Though a planned OS upgrade to Android 9.0 Pie has been canceled, the device will still receive MIUI updates up to MIUI 11. The phone is priced at around N40,000.
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
Following the Redmi 6 is the Redmi 6A. The 4G device maintains the same display size and body design as the Redmi 6, though with a single rear camera and a few internal changes.
The Redmi 6A uses a 5MP selfie camera module and a single 13MP rear camera module. Though it has the same OS (Android 8.1 Oreo under MIUI 9) as the Remi 6, the processor differs.
The Redmi 6A uses quad-core MediaTek Helio A22 chips clocked at 2.0 GHz and a PowerVR Rogue GE8300 graphical processing unit.
Another change is the available RAM space. The Redmi 6A has 2 GB of RAM paired with 16 GB of storage space.
It also has a 3000mAh battery but lacks a fingerprint sensor, relying on Face Unlock for security.
PS: The Redmi 6A does not have a 32GB version. You can confirm this information on their official site here. The phone is priced at around N34,000.
Infinix Smart 3 Plus
The Infinix Smart 3 Plus is the latest addition to the Infinix family. It has a modern display with a teardrop notch and a triple camera setup.
It is the second Infinix phone to have a triple camera setup. The device’s display is 6.2 inches and also has a 19:9 aspect ratio.
The rear camera consists of 16 MP, 2 MP, and QVGA lenses, all AI-assisted. You also get an 8 MP selfie camera.
This is coupled with the Helio P22 Quad-core processor clocked at 2GHz, 2 GB or 3 GB of RAM Space, and 32 GB storage space. The phone is priced around N43,000.
Umidigi S2 Lite
The Umidigi S2 lite has the best battery and probably the highest RAM space in this list. The 4G device looks like a Samsung clone with an edge-to-edge curved display. The rear camera, flash, and fingerprint are arranged vertically on the device.
The 6.0-inch device uses an IPS LCD touchscreen with 1440 x 720 resolution, which is common among devices in this category. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4
The 5 MP front camera is decent, while the 16MP + 0.3 rear camera modules should also provide good photography.
The device uses the MediaTek 6750T octa-core SoC, which has a frequency of 1.5GHz and is assisted by an ARM Mali-t860 MP2 GPU, which is clocked at 650MHz.
The Umidigi S2 Lite also has 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage space, which can be expanded to 256 GB using a memory card.
A 5100 mAh battery with Pump Express fast charge technology provides power. The phone runs Android 8.0 Oreo, which can be upgraded to 8.1 and 9. It is priced at around N45,000 at a discount.
Lenovo K5
Another 4 G-enabled device on this list is the Lenovo K5. It has slim bezels, a 5.7-inch display, and a dual rear camera cutout.
Though this device should not make this list, considering its OS is Android 7 Nougat, here it is since it has OS updates.
The Lenovo K5 uses an IPS LCD capacitative screen with 720 x 1440 pixels. Its 5.7-inch display has an aspect ratio of 18:9. The phone has a single 8MP selfie camera and a 13 MP + 5 MP dual rear camera module.
The MediaTek MT6750V/CB octa-core SoC clocked at 1.5GHz in the hardware department. It also has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage space.
There is a 3000 mAh battery to provide juice, and as stated earlier, it runs on Android 7.1 off the box. The phone is priced at around N35,000.
Infinix Hot 7
The Infinix Hot 7 is the successor to the Infinix Hot 6. It is a notched device with either 1GB RAM / 16GB or 2 GB RAM / 32 GB ROM. The Mediatek MT6580 quad-core processor is on board, and it runs at 1.3 GHz.
Both devices have a 6.2-inch display, run Android Oreo 8.1, and have a 13 MP rear camera and 8 MP selfie camera. The phone is priced between N33,000 and N38000.
Umidigi A3
Umidigi A3 happens to be a budget phone that can compete with other budget devices when it comes to specifications.
