Review of Sim Cards for Unlocked Phones Pc Mag
The research
- Why you lot should trust us
- Who should get this
- How we picked and tested
- Our pick: OnePlus Nord N200 5G
- Flaws just not dealbreakers
- Runner-upwards: Moto 1000 Play (2021)
- Upgrade option: Google Pixel 4a
- The cheapest usable telephone: Samsung Galaxy A02s
- What to look forward to
- The contest
- Footnotes
- Sources
Why you should trust us
Over the past 10 years, I've written more than a million words about Android phones, tablets, and software on sites such as Wirecutter, Android Police, ExtremeTech, and Tested. I've besides lived with dozens of different Android phones equally my "daily drivers" during that time. I apply and review more than phones every year than most people will own in their entire lives.
Who should get this
Adept smartphones take never been cheaper. For less than a quarter of the price of a flagship phone, you tin can get a phone that does nigh as much, minus a few fancy features such as water resistance, wireless charging, or multiple camera modules. A cheap phone doesn't come with a quad-HD (1440p) screen or a top-of-the-line processor, just y'all don't need those things to have a good experience.
Budget phones are excellent for someone getting their first smartphone, especially kids and teenagers, or for the terminally clumsy. If you lose or intermission a college-end phone, peculiarly one you're still paying your carrier for, y'all may have to beat out a lot to supervene upon it—oftentimes $500 or more than. If you don't have insurance, you lot tin end upward paying the balance on a phone you don't have anymore, plus the toll of a new phone.
Budget devices are also unremarkably GSM-unlocked, pregnant you tin can use them on either AT&T or T-Mobile in the The states, every bit well as on about networks in the rest of the globe. A few phones, such as the Moto G Ability and Pixel 4a, besides support CDMA networks like Verizon. More than important, y'all can use unlocked phones on prepaid mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). These depression-price carriers operate on national networks but tend to have more data-usage restrictions or calling limits. Yous can utilize one MVNO, and if a better deal comes along, you tin can just pop in a different SIM carte and get on with your life.
Premium phones still have a place, though. High-stop models provide much better screens and cameras, more than built-in storage, water resistance, wireless charging, faster processors, speedier charging, and amend construction. If you expect to play high-terminate games, multitask, or shoot photos and video on a regular basis, a high-end phone volition serve you better. If your daily routine doesn't include those things, it makes sense to purchase something cheaper.
Inexpensive phones from modest companies are as well more prone to security bug. Budget-device makers have less command over the manufacturing and supply chain, so hardware and software partners tin can intentionally or unintentionally introduce malware into a device. A more reputable budget-phone maker with a strong Usa presence and retail operation can deal with any security issues swiftly. And choosing a phone from a large company such as Samsung, Google, Nokia, Motorola, or LG makes it less probable you'll meet this type of security flaw in the first identify.
How we picked and tested
Later testing dozens of budget smartphones over the past few years, we've found that almost of them aren't worth recommending because of problems that outweigh their low prices, such as abysmal performance, bloated software, useless cameras, exceptional or nonexistent updates, or some combination. Here are the things we look for in a phone before recommending information technology:
- Software: A budget telephone is slower than a high-cease model, and so it's important that the software not be loaded down with unnecessary apps and heavily customized user interfaces that perform poorly. Lower-toll phones also tend to get fewer updates, then they should be running the latest Android software with contempo security patches out of the box. If a manufacturer doesn't have a good history of keeping phones updated, it'south harder to recommend that company'due south phones.
- Performance: Most budget phones have a midrange processor and less retention than expensive phones offer. Any phone we recommend is fast enough to handle basic tasks like email, web browsing, and media playback. Budget phones with the all-time combination of price and functioning usually price between $200 and $300.
- Carrier support: The best budget phones piece of work on all major phone networks, regardless of whether the networks use CDMA technology (Verizon) or GSM engineering science (similar AT&T or T-Mobile). We may recommend standout phones that work but on CDMA or GSM networks, only nosotros won't recommend models that are locked to a single carrier or have poor LTE or 5G band support. While 5G is showing up in some cheap phones, it's not yet a must-have feature even for high-end devices. Nigh budget phones are unlocked, so you can switch carriers; this gives you the most selection when you're shopping around for good deals on a plan.
