Best Budget Android Smartphone?

[c3ntury]

My brother is considering an upgrade from his old Sony Ericsson phone.. and since he doesn't have ?300-?400 to spend on an iPhone or a Windows Phone 7 phone, I suspect that an Android phone would suit him perfectly.

His budget is ?120-?200, and heres a rough idea of what he's looking for in a phone -

Captitive touch screen.

Future-proofness in a way, he is going to be having the phone for at least a year or perhaps 2 years, and he wants access to Gingerbread if at all possible, preferably via official updates rather then custom ROMs.

Expandable storage for up to 32GB (he has a 32GB memory card which is full of his videos and the like). Internal storage size doesn't need to be big.

Camera quality doesn't matter (he won't be using it).

Reasonable resolution.

I have been looking around and the HTC Wildfire looks good, but it has a low resolution which can stop the phone from running certain applications and the like.. meanwhile I also saw the Orange Sanfransico / ZTE Blade, which looked perfectly and was even under my budget - but it was lacking that future-proof aspect which he is looking for.

Any opinions and advice would be very much appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

C3NTURY.

[Olemus]

My parents bought eachother Wildfires for Christmas after I recommended them based on the Desire I have.

They're very nice phones and would certainly recommend one, the only drawback is the slightly low resolution screen but for the price I don't think you can complain.

Phones4u have them on special atm http://www.phones4u.co.uk/shop/shop_payg_details.asp?ItemKey=424400&intcid=Homepage_Find_Phone__PAYG_HTC_HTC%20Wildfire%20White

Only ?130+?10 top up (?140 total) which is an absolute steal for a decent android phone imo.

[null.]

I've got the HTC Wildfire, and the lower screen resolution really isn't that a big deal. Good quality phone, runs smooth. Got updated to Android 2.2.1 a few weeks ago. HTC haven't announced which of their current phones will be getting 2.3, but the Wildfire's hardware is capable of running it. :)

[Vortex566]

I would say pick up an Orange San Francisco. I've seen one in action it's easy to unlock can take 2.2 and just seems to be a rather nice phone. It's only ?99 to, and that price it's a steal.

[NightSt@lk3r]

I would say pick up an Orange San Francisco. I've seen one in action it's easy to unlock can take 2.2 and just seems to be a rather nice phone. It's only ?99 to, and that price it's a steal.

Agree, its pretty much the same spec as a Wildfire but with a much better screen.

I have one running Froyo and its is fantastic for the price, plus a couple of friends who have had a play with it are now trying to sell there wildfire's.

[Susan Boyles Facial Hair]

I'm very tempted to pick up a Desire HD. Love the look of them. Would be on a contract though. So my post is of no value here

[Singh400]

I would say pick up an Orange San Francisco. I've seen one in action it's easy to unlock can take 2.2 and just seems to be a rather nice phone. It's only ?99 to, and that price it's a steal.

+1 on Orange San Francisco.

[nubs]

I would say nexus S but it doesn't support expandable storage. However it can always be used as a mountable hard drive.

[acnpt]

Orange San Fran is better than htc wildfire.

Plus it is getting roms released.

I might be selling my San Fran soon too.

[The_Observer]

i just got me a U8150 IDEOS phone. Love it cost me 150NZD now i can share out my Internet to my Ipad!!!

[hjf288]

LG Optimus GT540 - doesnt have capacitive screen (No multitouch) but it isnt horrible, it runs really fast and is generally decent.

[c3ntury]

I'm going to see if anything decent is announced at CES.. but at the moment, I have my heart set on a San Francisco!

[mr.r9]

+1 on Orange San Francisco.

+2. Seriously you can't find a better valued device.

[Richard Hammond]

No budget phone is going to be futureproof, i think froyo is going to be the max you can hope for. The positives with San Fran are that its cheap, has good specs with capacitive oled display and because of this loads of people are porting roms to it, on modaco android forum i wouldnt be surprised if they start porting 2.3 gingerbread.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

I got my GF and mum a SanFran and they love them! Neither are tecchies either. But at that price, an Android handset was a steal!

[c3ntury]

i wouldnt be surprised if they start porting 2.3 gingerbread.

They are already working on it, theres no CPU limit set by Google on how good the CPU has to be to run it, so it's perfectly possible!

+2. Seriously you can't find a better valued device.

Yeah, thats the impression I'm getting.

Anyway, thanks for all your help guys, much appreciated! :)

[NightSt@lk3r]

2.3 is already running on the blade, just need to get all the hardware working properly now.

2.2 on the San Fransisco makes it one hell of a quick phone

[Digitalx]

for the lower end of the scale I'd say either HTC Wildfire or Samsung Galaxy Apollo. Not sure about those other devices as never heard of them but I'd say go for wildfire personally. Just don't get hopes up on official gingerbread knowing how every OEM is with updates especially HTC. If you want up to date and easy to root then have to go for nexus one or something.

[c3ntury]

2.2 on the San Fransisco makes it one hell of a quick phone

Aye, I saw that chart myself on http://www.modaco.com/, was really surprised at the Desire's speed.

[NightSt@lk3r]

Aye, I saw that chart myself on http://www.modaco.com/, was really surprised at the Desire's speed.

Thats the result from my San Fransisco running Japanese Jellyfish RLS2 with the 50% AHB OC addon, the phone runs so smooth.

[c3ntury]

Thats the result from my San Fransisco running Japanese Jellyfish RLS2 with the 50% AHB OC addon, the phone runs so smooth.

I saw the one over at http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blade-blade-modaco-com/327579/rom-froyo-japanese-jellyfish-rls2-2010-12-29-oled-tft/

So you would recommend that phone then? Are there any major flaws apart from the shoddy camera? I have a decent compact for photo taking so the phone camera doesn't matter.

[NightSt@lk3r]

I saw the one over at http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blade-blade-modaco-com/327579/rom-froyo-japanese-jellyfish-rls2-2010-12-29-oled-tft/

So you would recommend that phone then? Are there any major flaws apart from the shoddy camera? I have a decent compact for photo taking so the phone camera doesn't matter.

I would recommend it to anyone, the camera in good light is pretty good actually its just really bad in low light.

For £100 you get a phone that in performance terms and features compares to phones that are going for £400.