If there’s one segment that Nokia has excelled in, that would be the entry-level genre. The Finish phone maker clearly understood the needs of budget strained folks out there who would appreciate low cost feature handsets such as Nokia C2-01. The phone has been around for quite some time now and I got the pleasure of exploring its goodies. Introduced as a successor to its C1-01 sibling, this phone packs some serious smart phone luxuries such as 3G connectivity while maintaining a low price tag. Since then, Nokia has not rested, resulting in various feature phones such as Asha 200, 300, and 303 packing several flourished features. Nokia C2-01 doesn’t have the best display panels we’ve seen, though at 2.0inches (240x320p), it performs its duties accordingly. Considering the low price tag, we’ll forgive a lot on this device while unearth unreasonable compromises imposed at the expense of pricing.

Sudden entrance of LG E400 Optimus L3 smart phone among the phone maker’s budget portfolio, continue to elicit mixed sentiments, most indicating the move was long over due. While other industry players like Samsung capitalized on the entry-level genre early enough with countless devices such as Galaxy Y S5360 and Galaxy Mini S5570, last time we checked, LG had less devices featuring in the same genre; therefore, the Optimus L3 E400 is anticipated to bring the electronics giant good tidings with its un-ignorable specs. The handset is specially designed for Android first-timers considering the price tag and available specs, painful compromises were enforced to maintain its competitiveness in an already saturated segment. LG Optimus L3 E400 comes with a surprisingly 3.2inches larger display screen, though this significantly affects the pixel density (pixels per inch) resulting in an over-pixilated user interface (UI).

Just a week after reviewing two of Nokia Asha’s product line, we’ve decided to extend our coverage and go hands-on on Nokia Asha 200. Asha 300 comes with an alphanumeric keypad while its low-end sibling Nokia Asha 200 follows closely in the footsteps of its senior sibling Asha 303 with a QWERTY keyboard. There’s no much to talk about Nokia Asha 200 for a staunch smart phone fanatic; however, given its pricing, we’ll cut short on expectation and give it due consideration for those searching a cheap feature-phone. The phone combines both dual SIM capability and QWERTY keypad goodies in a single body while keeping the price tag as low as possible. We expected various compromises on this handset at the expense of maintaining a low price tag; it does not feature a reasonable processor (1GHz to be precise) and does not even come with a touch-screen like the rest of Asha siblings.

On the brighter side, Nokia Asha 200 is a dual SIM device which allows users to assign a name, logo and ring tone for up to 5 SIM cards; it comes with an easy swap option that enables users enjoy best deals from up to five different operators. Double SIM cards can be used on this device concurrently and changing the second SIM doesn’t demand switching off your handset. Nokia Asha 200 is made from polycarbonate just like the rest of Asha siblings and comes with a Nokia browser onboard, which is powered by the cloud and compresses data up to 90 percent, saving users of unnecessary data expenses. The colorful QWERTY keyboard is specially designed to cater for the young urban users who need to stay connected at all times. The phone comes with a 2.4inch TFT screen at 320x240p resolution and 167ppi pixel density. At 167ppi pixel density, text and images appear crisp enough for a phone in its league, even better than the rest of Asha siblings that boast of a bigger display panel. Browsing web pages is therefore a pleasant experience though you’ll need to do some scrolling.

A year after the last Star phone model was unveiled, Samsung is once again thumbing the segment, this time with two Star models; Samsung Star3 and S5222 Star3 Duos, the later being a dual SIM phone. The obvious motivation behind Samsung’s Star3 models co-relates with users in need of cheap non-smart phone devices housing modern flourished features such as a touch-screen and Dual SIM capability. Samsung is notorious of unveiling new devices to replace its successful models once their popularity starts diminishing; in this case, Samsung Star3 and S5222 Star3 Duos will replace the Star and Star2 models. The phones have enjoyed a considerable market share since inception and their subsequent replacement a year after shouldn’t raise eyebrows considering today’s market trend. Both devices boast of advanced social networking and communication capabilities at unbeatable prices, they’re suited for socially connected individuals with a strong appetite for storing, playing, and sharing multimedia content.