- Display: Almost budget phones have 1080p screens now, but the minimum adequate resolution is 720p. The screens on budget phones are about always LCD, and they're dimmer and less vibrant than the OLED screens in many high-end phones. We recommend phones with decent brightness, viewing angles, and colors.
- Extra features: Phones toward the peak of the budget range should have features such as a skilful fingerprint sensor to unlock the phone without a passcode, NFC for mobile payments, and back up for newer, faster Wi-Fi and LTE standards. A cheaper phone probably lacks some or all of these features, but it might still be worth purchasing if the price is right.
- Camera: If a good phone camera is a key feature for you, the options are express amid budget smartphones. Even high-end Android phone cameras sometimes struggle, and the further downwardly in price you become, the worse things get. A expert upkeep-phone camera should at least do okay outdoors or in bright light, but you shouldn't expect much in poor calorie-free. If that's important, you should buy a Google Pixel, or movement beyond budget phones.
- Blueprint and build quality: If yous have to buy a new phone after several months because your cheap 1 vicious apart, that defeats the purpose of getting a budget phone in the starting time place. Water resistance is nonetheless rare in budget phones, only these devices should have sturdy bodies that don't bend or creak if you sit down on them, and their buttons and ports should be secure with no wobble.
Our pick: OnePlus Nord N200 5G
Our selection
The OnePlus Nord N200 5G only costs $240, only information technology has features that you would have paid twice equally much to get but last year. At that place'south a crisp, bright smooth-scrolling 1080p screen, a brand new Snapdragon 480 processor with 5G, and a big 5,000 mAh battery that lasts multiple days. It'due south already on Android eleven while most other budget phones are however waiting for the update, and OnePlus's clean version of Android is uncluttered and piece of cake to utilise. The body is all plastic, but it feels solid, and the side-mounted fingerprint sensor is responsive. The camera is mediocre at best, but that's the case for any budget Android phone cheaper than the Pixel 4a.
OnePlus makes a make clean, thoughtfully modified version of Android known as Oxygen OS. At that place are no inapplicable apps or games preloaded on OnePlus phones, and information technology uses Google apps for basic functionality wherever possible. Y'all can become this telephone unlocked or from T-Mobile, and the carrier version will have a handful of extra apps, but you're never going to have to go through and disable a dozen complimentary-to-play games or redundant messaging apps when setting upwards the Nord. Oxygen OS has a handful of extra features like password protection for apps and swipe gestures that let you lot launch apps, turn on the flashlight, and more without fifty-fifty waking upward the telephone, just its primary selling point is that it'south fluid and uncluttered.
Of course, even Oxygen OS wouldn't exist snappy without a adept processor, and the Nord has 1 in the Snapdragon 480. Most upkeep phone processors use mediocre low-power CPU cores, simply the 480 replaces 2 of those with the same kind of high-performance processor cores y'all find in high-end Android phones. The extra speed keeps the phone running smoothly, and the graphical performance is expert plenty for some casual gaming. Don't expect to run the likes of Genshin Impact, only information technology can handle Fortnite on depression settings. Nosotros've also noticed the photographic camera app is unusually laggy compared with the rest of the software.
Nigh budget phones we've tested in 2021 have regressed to 720p screen resolution from the previously common 1080p, while also ballooning to nearly 7 inches—and a larger screen with fewer pixels makes for a blurrier image. But the Nord even so has a abrupt 1080p LCD, and it'south a somewhat more manageable size at six.49 inches. Not only does this display wait clearer than the Moto G Play, it refreshes ninety times per second (90 Hz) rather than the usual lx, so scrolling and other animations await smoother, too. That's all only unheard of in this price range. Nonetheless, the Pixel 4a's 60 Hz OLED panel is notwithstanding better overall thanks to the college effulgence and dissimilarity.
The Nord N200 has several features you don't arrive similarly priced phones, including 5G connectivity. 5G isn't automatically better than 4G LTE, just it's skillful to have if y'all want to utilise your phone for several years. 5G networks are finally becoming widespread, and they're only going to go amend while LTE is increasingly cannibalized to support the new standard. You also have NFC for contactless payments, some other missing feature on nearly budget phones.
