Having a smartphone that can send SMSs, WhatsApp messages, connect you to Facebook and allow you to Snapchat (or use Instagram Stories) is vital in the 21st century, the problem is that most smartphones can cost a small fortune.
If your budget is tight but you’re in need of a capable smartphone, we’ve rounded up 5 of the best smartphones currently available in South Africa for under R1500!
Samsung J1 Mini
Samsung is known for their high-end Android smartphones but the company makes low-end and mid-range handsets which pack a punch.
The J1 Mini might not pack the heavy hitting internals of the Galaxy S8 or Note 7 but it’s a more than capable budget handset.
Available in black, gold or white, the J1 Mini has a 5MP rear-facing camera and a 0.3MP front-facing camera. It also features 8GB internal storage which is expandable thanks to the inclusion of an SD card slot.
Weighing only 126g and rocking a 4-inch display, the J1 Mini will give you hours of use thanks to its 1500mAh battery.
This might not be a flashy Android smartphone, but it’s one that will definitely get the job done.
Cost: From R1399.00
Doogee X5 Pro
Doogee might not be a well known name in the local smartphone market but their low cost Android handsets are certainly worth taking a look at.
The X5 Pro packs quite a lot into a sub-R1500 package:
5-inch HD display (1280×720)
Mediatek quad-core processor
2MP front facing camera + 5MP rear facing camera
1GB RAM
15GB on-board storage (expandable via SD card slot)
Android 5.1 pre-installed
Cost: From R1299.00
Nokia Lumia 520
The only Windows Mobile handset on the list, Nokia’s Lumia 520 was one of the last handsets manufactured under the Nokia brand.
Weighing in at a scant 124g, the Lumia 520 runs on Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 OS, has a 5MP rear-facing camera (no front-facing camera unfortunately) and is available in a range of eye-popping colours.
It packs a 1430mAh battery, 8GB internal memory (expandable via SD card) FM radio and a 4-inch display.
Despite a few cutbacks, the Lumia 520 proves to be packed with essential features that you’ll be using every day.
Samsung Z4
Samsung makes some of the best Android powered handsets on the market, but what many people don’t know is that they also have their own operating system called Tizen.
The Z4 is one of Samsung’s Tizen powered smartphones, and has a some decent specs for a smartphone of this price:
A 4.5-inch WVGA display, 5MP rear-facing camera and 5MP front-facing camera, 1GB RAM, 8GB built-in (expandable) storage, and a 2050mAh battery.
Because this is a Tizen powered phone, you won’t find as many apps for the handset as you will on an Android or iOS smartphone.
Alcatel Pixi 4
Alcatel was once a darling of the smartphone world before they were called smartphones.
These days, the French company appears to have faded into the woodwork thanks to the more well-known smartphone brands from South Korea and China, however, they do still make smartphones.
The Pixi 4 aims to bring mobile connectivity to more people in South Africa.
The handset features a 8MP rear-facing camera and a 5MP front-facing camera as well as a 6.0-inch touchscreen display.
Internally the device is packing a quad core 1.1 GHz CPU and runs Android 5.1 (Lollipop) out of the box.
It has a 2580mAh battery and has 16GB internal memory (which is expandable via SD card).
Cost: R899.00
