Feature Rich & Budget Friendly Smartphones

As of late, high-end smartphones like the iPhone and the HTC EVO are getting all of the attention. While these phones are great feature rich devices to own, they unfortunately aren't within everybody's budget. The good news is, there is a growing number of smartphones on the market that are budget friendly and offer great functionality. Here are some top rated smartphones that give the hi-end players a run for their money when it comes to features balanced with cost.

When considering the purchase of a budget smartphone, it's important to consider two things when it comes to how a phone may be priced. In general, a smartphone (or any product for that matter) can be found at a low price for a variety of reasons. Two common reasons follow. First, a phone may be a budget phone due to lower costs in manufacturing or because lower quality parts or dated technologies are used. Remember, today's phones are similar to PCs. For example, a slower CPU is cheaper to use than a state of the art hi-speed CPU. The second thing to consider when purchasing a budget phone is clearance. Closeouts on phone being replaced can usually be found at a great price. For example both Apple's iPhone 3G, and the Palm Pre can be found available at significantly lower prices than original retail prices, particularly because the iPhone 4 is on the market, and the Pre 2 is coming.

So which phones are worth considering? Here are a few smartphones aimed at entry level budget conscious smartphone users.

Although the Nokia Surge won't find itself overthrowing iPhones or BlackBerrys as the new standard corporate mobile device, as a smartphone it delivers some great features. At a smaller size than most current smartphones, the Surge does not offer a touchscreen, however it does conceal a slide out keyboard. Email support, an HTML web browser, an internal GPS, and a 2MP camera are also included.

There are quite a few variations of the BlackBerry on the market, and the BlackBerry Curve 3G is RIM's answer to those that question buying an expensive smartphone. As it may not find its way into the hands of BlackBerry enthusiasts, it will certainly please those looking for a BlackBerry experience at a low cost. The phone is solid in construction, and features a 2MP camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, and a 320x240 color TFT LCD. It also operates on the BlackBerry 5 OS with BlackBerry 6 compatibility.

For those looking to get a taste of Android, earlier this year HTC released its budget Android phone the Wildfire. The phone which features a modern version of Google's OS, initially gained reputation of having great features outside of the USA, including an excellent touchscreen, and a fair punch of power at a low cost. Internal GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, G-Sensor, Proximity Sensor, and a 5MP camera are just a few of the phone's great features.

Sources/Resources:

TopTenREVIEWS: Nokia Surge 2011

Crackberry: BlackBerry Curve 3G Review

AndroidGuys.com: HTC Wildfire Coming to the States via Alltel, Others