Features similar 1080p screens and 5G tend to drain batteries faster, only the Nord N200 5G has excellent longevity. The 5,000 mAh bombardment lasted two days for us with a petty left in the tank, which is a flake longer than the Pixel, only not as long as the 2021 Moto 1000 Play.
This phone might cost simply $240, merely the design and styling is close to OnePlus's more expensive phones. We've put the Nord in the easily of a few people who are casually interested in Android phones, and the responses have been very positive. Everyone agrees information technology feels like a more expensive phone—most guessed it would cost $400 to $500 based on the design and first impressions.
Flaws simply non dealbreakers
The Nord N200 is missing some features that are standard in more than expensive OnePlus phones. At that place's no alert slider, which is one of our favorite features on the company's premium devices. The charging speed is also express to xviii W instead of OP's faster Dash Charge speeds at upward to 65 W. Yet, 18 West is skilful for a budget phone, many of which (like the Moto G Play) superlative out at 10 W.
In that location's a 13-megapixel chief camera on the dorsum, paired with a 2-megapixel depth sensor and 2 megapixel macro camera. This allows OnePlus to market the phone as having a "triple photographic camera," but neither photographic camera is good enough to really be useful. The images from the primary photographic camera are mediocre in nigh lighting conditions. Taking pictures of bouncy kids or pets can exist frustrating. If you desire a budget phone with a improve camera, you'll need to spring for the Pixel 4a.
While the Nord is available unlocked and its 4G LTE back up volition work on whatever carrier, its 5G connectivity is limited to T-Mobile. T-Mobile is promoting the phone heavily with sales that make it an even better deal, though.
Runner-upward: Moto G Play (2021)
Runner-upward
Motorola Moto Yard Play (2021)
Runner-upwardly
The Moto Thou Play has a huge battery that allows for three days between charges, an acceptable 720p brandish, and a clean version of Android with useful extras.
Buying Options
Motorola's 2021 Moto G Play doesn't accept a 1080p screen, 5G, or NFC like the Nord, simply it'due south quite a bit cheaper at $170 and is surprisingly capable. Motorola's version of Android is efficient with no unnecessary clutter, and information technology'southward plenty fast for mean solar day-to-twenty-four hour period employ. The Grand Play besides gets even improve bombardment life than the Nord, and the build quality is near as impressive, but the camera is just every bit unimpressive. It's likewise noticeably thicker and heavier than the Nord N200 or Pixel 4a.
The Moto Thou Play is unfortunately even so running Android x, but an update to Android 11 is awaiting. Fifty-fifty though it'south missing the latest Android OS features, Motorola's version of Android ten is user-friendly and stable. Motorola doesn't add much to Android, just the additions are useful. There'southward Peek Display, which shows notifications as floating icons then you can manage the easy ones chop-chop without waking upward the phone. Moto Actions lets you launch the camera or toggle the flashlight by jiggling the phone in the correct way. Finally, Gametime offers quick access to notification filters, floating social apps, and screenshots whenever you open a game. Afterward the Android xi update, the Moto M Play will go security patches through early 2023. That's a yr less than the Pixel or OnePlus Nord.
This phone comes with the Snapdragon 460 processor and 3 GB of RAM—both a step downwards from the Nord'southward hardware and far short of the Pixel. The Moto Yard Play'due south performance is consistent, without whatever major slowdowns, merely it'southward never going to blow you abroad with raw speed. Nearly basic functions similar messaging and browsing the spider web will feel similar to the Nord, simply anything that accesses the internal storage or relies on graphics performance, like launching apps or playing games, will exist noticeably slower.1 The Moto One thousand Play only comes with 32 GB of storage versus 64 GB in the Nord and 128 GB in the Pixel, but at that place is a microSD carte slot to add together more.
Last year's upkeep Motorola phones had 1080p screens like the Nord, but this year they're all 720p. The Moto G Play has a 6.5-inch LCD, about the same size equally the Nord, but with fewer pixels the Play's screen looks noticeably blurrier and less sharp; the Play's screen besides refreshes only lx times per second, compared with the Nord's smoother 90. Despite these shortcomings, the Moto G Play'due south screen is usable for those who aren't picky about display quality. Information technology has skillful brightness, and the "water drop" notch ways less visible backlight bleed than the pigsty punch camera on the Nord. The Pixel's 1080p OLED screen is on a whole different level.
