What are the best budget smartphones with VoLTE?

[BJL321]

I'm using Cricket on the AT&T network. They have notified me my phone will no longer work as of February 2022 when they switch from 3G to 4G. I'm looking at the OnePlus Nord N10 5G, but I'd like the pros and cons of smartphones in that price range before I make a final decision. What are your recommendations?

 

[B. Diddy]

Midrange and even budget phones have definitely gotten better over the past few years, with good specs and decent performance becoming more common. The Nord N10 5G gets a lot of good reviews, so that would definitely be a good choice in that price range. I see from the Cricket website that they also offer the Galaxy A32 5G, which I have from T-Mobile -- it's a decent phone as well, with good performance and nice build quality. The benefit of OnePlus and Samsung is that you're more likely to get better support in terms of regular updates, as opposed to Moto, which is historically terrible for that.

From the selection on their website, I'd avoid LG, Alcatel, Nokia, and the Cricket branded phones.

 

[BJL321]

It appears that the A32 is about $50 more. What are the pros and cons of each?

 

[B. Diddy]

Here's a pretty good comparison: https://nanoreview.net/en/phone-compare/samsung-galaxy-a32-5g-vs-oneplus-nord-n10

I forgot to mention the A32 5G only has a 720p screen, while the N10 is 1080p.

 

[BJL321]

Based on that comparison, for my use, the N10 is much better. Are there any other comparable smartphones in this general price range?

 

[B. Diddy]

I always recommend Pixels -- you can probably find the Pixel 4a in that price range. Superior camera, reliable and timely updates (much more frequently and regularly than Samsung or OnePlus), and the tightest integration with Google services without any bloat.

 

[J Dubbs]

I always recommend Pixels -- you can probably find the Pixel 4a in that price range. Superior camera, reliable and timely updates (much more frequently and regularly than Samsung or OnePlus), and the tightest integration with Google services without any bloat.

I second this

 

[BJL321]

They're close, but I still am leaning toward the N10 based on comparisons, though my son really likes his Pixel. I'm more of a bare bones type of guy who seeks the best bang for my buck rather than a lot of features I wouldn't be using anyway.

 

[smvim]

OK, you do seem to favor getting a N10 but I'll also toss in another suggestion a Nord 200 5G. It's pricier but runs a more current version of Android and given you do seem to like just keep using a phone into its obsolescence, it might be a more 'future-proof' model to consider. And it has a larger capacity battery. The N10 does have some advantages though (more RAM, more internal storage, better camera modules). Here's a nice side-by-side comparison:
https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=10961&idPhone2=10556&idPhone3=10673
Note this is just a hardware comparison but you can just peruse down the feature list and if there's some item that's a deal breaker. (i.e. the fingerprint sensor is on the side with a N200, on the back with a N10)

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-budget-android-phone/

 

[BJL321]

Thank you for your suggestion. The N10 and 200 are similar, but, for my purposes, the N10 has the edge. I ended up purchasing the N10. I understand Android 11 is available for this phone, though some people are reporting problems with 11. Should I update to 11, or should I wait till Android 12 is available?

 

[mustang7757]

Thank you for your suggestion. The N10 and 200 are similar, but, for my purposes, the N10 has the edge. I ended up purchasing the N10. I understand Android 11 is available for this phone, though some people are reporting problems with 11. Should I update to 11, or should I wait till Android 12 is available?

Let me see what @Javier P thinks

 

[smvim]

..... I understand Android 11 is available for this phone, though some people are reporting problems with 11. Should I update to 11, or should I wait till Android 12 is available?

Well there are always going to be people reporting problems with every version upgrade, just like there are always people reporting problems with every app update. So if you're waiting for a perfect, 100% solution, that's not going to happen.
The bottom line is 11 is working fine for most people, with actual problems being a small percentage, plus there are always those just don't like change so every little detail gets amplified as a problem. As long as your new N10 continues to receive the monthly security patches and you're happy with its performance and features as is, weigh your options as to whether you want to upgrade your phone or not.

