Top-of-the-line low-cost Android telephones I’ve examined is not made by Samsung or TCL

I’ve seen nearly each kind of Android cellphone available on the market, from the suspiciously cheap to the ridiculously overpriced. A few of these handsets impressed me with their mixture of worth vs. efficiency whereas others left me questioning, “Why is that this crucial?”

After which there are the bottom-of-the-barrel units — those you look forward to finding on the market at a drug retailer or truck cease. These telephones are hardly ever well worth the effort and time it takes to open the packaging.

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Each now and again, nonetheless, a low-budget Android cellphone finds its means into my palms and adjustments my thoughts on the worth level. (In any case, not everybody can afford a $1,000 cellphone.)

When the NUU Cellular rep requested if I needed to take a look at the brand new NUU N10, I used to be more than pleased to oblige. I might already reviewed a earlier NUU machine (the NUU B30) and got here away fairly impressed. Would the N10 make the identical splash?

Let’s discover out.

The specs

• CPU: Octa-Core UNISOC T606 at 1.4 GHz
• RAM: 4GB
• Inner storage: 128GB with microSD card assist
• Provider: T-Cellular, Mint Cellular, Metro by T-Cellular, Q Hyperlink Wi-fi, ULTRA Cellular, Google Fi, Good day Cellular, Tello Cellular, Lycamobile, Patriot Cellular, Republic Wi-fi, Easy Cellular, StandUp Wi-fi, SpeedTalk, and Telcel America.
• Show: 6.6-inch HD+ with a 90Hz refresh charge
• Battery: 5,000mAh
• Cameras: 13MP predominant, 2MP macro, 5MP selfie, and LED flash
• OS: Android 14

Notice: The N10 is not suitable with Verizon, AT&T, Cricket, Enhance Cellular, Tracfone, Pulse Mobile, Union Wi-fi, Spectrum, or any CDMA service.

My expertise

First off, let me remind you that it is a $99 cellphone, so please perceive that the N10 is not going to face toe-to-toe with the likes of a Pixel 9 Professional. That mentioned, the N10 is a formidable machine for its worth level.

Sure, it may be a bit laggy (with animations and app switching), however general, the UI is pretty responsive. Talking of UIs, the N10 gives a reasonably primary Android expertise. There is not any extra UI overlay and even bloatware. The solely extra software program is the NUU Assist app. Apart from that, it is pure Android. 

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The cellphone is a bit taller than my Pixel 9 professional and barely heavier (after I take away my Pixel from its case). Even with the additional peak, the cellphone matches properly in my palms (that are smaller than common).

Establishing the N10 is similar as any Android cellphone, which implies it is only a matter of connecting to a Wi-Fi community (or inserting a supported SIM), and connecting to your Google account. As soon as that is taken care of, the setup will full itself and you will wind up with a really acquainted interface.

The N10 gives PIN/fingerprint/face unlock choices; though the fingerprint scanner is embedded within the Energy button, it really works properly. The face scanner is fairly spectacular and unlocks the cellphone virtually instantly. I’ve had far dearer Android telephones the place the face unlock choice lags and is even inconsistent with the power to unlock. The N10 doesn’t endure from such points.

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Most likely a very powerful factor you are questioning about is efficiency. How may a $99 cellphone stand as much as the fierce competitors out there right this moment? As famous above, this is not a Pixel cellphone, so do not anticipate Pixel efficiency. Given its worth, nonetheless, the N10’s efficiency is spectacular. Certain, there’s some lag when opening sure apps, knocking down the Notification Shade, or the App Drawer. 

The show just isn’t unhealthy. YouTube movies look good and even sound clear (albeit a bit tinny – which is to be anticipated from cellphone audio system), so no complaints there.

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The cameras on this cellphone will not win any awards, however they’re serviceable. With loads of gentle, the primary digicam can take a reasonably respectable image. In low gentle, the photographs can get fairly “noisy” with an excessive amount of grain, however after I examined the digicam in low-light conditions, I used to be pushing the N10’s limits. Give the digicam sufficient gentle, and you will be impressed with the outcomes.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

In the end, what stunned me most in regards to the NUU N10 is that it overperforms for a $99 cellphone. Had I not recognized in regards to the worth, I might have guessed that the handset lived close to the $200 worth level. In the event you’re on a good price range or searching for a cellphone at hand over to your youngsters, the N10 is a good worth. It isn’t going to usurp something provided by Google, Samsung, OnePlus, Nothing, or any of the most important producers, however it may well grasp with any of the price range telephones I’ve examined to this point.

NUU may not be a reputation you are aware of, however when you’re an Android person, you may really feel proper at residence on their telephones.