The G Play'southward 13-megapixel primary camera takes acceptable photos, but they're not really any ameliorate or worse than those by the Nord. You lot tin can get some skillful photos outdoors, and it'due south really a little better than the Nord in dimmer settings. Yet, yous'll be lucky to get anything worth sharing. The phone's ii-megapixel depth sensor does not contribute in any meaningful mode.
The battery capacity is 5,000 mAh—the same as that of the Nord, just it's powering a lower resolution screen and weaker processor. As a result, the Thousand Play has fifty-fifty better battery life. In our testing, this phone can make it 3 days on a charge, even if you're hard on it. Notwithstanding, information technology only recharges at 10 W, lower than the 18 W supported past both the Pixel and Nord. That means an almost drained Moto G Play will have to stay on the charger much longer before you'll have enough accuse to caput out the door.
The Moto Thou Play doesn't expect or experience every bit nice as the Nord, but information technology's shut. The matte plastic back has an attractive blue gradient, and there'southward a fingerprint sensor in the middle. It's a bit faster to unlock the phone than the sensor on the Nord, but not as good as the Pixel's. The Moto is also surprisingly thick and heavy considering of that big battery. And still, Motorola couldn't observe space for an NFC antenna, and then you'll need to purchase a Nord N200 or Pixel 4a if y'all want contactless payments.
Upgrade pick: Google Pixel 4a
Upgrade choice
If you lot can spend a bit more, the Google Pixel 4a isn't just a skillful budget phone—it tops our guide to high-terminate Android phones, chirapsia out models that cost twice as much. The Pixel 4a offers the same impressive camera performance equally the higher-end Pixels, and it also includes the best version of Android and guaranteed updates through summer 2023, iii years after the phone's release. The vibrant 5.8-inch OLED brandish is much better than the LCDs on the OnePlus Nord and Moto One thousand Play, besides. However, it's expensive for a budget phone, and the body is made out of soft-bear on plastic that will article of clothing down and collect skin oils over time.
The Pixel 4a is available from Verizon or unlocked from Google, Amazon, and other retailers. There is no larger version of the Pixel 4a at this time, but there is a Pixel 4a 5G that costs $500 and has more in common with the Pixel v. It doesn't share much with the Pixel 4a aside from the name, and it's non worth paying more for the 4a 5G if you're on a strict budget. 5G networks are becoming widely available, but they don't even so offer noticeable performance improvements—in fact, PCMag's Fastest Mobile Networks report in September 2020 found 5G tin can exist slower than 4G.
The Pixel 4a'due south screen represents an upgrade from the LCDs on the Nokia and Motorola phones, offering college brightness, more than vibrant colors, and perfect contrast. Even though the v.8-inch 1080p OLED screen is smaller than those on all the other phones nosotros recommend here, it's much nicer to use. Plus it has very pocket-size bezels effectually the display, which makes the phone very easy to hold.
Solar day to day, the performance of the Pixel 4a is improve than that of any other budget phone we've tested. It fifty-fifty approaches the high-terminate Pixel phones at times—apps open up rapidly, the interface is shine, and it runs 3D games well thanks to the Snapdragon 730G processor. Information technology comes with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, more either the Nord N200 or the Moto M Play, but there'south no microSD bill of fare, so you lot're stuck with 128 GB. The storage is also faster than nearly budget phones, considering the Pixel uses the faster UFS storage standard just like the Nord. This helps the Pixel stay responsive fifty-fifty during heavy employ.
Google's Pixel version of Android 11 is fast and free of the extra app clutter and tiresome user interface customizations you notice on other phones, and it includes useful extra features such as Call Screen, which answers telephone calls for you and makes sure they aren't spam. Most budget phones tin count on just one major software update, but the Pixel 4a gets the aforementioned 3 years of guaranteed back up as the other Pixel phones. It'southward one of the just phones with Android 11 available correct now, and it'll become two or three more major updates before Google moves on.
