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Affordable is a relative concept. What is affordable to one person is not to another. But one thing is clear: when you hear the word affordable, you are thinking about a product or item that costs less than the most expensive in its category. If you are looking for affordable smartphones with the best cameras, it means you don’t want to pay top dollar to get the best camera phone possible. And that is okay.
Thankfully, I am like you: I love great cameraphones, but in the last one year, I have enough evidence that you do not necessarily need to buy expensive flagship phones to have a camera that holds its ground in their circle. As a matter of fact, I own and use one such smartphone as my primary device now, and it is this fantastic cameraphone that I shall kick off this list.
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Affordable smartphones with the best cameras
My list of affordable smartphones with the best cameras span from affordable flagshps all the way down to entry-level phones, so whatever your budget is, there is a phone for you in this article. And so, let’s get to it.
Budget Flagship: Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro
Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro penta camera
If you want a flagship-grade camera without paying flagship money, buy Xiaomi’s 108-megapixel penta-cmaera smartphone, the Mi Note 10 Pro. Its camera is among the top 10 cameras in the smartphone world, standing head-and-shoulder above many Samsung Galaxy, Huawei, and Apple flagship phones.
It isn’t about the megapixels but about what is done with it, and Xiaomi did an excellent job with this one. There is not one person who has seen photos taken with my Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro who has not commented on how fantastic the photos are.
It has got a massive 5260mAh battery and 30W quick charge technology, NFC, a Snapdragon 730G chipset and 8GB of RAM. Internal storage is a whopping 256GB.
This is the king of affordable smartphones with the best cameras, at least as far as 2020 is concerned. Who knows what other mid-range smartphone will show up to edge it away? You can read my Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro revew , as well as other articles I have written about it, like: Enchanted With Munoyedi: a photoshoot with Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro and Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro is the first mid-ranger with a camera that outperforms premium smartphones .
How much does it cost? It costs US$480 or ₦225,000. If that is too much for you, there is a non-Pro version that costs about $400 or ₦190,000. It has the same 108-megapixel penta-camera but with a 7P lens instead of 8P on the Pro version. RAM and storage are also downgraded to 6GB and 128GB respectively.
Upper Mid-range: Google Pixel 4a
If you were expecting to see Google Pixel 4a first, sorry; it shows up in second place. This is another star among affordable smartphones with the best cameras. But even the Pixel 4 does not measure up to the Mi Note 10 Pro’s photography prowess, how much more the 4a. So second place it is.
The main shooter is a 12-megapixel camera, but do not let the small megapixel count fool you; it takes superb shots. The selfie camera has an 8-megapixel lens. Like the Mi Note 10 Pro, it is powered by a Snapdragon 730G chipset, but it has 6GB RAM and half the storage. The battery is a 3140 mAh unit and has 18W fast charging capability.
The Pixel 4a has a 5.81 inches screen and is also the handiest, and perhaps lightest, device on this list. If you are a fan of compact phones , you will love the size of ths one.
Middle Mid-range: OPPO A92
If you are hunting for affordable smartphones with the best camera in the sub-$300 price range, OPPO’s new A92 takes the cake. This mid-ranger packs a 6.5″ display with a punch hole camera, uses a Snapdragon 665 chipset, has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The battery is really good at 5000mAh capacity, coupled with 18W fast charging.
But what you are interested in is the 48-megapixel rear camera, and it stands out in this price segment. You should have a look at our OPPO A92 review . The price of OPPO A92 comes to ₦110,000 only.
Lower mid-range: Nokia 2.3
In the $130 price range, the phone you want to look at is HMD Global’s Nokia 2.3 . It packs a 6.2-inch display, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage memory, 13MP dual camera at the back and a 5MP selfie camera. To keep the lights on is a comfortable 4000mAh battery.
At this price point, don’t expect wow photos, but if there is a phone that delivers the best pictures here, the 2.3 is it. We have a handled one for a short period too, and you can check out our Nokia 2.3 hands-on review .
As already mentioned, the price is about US$130. That is about ₦47,000.
Entry-level: itel P36
There’s a good camera phone for every segment, and in the entry-level segment, itel Mobile rules unchallenged. itel P36 is as good as it gets when it comes to affordable smartphones with the best cameras in its price range. With just ₦34,000, you can get your hands on one.
Bonus Entry-level: TECNO POP 4
I am mentioning the POP 4 because it is in the same price range as itel P36 and offers a comparative photography performance. For some reason, TECNO POP 4 is hard to find in the market, but if you are iinterested in affordable smartphones with the best camera in the entry-level category, it gives itel P36 a run for its money, and you should check it out. They cost pretty much the same.
PS : You might be interested in our list of affordable smartphones with long battery life .
Author:Mister Mobility
Digital Skills and Communication Coach | Mobile Phone Connoisseur since 2001 | Tech Blogging since 2004
Add MobilityArena as a preferred source on Google
The concept of an item being affordable is a relative one. What is affordable to one person is not to another. But one thing is clear: when you hear the word affordable, you are thinking about a product or item that costs less than the most expensive in its category. If you are looking for affordable smartphones with long battery life, there is no question about the fact that you are not interested in the most expensive smartphone around.