Detailed Android 10 review:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/09/android-10-the-ars-technica-review/
Detailed Android 11 review:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/09/android-11-the-ars-technica-review/

 

[Javier P]

Thank you for your suggestion. The N10 and 200 are similar, but, for my purposes, the N10 has the edge. I ended up purchasing the N10. I understand Android 11 is available for this phone, though some people are reporting problems with 11. Should I update to 11, or should I wait till Android 12 is available?

The N10 5G received a new update a couple of days ago, fixing some of the problems included in the first A11 build.

https://forums.oneplus.com/threads/oxygenos-11-0-1-for-the-oneplus-nord-n10-5g.1488225/

It's still too soon to know if it comes with big problems but the lack of negative comments on that official thread could be a good sign that nothing terrible happened

The decision to update to 11 is up to you really. There will always be bugs, specially with the first builds of a new Android versions and some people will always complain no matter what. With my OP 7 I jumped to A11 as soon as it was available and never had any major issues, just the occasional and expected glitches that I mentioned before.

 

[Javier P]

If you are not sure to update you can follow that thread for the next days and see what users report. Don't be alarmed if you see some people complaining about any old issue, some of the users there will never be happy

 

[mustang7757]

If you are not sure to update you can follow that thread for the next days and see what users report. Don't be alarmed if you see some people complaining about any old issue, some of the users there will never be happy

true !

 

[J Dubbs]

If you are not sure to update you can follow that thread for the next days and see what users report. Don't be alarmed if you see some people complaining about any old issue, some of the users there will never be happy

I may be lucky...or just not very picky, but I've never had major issues with any OS update....in fact I've liked the new features in every one, from Froyo 2.2.2 to KitKat 4.4.2 to Lollipop 5, Marshmallow 6, Nougat 7, Oreo 8.1, Pie 9, Q 10, R 11, and soon to be 12. I've enjoyed the Android ride completely, and it's getting nothing but better

A cache partition clear (if your phone offers it) or factory reset after you upgrade will usually guarantee a smooth trouble free experience.... but it's not always necessary.

 

[BJL321]

Thank you for the feedback. I'll follow the threads for potential fixes of issues and then update to 11.

 

[B. Diddy]

After you've had some time to get familiar with the phone, give us your thoughts on it -- it's always helpful for others to see real world opinions, especially for a phone that's not quite as common as Galaxy flagships and Pixels!

 

[pseudoware]

I upgraded my N10 to 11, and it's occasionally less "smooth" than before. 10 was awesome, no issues. 11 is not a deal-breaker, it doesn't lag all that often, and it was more noticeable right after the upgrade. Not as much anymore, it's subtle but there was definitely a difference.

As for as UI changes, it didn't add anything useful for me. Any Oxygen OS nicities over stock we're already in 10 for me. And I agree with the 4a preference above. I was in Hawaii in June when I sadly drowned my 4a, and my N10 ended up being the vacation replacement. The 4a takes better pics in different conditions, although the N10 camera isn't bad, just not as good. With that said, the N10 is a great device. SD card, 90 Hz screen (albeit LCD instead of OLED), 5G, 3.5 mm jack, and a great price.

 

[BJL321]

Thanks for the feedback. I understand Nord N10 updates addressed Android 11 issues. Do you think that's what smoothed it out? Do you see any advantages of 11 over 10, or should I just stick with 10 till something better is developed?

In searching for a hard case holster to protect my phone when I work around my farm, I was only able to find one model in black. There is an alternative in green. The black one is made by RomeTech, while the green one is made by NageBee. I got the RomeTech, but it doesn't look very protective. The RomeTech is totally open along the top and bottom and doesn't extend beyond the screen. I think I'll need to buy the NageBee and put up with it being green. Do you have any other suggestions on a rigid holster case?