[larrygregandroid]

Deciding to finally take the Android plunge.

Saw a Bedove X21

Processor MTK6577 Dual-core 1.2GHz
GPU PowerVR SGX531
RAM 512MB
ROM 4GB
Available Memory 2.8GB
Memory Card Supports Micro SD / TF card up to 32GB in size (not included)
Screen Size 4.5 Inch

Is this too good to be true? I can get it for $142.

Ive done some searching and I cant find anything on this device.

I dont know if this can be rooted, or updated.

It says its running 4.0.

Any criticisms?

I am looking for a device $150 and under.

Thanks,

Larry

[B. Diddy]

It looks like a Chinese phone. Are you in the US? I can't imagine that this phone is carried by any of the major US wireless providers, so you'd probably be buying it unlocked, and then getting your own SIM card.

Frankly, I'm always wary of devices from manufacturers that aren't well known in the US. The big ones like Samsung, Motorola, LG, and HTC are all reliable, and the Chinese companies that are halfway decent are probably ZTE and Huawei. But Bedove? If you buy it, you should be prepared to have suboptimal support, and probably expect greater unreliability. Remember also that phones that aren't intended for the US market often don't have access to the main Google Play store for apps--instead, you're stuck with 3rd party stores like GetJar, or even shadier ones that are more likely to harbor malware.

In terms of specs, 512 MB of RAM is relatively low these days--most higher end phones have at least 1 GB. The available memory of 2.8 GB is the phone's internal storage, which isn't that much. Even though you can insert a larger SD card, the problem with Android is that you can only install apps in the phone's onboard memory, and these days, 2.8 GB isn't that much. So if you plan on installing a bunch of apps, you'd probably find yourself running low on memory sooner than with other phones.

If you're in the US, there are a lot of excellent phones out there for $150 or less, as long as you're willing to sign up for a 2 year contract. If you don't want to sign up for a contract, there are still a number of decent phones with no-contract services like Virgin or Boost.

[larrygregandroid]

No, not in the US, but Israel. Looked at the samsungs but they are a big chink of change which I dont have right now. My son just bought a htc one V and my friend huwaei g300 and those specs dont look remarkably better than this phone. I am just surprised I havent seen any reviews of this phone, good or bad.

Thanks for the reply!