It is also much cheaper than the Infinix devices. Ever since Umidigi’s deal with Jumia to supply Nigerians with phones, their products have steadily gained attention.
The A3 delivers a triple slot (two slots for a sim and one slot for an external card). The 5.5-inch device also comes with 12 MP + 5 MP rear camera and 8 MP selfie camera. You get the MediaTek MT6739 quad-core chipset with 1.5 GHz clock speed.
It’s fair enough for a budget device but also strong enough to allow dual 4G VoLTE connectivity. The PowerVR GE8100, clocked at 570 MHz, handles graphics.
The phone also has 2 GB RAM, 16 GB storage, and a 3300 mAh battery. It is priced at around N25,000.
Umidigi A3 Pro
The Umidigi A3 pro offers just a little more than the A3, but I would prefer this device over the A3 anytime.
While it maintains the same dimensions and weight as the A3, it offers more RAM, display, and storage space.
For Display, you get a 5.7-inch notched screen, 3 GB RAM, and 32 GB ROM. The camera remains the same as the A3. The phone is priced around N33,000.
Tecno Spark 3
Tecno Spark 3 is a nice youth-focused series from Tecno Mobility. It has a 6.2-inch notched screen with a 720 x 1520 resolution.
It also delivers a 19:9 aspect ratio. In terms of hardware, you get a quad-core MediaTek MT6580 processor, 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB storage.
There is also a 13 MP rear Camera lens and an 8MP selfie shooter. It runs on Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition). The phone is priced around N33,000.
Itel P33
Itel P33 is one of the latest additions to the Itel Power series. It offers a 5.5-inch display screen with an 18:9 aspect ratio.
The dual rear camera combination at the back of the Itel P33 comprises a main 8MP shooter with an f/2.2 aperture and a secondary 5MP sensor. It is equipped with an LED flash for low-light shots and can shoot 1080p videos at 30fps.
The front-facing unit is a single 5MP shooter with an f/2.0 aperture, AI Face recognition, and the ability to shoot 1080p videos at 30fps. It has 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB storage space, and a 4000 mAh battery.
The processor is the MediaTek MT6580 SoC, a Quad-core chipset clocked at 1.3GHz paired with a Mali 400 MP2 GPU. The phone is priced around N24,000.
Itel P33 Plus
The Itel P33 Plus rivals its Transsion brothers (Infinix Hot 7 (1 GB version) and Tecno Spark 3) in terms of specifications and offers more power for a lesser price. The display sector has a 6.0-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio.
Inside the Itel P33 Plus is the same MediaTek MT6580 SoC on the Itel P33, which is a Quad-core chipset clocked at 1.3GHz paired with a Mali 400 MP2 GPU.
This is hooked up to the 1GB of RAM that runs the Android 8.1 Oreo Go Edition, which is covered with Itel’s UI.
This device’s 16GB of storage can be expanded up to 32GB via the onboard microSD slot. It has a 5000 mAh battery and is priced around N27,000.
Tecno Pouvior 2 (LA7)
The Tecno Pouvior happens to be the power series of Tecno Mobiles, and this phone has a 5000 mAh battery.
The Tecno Pouvoir 2, AKA Tecno LA7, has a polycarbonate body with reduced bezels, giving it a 6-inch display size with 1440 x 720-pixel resolution. There is also a single-looking front camera and a single rear camera.
The front camera has an 8MP module with soft flash, while the rear camera module is 13 MP with LED flash.
The 4 G device has a quad-core Cortex A73 MediaTek MT6737 processor onboard, clocked at 1.3 GHz, and a Mali-T720 MP1 GPU. It also has 2 GB of RAM space and 16 GB of onboard storage.
The phone has a 5000 mAh battery and runs Android OS 8.1 Oreo. It is priced at around N40,000.
Didn’t know you could get such good phones under N45k
That Nokia X5 and Umidigi One are cool
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