Budget Android smartphones are dime a dozen and if you are looking for a smartphone in the sub-Rs. 8k price bracket, you are spoilt for choice.
With the recent launch of the Karbonn Smart A12 we thought we’d take a look at some of the budget Android smartphones that you can consider in the same price bracket.
To start with, we have the Huawei Y300. The smartphone launched recently and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The other contender is the Xolo A700. We are really impressed with the specs and the display of this budget device.
To start with, lets take a look at the specifications of the three smartphones:
| Particulars | Karbonn A12 | Xolo A700 | Huawei Ascend Y300 |
| Display Size | 4.5-inch | 4.5-inch | 4-inch |
| Display Resolution | 480×854 | 960×540 | 480×800 |
| Rear Camera | 5MP | 5MP | 5MP |
| Front Camera | Yes | 0.3MP | 0.3MP |
| Processor | 1GHz | 1GHz dual-core | 1GHz dual-core |
| RAM | 512MB | 512MB | 512MB |
| OS | Android 4.0 ICS | Android 4.0 ICS | Android 4.1 Jelly Bean |
| Dual-SIM | Yes | Yes | No |
| Battery | 1800mAh | 1700mAh | 1730mAh |
| Built-in storage | 4GB | 4GB (2GB User available) | 1GB |
| Expandable storage | up to 32GB via a microSD card | up to 32GB via a microSD card | up to 32GB via a microSD card |
| Price | Rs. 7,990 | Rs. 9,999 | Rs. 7,980 |
All the three smartphones have a display size smaller than 5-inches. We have the Huawei Ascend Y300 which has the smallest display at 4-inches. The display has a resolution of 480×800, which is standard in this price range. On the other hand we have the Karbonn A12, which has a 4.5-inch display with a resolution of 480×854. The most impressive display is the one on the Xolo A700 with a resolution of 960×540 giving it a PPI of 244. The panel on the display too is IPS. From what we’ve seen the display on the Xolo A700 is the best of the lot and the clear winner on paper.
The rear camera of all the three devices is at par at 5MP and the front facing camera too is the same at 0.3MP. The performance variation of the three cameras is negligible.
Karbonn Smart A12
The Huawei Ascend Y300 and the Xolo A700 have a dual-core processor, which gives them quite an edge when compared to the single core processor on the Karbonn A12. The RAM on all the three smartphones is the same at 512MB but the dual-core nature of the processor on two of the smartphones gives them an edge in terms of multitasking, raw performance and smoothness of use.
The one are where the Huawei Ascend Y300 stands out is that it runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean straight out of the box. This means that you have access to features such as Project Butter, Google Now and more from the get go. The other two smartphones run on the out dated Android 4.0 ICS and there is no concrete information about the OS update. If you want the latest OS and access to all the features that Android 4.1 brings, then the Huawei Ascend Y300 is the device for you.
Huawei Ascend Y300
If having two numbers active on your smartphone is a necessity, then the Karbonn A12 and the Xolo A700 are the devices for you to consider as they boast of dual-SIM functionality.
The built-in storage of all the three smartphones is nothing to boast about, but the one with the least is the Huawei Ascend Y300 at 1GB. This means that you will have to purchase a microSD card if are looking to download a lot of apps, games and store your music and videos on the device as well.
Xolo A700
The battery on the Karbonn A12 has the highest value at 1800mAh. The other two smartphones, the Xolo A700 and the Huawei Ascend Y300 are far behind with 1700mAh and 1730mAh respectively.
Conclusion
Based on grounds of specifications, we think the Xolo A700 wins when it comes to a fantastic display and smooth performance because of the dual-core processor under the hood. It also supports dual-SIM capabilities.
The Huawei Ascend Y300 on the other hand may not have dual-SIM capabilities but it runs on Android 4.1 JB, which means that its overall performance will be smooth, and it has access to Google Now, Project Butter and other content goodies from the 4.1 update. On the down side, the display may not be the best and the built-in storage is really low.
The Karbonn A12 has a single-core processor and runs on Android 4.0 ICS. The display resolution is average and the only place it outshines the other two devices is with its higher battery capacity. It also shows off dual-SIM capabilities.