Although the Pixel 4a has but a unmarried 12.2-megapixel camera on the back, it's better than the cameras on other budget phones, even those phones with multiple rear cameras. Google's image processing produces sharp, well-exposed photos in all lighting conditions. In this regard the Pixel 4a is even better than phones that price $i,000, such every bit the Galaxy S20. Google'due south AI-powered digital zoom can stand in for a telephoto camera lens equally long as yous don't go by 3-4x zoom, at which point pictures become unpleasantly blurry.
Many budget phones are moving to plastic bodies that are treated to feel more like drinking glass, but Google has gone back to soft-touch plastic on the 4a. It feels squeamish in the manus, but soft-touch plastic doesn't tend to age well—our review unit already has some scuffs. It also picks up skin oils, so y'all have to clean information technology often. Google does at to the lowest degree include a headphone jack, which isn't available on the more expensive phones. Information technology also has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor that's a bit faster and more than accurate than our other upkeep picks.
The cheapest usable phone: Samsung Galaxy A02s
Budget pick
The Samsung Milky way A02s is the best phone available right now for those on a strict budget. For $110, the A02s has good software, acceptable performance, and four years of security update support (through summer 2025). Fifty-fifty some flagship phones won't get updates for that long. While the Nord and Moto K Play feel more expensive than your average budget telephone, the A02s feels like something that costs $100, with its thinner plastic shell and lack of fingerprint scanner. However, we're happy to see a USB-C port instead of the older Micro-USB that and so many ultra-budget phones nonetheless use.
Samsung equipped this phone with a vi.v-inch 720p LCD. It's sharp enough, but information technology's not as adept as the similar screen on the Moto K Play. The A02s LCD doesn't go as vivid, and the viewing angles are narrower, pregnant that it starts to appear done out if you lot're not looking at it head-on—both of these things can make it hard to utilize outdoors. Information technology also lacks an oil-resistant coating, making information technology more susceptible to fingerprints and smudges. The 1080p screens on the Nord and Pixel are better in every fashion, which you'd wait from products that toll two to three times as much.
Well-nigh budget phones send with slow, chaotic software and actress third-party apps to assist offset the low cost of the telephone, only Samsung did not overload the A02s with apps and services. It includes Samsung features like popular-up view for notifications and one-handed mode, simply not loftier-terminate performance-intensive features like DeX and Link to Windows. Currently, the A02s runs Android 10 in the United states of america, but an Android 11 update is pending. Even though the operating system update is lagging, Samsung will go along this telephone upward-to-appointment with security patches for three years. About phones this cheap only get a handful of security fixes before they're forgotten.
The Galaxy A02s is not a fast phone, but it'south responsive enough for daily utilise. You won't be able to play graphically intensive games or multitask smoothly, simply messaging, general web browsing, and simple apps all work fine with the aging Snapdragon 450 processor. That's really all you can enquire for at this toll. The real bottleneck is the 2 GB of RAM, half as much as y'all go in the OnePlus Nord. That means that Android will need to close background apps more quickly when you lot're non using them, increasing the amount of time you demand to wait when switching between apps. Naturally, there's no NFC support in this phone, which ways no contactless payments.
The primary 13-megapixel photographic camera is okay for casual snapshots, only you won't want to keep any of the photos forever. It produces grainy, blurry photos in all but the most perfect lighting. None of the camera enhancements from Samsung'due south more expensive phones piece of work here because of the less capable hardware. The depth sensor doesn't take whatever noticeable impact on photo quality, and the macro camera is the same as every other macro cam we've tested: bad.
With the lower-resolution screen and low-power processor, the v,000 mAh battery on the Milky way A02s tin run for the better part of a calendar week. It besides has a USB-C port instead of Micro-USB like similarly priced phones from Nokia and Motorola. USB-C has been the standard for midrange and flagship phones for several years. It'due south a more durable, reversible connector, and you'll exist able to get spare chargers more hands. The A02s as well charges at eighteen W, which is faster than the Moto Yard Play and the same as the Pixel 4a and OnePlus Nord.
What to expect forward to
Google has confirmed there volition be a Pixel 5a following reports that the telephone had been cancelled. However, it will only launch in the US and Japan, and we're non yet sure when information technology will arrive. Most probable, it will be available in late summer or early on autumn with a price several hundred dollars less than Google'south high-end Pixel phones, similar the $700 Pixel 5.
