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.

Sony Ericsson Xperia mini packs some serious specifications in a tiny casing, and does not disappoint users interested in a budget device but are hungry for a decent display panel. Although the phone is noticeably tiny as the name (Mini) suggests, it’s packed with flourished features and impressive hardware, topping most devices we’ve seen in the same category. If you’re a smart phone fanatic with tiny pockets or a cheapskate searching for an efficient handset, Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini will fit the equation. It’s hilariously tiny with a simple user interface, so you won’t get mixed up when exploring the available goodies. The Xperia Mini comes as an upgrade to Xperia X10 with minor tweaks such as a newer version of Android OS (Gingerbread to be precise) and a larger screen while maintaining the low pricing portfolio. Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini’s display panel is noticeably larger than its aforementioned sibling; 3.0inches and 2.4inches respectively.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini’s 3.0inch screen can afford up to 320×480-pixel resolution and a decent 192ppi pixel density which is not the best we’ve seen but enough to guarantee crisp text and vivid images while browsing web-pages. At 192ppi pixel density, the phone outsmarts Samsung’s best selling and close competitor, Galaxy Ace S5830which has a larger 3.5inch screen at the same 320×480-pixel resolution. It has a 5.0 Megapixel camera capable of shooting 720p videos; you won’t be disappointed viewing at 192ppi pixel density.  Apart from the silver strip, there’s not much to talk about the left hand side, the power button sits on the top edge of the handset. The right hand-side houses a volume up/down rocker and an amazingly decent dedicated camera button. Unlike most devices, Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini has its 3.5mm headphone jack placed at its bottom alongside the USB connector. There isn’t a definite separation between the USB connector and 3.5mm headphone jack, causing some concern if both ports are connected at the same time.

The front panel isn’t as confusing as the phone’s bottom; there is a big physical Home button which is typical to most Sony Ericsson’s devices and the touch sensitive back and menu buttons are large and easy to find. Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini’s 1GHz processor coupled by 512MB RAM makes the device snappier the response under the finger isn’t disappointing. 5.0 Megapixel camera sitting at the Xperia Mini’s back is fair enough considering the pricing and additional touches such as auto-focus and led flash are a plus.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Features/Specifications;

• Operating System: Android v2.3 Gingerbread (Planned Upgrade to 4.0)
• Processor: 1GHz, GPU: Adreno205
• Display : 3.0inch (320x480p) (167ppi) LCD Capacitive touch screen, 16m colors
• Primary Camera: 5.0 Megapixel (2592x1944p) auto-focus, Led Flash
• Storage: Up to 32GB MicroSD, 320MB storage, 512MB RAM
• Connectivity: MicroUSB v2.0, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP
• Internet: 7.2Mbps HSDPA, 5.76Mbps HSUPA, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, WiFi hotspot
• Other features: FM with RDS, Sensors: Proximity, Accelerometer, Compass
• Battery: Standard Lithium ion 1200mAh

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Price in Kenya: Kshs.18k to 30k

Nokia might have focused much of its attention to high-end windows devices at the expense of budget handsets, but we didn’t, we’ve decided to go hands-on on Nokia Asha 300 bringing out its drawbacks as well as pros with respect to the entry-level genre. Although Nokia Asha 300 costs less than its sibling Asha 303, it houses some serious specifications that are dearer even to Asha 303 such as a 5.0 megapixel primary camera compared to a 3.2 megapixel on its sibling. it falls under the entry-level genre and costs about Kshs.12500 ($140) in Kenya, which means, we’ll cut short on expectations; but one thing is for sure; Nokia Asha 300 has a snappier processor than any device we’ve seen below its price tag, at 1GHz, the phone is fast enough to execute media rich applications without any noticeable lag. Since it costs less than Asha 303, we expected some hardware compromises such as a resistive touch screen instead of a capacitive touch panel as witnessed on its sibling.

The unending hype and attention given to Android based devices has rendered other decent smart phones such as Nokia Asha 303 invisible despite serious specs it brings in the segment. However, we were quick and alert to single it out giving the phone a break and due consideration against its peers in the segment. Nokia Asha 303 falls under the budget portfolio making it even harder to elicit due attention from the manufacturer; instead, Nokia is busy marketing Windows based handsets which have so far failed to effectively counter Android’s popularity.  Consequently, the phone maker is experiencing misfortunes in the handset business which is attributed to stiff competition from the South Korean giant (Samsung) and its failure to embrace Android OS. As Samsung strives to strengthen its grip on both high-end and entry level genres with devices such as Galaxy Ace S5830, Nokia is busy marketing its high-end windows phones at the expense of their entry level siblings.