4 ms·

Is Android designed for such cheap phones, tho'? Is there a minimum hardware spec that's capable of keeping the phone responsive? I just wonder if there's much

Is Android designed for such cheap phones, tho'? Is there a minimum hardware spec that's capable of keeping the phone responsive? I just wonder if there's much difference between Android and Symbian once you get down to the $50 point. It's not like you're going to have any amazing hardware features at that point, so it more comes down to software, and how well that software is tailored for the device.

kijin 15y ago
Well, if a $25 Raspberrry Pi can run Linux and play HD videos, there's no reason a $50 phone shouldn't be able to run Android at a reasonable speed.
- stdbrouw 15y ago
  Sure, if you don't care about zero battery life and a phone the size of a brick.
  - kijin 15y ago
    Raspberry Pi is smaller than many of today's smartphones, and there's plenty of room to put an antenna, battery, and camera in there.
    - stdbrouw 15y ago
      ... and a screen :-)
nicpottier 15y ago
I carried an Ideos for a few months, it was perfectly useable. Not my Galaxy Nexus by a long shot, but the important stuff of email, texting, Facebook all worked just fine.
dagw 15y ago
I know a few people who have ZTE Blades and they're happy enough with their phones.
keeperofdakeys 15y ago
Most of these low-end phones end up running an older version of Android (2.2), two major phone releases behind now that 4.0 has been released (not including 3.0, as that was tablets only). From what I have seen, one of the problems with running newer versions is ram and memory sizes; low-end phones simply don't have enough to run the newer versions of Android. I've got a Nexus S, one of the more powerful phones before the dual-core generation started. If you compare its specifications to the galaxy ace, one of the current generation low-end phones, they are actually quite similar. When you consider the Nexus S can even run 4.0 (officially too), something might be changing. Although, the galaxy ace probably lacks in the gpu area.

kijin 15y ago

Well, if a $25 Raspberrry Pi can run Linux and play HD videos, there's no reason a $50 phone shouldn't be able to run Android at a reasonable speed.

stdbrouw 15y ago
Sure, if you don't care about zero battery life and a phone the size of a brick.
- kijin 15y ago
  Raspberry Pi is smaller than many of today's smartphones, and there's plenty of room to put an antenna, battery, and camera in there.
  - stdbrouw 15y ago
    ... and a screen :-)

nicpottier 15y ago

I carried an Ideos for a few months, it was perfectly useable. Not my Galaxy Nexus by a long shot, but the important stuff of email, texting, Facebook all worked just fine.

dagw 15y ago

I know a few people who have ZTE Blades and they're happy enough with their phones.

keeperofdakeys 15y ago

Most of these low-end phones end up running an older version of Android (2.2), two major phone releases behind now that 4.0 has been released (not including 3.0, as that was tablets only). From what I have seen, one of the problems with running newer versions is ram and memory sizes; low-end phones simply don't have enough to run the newer versions of Android. I've got a Nexus S, one of the more powerful phones before the dual-core generation started. If you compare its specifications to the galaxy ace, one of the current generation low-end phones, they are actually quite similar. When you consider the Nexus S can even run 4.0 (officially too), something might be changing. Although, the galaxy ace probably lacks in the gpu area.