Nobody wants to carry around a smartphone that constantly needs to be plugged into a power source during the day. If you spend a lot of time on your smartphone and away from a power socket, you definitely want one with great battery life.
Affordable smartphones with long battery life
You won’t find any Apple iPhones or Google Pixels on this list. Neither of those brands are known for exceptional battery life. But you will find Pixels among affordable smartphone with the best cameras . All the phones listed in this article will allow you go about your full work day with peace of mind. You won’t have to worry about your smartphone dying on you. Some of them will see you through two days of moderate usage.
Also, I have included phones at every possible affordable price point, from budget flagshps down all the way to entry-level Android phones. There are no premium flagship devices listed here, as they defeat the whole idea of “affordable”.
Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite
The Note 10 Lite has the same screen size, same processor, and same 5260mAh battery of its Note 10 and Note 10 Pro siblings, but lacks their super 108MP penta-camera. It has a 64-megapixel quad camera instead. The selfie camera is also not as capable.
In essence, what you have here is an affordable flagship with very good battery life. If there is anything that I enjoy about my Xiaomi Note 10 Pro, apart from the great camera, it is the very good battery life that it delivers. Xiaomi Note 10 Lite offers that as well without carrying some of the heavier loads that its siblings do. That means it will deliver even better battery life. And whenever you need to top up that battery, it happens very fast, thanks to 30W fast charging.
Got around $350 or ₦ 170,000 to spare? Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite it is.
OPPO A92
OPPO A92 is such a well-rounded package – a decent Snapdragon 665 processor, lots of RAM (6GB), and a big 128GB storage. And here, those features combine with the 6.5″ display and massive 5000mAh battery to deliver exceptional battery life on a budget.
Charge this device up fully and you are good for a full day, with lots to spare. If you are a moderate smartphone user, you will get 2 full days out of this. Whatever your usage pattern, you will not have to worry about running out of juice half-way through your day.
If you are hunting for affordable smartphones with long battery life and have about $250 or ₦110,000 to spend, go get OPPO A92. Speaking of which, you just might be interested in our OPPO A92 review .
TECNO Pouvoir 4 series
If there are any phones designed to be affordable smartphones with long battery life as the key selling point, it is TECNO’s Pouvoir range. And the Pouvoir 4 series is made up of 3 smartphones, and they all deserve to be mentioned here. They all have a 7-inch display and a 6000mAh battery, and they last and last.
The series includes the following:
- Pouvoir 4 – 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM: ₦ 52,000
- Pouvoir 4 Pro – 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM: ₦ 67,000
- Pouvoir 4 Pro – 6GB RAM, 128GB ROM: ₦ 80,000
You will have to charge up the Pouvoir 4 the old slow way; it has no fast charging system built in. The 4 Pro models, however, have 18W fast charging for speedy top-ups.
Whichever one of the trio you pick, you will get at least 2 days of moderate use on it, and a full day of more intensive use.
Xiaomi Redmi 8A
Once we drop down to the sub- ₦ 50,000 price range, it is difficult to ignore the Redmi 8A. It sports a 6.2″ display, Snapdragon 439 chipset, 2GB RAM, 32GB ROM, a 5000mAh battery and 18W fast charging. It is a dream package for lovers of solid battery life in a smartphone. At this price point, the competition is limited if you are searching for affordable smartphones with long battery life.
The price of Redmi 8A as at the time of this article is ₦47,000.
Nokia 2.3
A 6.2″ display, Helio A22 chipset, 4000mAh battery, and stock Android OS makes for a lean machine that goes easy on battery drain. And that is what the Nokia 2.3 delivers. There is 2GB RAM and 32GB storage, along with a 13-megapixel dual camera at the back and a 5-megapixel selfie camera in front, and we have a decent performer.
The Nokia 2.3 will keep going when most other phones in its price bracket have powered off. What you will miss is fast charging. It will take you some time to charge up this one to full capacity. But once charged, its battery power management capabilities are hard to beat in its class.
It is in the same price bracket as the Redmi 8A, so make sure you have at least ₦ 47,000 in hand when going shopping. Check out our Nokia 2.3 hands-on review .
Itel A56 and Itel A56 Pro
Combine a 6-inch display with a 4000mAh battery at the entry-level mark, and you have itel Mobile’s twins – itel A56 and itel A56 Pro , two look-alike, affordable smartphones with long battery life. They are essentially the same phones with the exception that the Pro has a more capable processor and 4G LTE.
No; there is no fast charging available on either model. These itel twins will cost you ₦ 33,000 and ₦ 34,000 for the regular and the Pro versions respectively.
itel P15
At the very bottom of the smartphone pyramid of affordable smartphones with long battery life sits itel P15 . It has a smallish 5-inch display and a 4000mAh battery. It is powered by a cheap quad-corfe processor and has only 1GB RAM and 16GB storage.
For just ₦ 25,000, you have a decent entry-level smartphone that should keep you happy battery-wise. You will be hard-pressed to find anything better at this price point.
Author:Mister Mobility
Digital Skills and Communication Coach | Mobile Phone Connoisseur since 2001 | Tech Blogging since 2004