The contest
You tin observe uncountable low-cost Android phones available online from smaller companies such as Blu, Umidgi, and Gionee, but we don't consider those to be viable options. Such phones perform poorly and almost never receive software updates; they've also been known to ship with unsafe software vulnerabilities and adware.
The 2020 Moto Eastward has a fingerprint sensor and better build quality than the A02s, but information technology's already nearing the end of support. It won't get any newer versions of Android past ten, and the security patches will dry up later this yr. It's also $40 more expensive than the A02s—that's a big price spring for ultra-upkeep phones.
The 2021 Moto G Stylus is at the top of Motorola'southward Thou-series family unit with a 1080p screen, faster processor, and of grade, a stylus that slots into the body of the phone. It might look a fleck like a Galaxy Annotation, simply the stylus is simply a capacitive nub with no pressure sensitivity—that makes it less responsive and natural to write with. Leaving space for the stylus dropped the battery to iv,000 from 5,000 mAh in the G Power, and it costs $300. That's too close in price to the Pixel 4a, which is ameliorate in every way unless you admittedly need a built-in stylus (you probably don't). There's a 5G version of this phone, every bit well, with the same SD480 processor from the Nord N200 and larger battery. However, the Moto G Stylus 5G is even more expensive than the Pixel 4a at $400. You should save $50 and go the Pixel.
The Moto Thousand Ability (2021) costs $250, simply a fleck more than the Nord N200. However, it has a 720p screen, worse operation, and no 5G. The camera is more than capable, but neither the G Power nor the Nord can affect the Pixel. If yous care about mobile photography, that's the place to start. Otherwise, you might besides go the Nord'southward superior hardware for about the same price every bit the G Ability.
Nosotros don't recommend Nokia'due south 5.4, 3.four, or 2.4 fifty-fifty though they accept updates for three years. Nokia has been ho-hum to actually release the updates—the five.four, for example, is however on the March 2021 security patches in July 2021. The promised Android 11 update is also tardily. The displays are a footstep down compared with our picks, likewise, and the phones feel a fleck slower than similarly priced competition.
Samsung's A-series likewise includes the $180 Galaxy A12, which nosotros found to be too slow. Information technology also has the same smudge-prone screen coating as the A02s. The Moto Grand Play is a better choice in this toll range. Meanwhile, the more powerful A32 and A42 bring features like 5G and more cameras, only the A32 still only has a 720p screen, and it costs nearly $300. The A42 is $100 more than, which makes it more than expensive than the much-superior Pixel 4a.
The Pixel 4a 5G sits between the 4a and Pixel five in Google's smartphone lineup. It has a larger half-dozen.2-inch OLED screen and a 3,800 mAh bombardment, so some people assume it's just a larger Pixel 4a. While the names are similar, the 4a 5G has more in common with the Pixel five. It has a loftier-end Snapdragon 765 processor, dual cameras, and 5G support on all United states networks. However, the $500 cost tag pushes it out of the budget telephone space—the regular 4a makes more sense for those on a upkeep.
While we previously recommended the Nokia six.2, HMD has ended sales of the phone. You can still detect them used and on clearance in some corners of the internet, but information technology's not worth scrounging around for one anymore. Newer phones like the OnePlus Nord N200 are more capable, and Nokia volition end providing security updates in late 2022.
Footnotes
Sources
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Jeramy Johnson, OnePlus Nord N200 5G review: Bringing 5G to the masses, Android Primal , June 28, 2021
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Ryan Whitwam, Review: OnePlus has a budget 5G phone T-Mobile customers should actually pay attention to, Android Police , June 29, 2021
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Steven Winkelman, Motorola Moto Grand Play (2021) Review, PCMag , February 2, 2021
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Christian de Looper, Motorola Moto G Play review: A whole lot of phone for under $200, DigitalTrends , Jan 26, 2021
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Cherlynn Depression, Pixel 4a review: The best $350 phone, Engadget , Baronial three, 2020
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Brian Ten. Chen, Google Pixel 4A Review: At $350, a Win for Those on a Budget, The New York Times , Baronial 3, 2020
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-budget-android-phone/
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