In the past, budget smartphones were often defined by their specifications sheet. Buyers chased the best processor benchmark scores, the most RAM and the most megapixels, often ignoring things that made them feel like a complete package. However, the budget market has matured. Budget buyers are now looking beyond raw numbers and prioritising user experience. If you're new in the market, here are the seven features budget buyers prioritise over specifications.
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Clean Software Experience and Longer Support
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Opting for a phone should not come with sacrificing the user experience, and budget-conscious buyers understand that. Bloatware is a major turn-off for many users. A clean, uncluttered software experience, free of unnecessary apps that are not always trying to tell you to clear your phone's RAM, is increasingly sought after.
If a brand includes a handful of them and gives users control over the ability to uninstall them, it's a major win. Besides, built-in ads like Glance, can also be disabled these days, which is great. Services like Glance or Themes are infamous for pushing AI slop in the name of "personalised suggestions" and it's a major no.
Besides, one of the other major asks from budget buyers is the number of promised updates. Although this may vary based on the price category the device falls into. If it's a sub Rs 20,000 phone, anything below three years of updates is non-negligible. For sub-Rs 25,000 phones, a minimum of four years of updates should be the norm. This ensures that the phone remains secure and up-to-date for a longer period, maximising its value.
2
Premium Build and Unique Design
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Gone are the days when budget phones had to feel cheap and lacked that bling. Buyers now look for devices with a premium feel, even at an affordable price point, like the Lava Agni 4. Things like glass back, metal chassis and unique design elements that make the phone stand out from the crowd are more valued.
Besides, people have learnt that inexpensive devices don't have to feel like one to one clones of expensive phones like the iPhone, and rightfully so. Looking at this, manufacturers are trying to put in more effort into designing their phones to make them stand out from the crowd. Manufacturers like Nothing and its Phone (3a) series is a good example.
Lastly, it's not only about how the phone looks and feels, but also how much of a beating it can take. This is also why polycarbonate backs are still common, and budget buyers no longer feel like it's a big con in terms of looks. Besides firms trying to make plastic backs look as good as possible, the sentiment that polycarbonate is much easier to maintain is going strong, and is therefore still driving sales of budget smartphones.
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A Couple of Good Cameras over a multitude of Mediocre Ones
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The megapixel race is largely over, and we cannot be happier. Buyers are no longer impressed by a phone simply because it has five cameras on the back, which add up to a total of "150 MP" (Yes, that was a thing, especially with offline retail stores). Instead, users are prioritising high-quality snappers that deliver good results.
Budget buyers now understand that it all boils down to the post-processing. A decent main sensor with good colour science and resolution, coupled with a useful ultrawide or telephoto, is far more valuable than a collection of low-quality macro and depth sensors that are rarely used. Besides, things like OIS, EIS and HDR tuning are far more important for a camera than just raw specifications.
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In-Box Value: The Complete Package
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Packaging minimalism has become a trend since Apple bravely removed the charging brick from the box. However, for budget buyers, the completeness of the package is still crucial. A phone that comes with everything they need right out of the box is now more important. This includes a fast charger, a cable and protective case.
Since India has a lot of budget-conscious users, the lack of a charger in the box automatically affects the overall value of the device as a whole. And manufacturers do realise this and are therefore including all the accessories in the box.
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Storage type over Processor clock speeds
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A faster processor is important, but modern budget processors are powerful enough to make the performance difference between a budget and premium phone feel negligible. However, a phone with a slightly slower processor but faster UFS storage will feel a bit faster and more responsive. So, buyers have pivoted toward looking for the best storage type the phones have to offer.
In most modern smartphones, UFS storage is the gold standard, even in budget devices. UFS 5 is underway, and most premium phones use UFS 4.1. Therefore, users should expect at least UFS 3.1 in budget phones. The good news is, even ultra-budget phones and sub-25,000 devices give you UFS 3.0 or even UFS 4.0. A good recent example is the Lava Agni 4, which brings UFS 4.0 in the sub-Rs 25,000 segment.
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Larger Silicon Carbon Batterues with Fast Charging
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Battery life is a top priority for budget users because most of the buyers in the budget to mid-range category are college students or those who spend most of their time on social media or on calls. Silicon Carbon batteries are all the hype these days, as they have a higher energy density than conventional Lithium-ion cells, while their size remains the same or even less.
Coupled with faster charging, budget buyers are always on the lookout for phones that can last through a full day without breaking a sweat. And since SiC batteries can be slimmer while packing the same or more power, it allows for phones that are both thinner and lighter while still offering excellent battery life and retaining the fast charging speeds.
In conclusion, the budget smartphone market is shifting away from a pure spec race and towards providing a more complete package. Buyers are prioritising clean software, premium design and good cameras alongside other things more than ever. These features, along with competitive pricing, are what will define the success of budget phones in the years to come.
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