s a $50 Smartphone Worth It? #Helpful Post

Hey guys, this is Austin. Can you get a decent smartphone for $50? For this one I picked

up the Microsoft Lumia 635 along with the second generation Moto E. At this price you

shouldn’t expect a crazy unboxing but you do get what you need out of the box, the Lumia

has a MicroUSB power adapter, some paperwork and the battery. Move over to the Moto E and

it’s the same story, you have a power adapter and plenty of manuals for you to never read.

The Lumia has a removable back but it’s a little tricky to take off, it’s essentially

the entire shell. Inside you’ll find the SIM slot and your MicroSD expansion on top

of being able to install the removable battery. The Moto E uses a swappable bezel which is

a lot easier to remove. There’s no swappable battery but you do have slots for a SIM and

MicroSD. For $50 you shouldn’t expect crazy build quality but there’s not a lot to complain

about. The Lumia 635 actually looks a lot like the iPhone 5c which isn’t a bad thing,

it’s rocking a glossy plastic shell which might be a fingerprint magnet but it feels

pretty decent. There’s a surprising sense of quality, everything is nice and tight and

it’s noticeably thinner than the Moto E. The E is no slouch though with a curved back

that fits nicely in the hand, it’s a little pudgy but the ridged bezel gives you a solid

grip. Personally I prefer the brighter colors and thinner build of the Lumia but neither

phone really feels its’ price. Get to the screens and it’s a slightly different story.

Both have 4.5 inch screens and here the Moto E has the edge with a higher res 960p display

compared to 854 on the Lumia. The E edges out the Lumia in brightness and color as well

but in real use they’re totally fine, compared to a flagship things look a little rough but

I’ve seen far worse screens on budget devices. The Moto E has a front speaker where the Lumia

has a rear speaker and they’re not bad at all. The 635 gets surprisingly loud although

with such a tiny opening for the speaker it’s a little too easy to accidentally block your

music. One of the biggest differences is in software, the Lumia runs Windows Phone where

the Moto E uses Android. While Windows Phone hasn’t progressed as quickly as iOS and

Android it still has a lot going for it. Even on fairly low end hardware it’s downright

snappy, things like Live Tiles are unique and features like multitasking and notifications

have come a long way. The biggest downside are apps, you’ll find the basics like Twitter,

Instagram and Spotify but generally the quality can’t match Android. Most apps aren’t

updated as often and a lot just aren’t here at all, the biggest of which being Google

apps. There are workarounds but unless you’re deep in Microsoft’s ecosystem the app selection

is going to be a problem. On the flip side the Moto E runs Android 5.1 where app support

is definitely not an issue. Motorola takes a light touch to Android, giving you a near

stock build with a few useful additions like Active Display to show notifications. If you’ve

ever used an Android phone you should be right at home, something simple like having an official

YouTube app makes a big difference. The Moto E also has slightly better specs with a newer

quad core Snapdragon 410 vs 400 and double the memory but to be fair Windows Phone seems

to be perfectly happy to run on the lower specs. Each phone has eight gigabytes of storage

but once everything is setup you’re looking at roughly three gigs left, for anything besides

the most basic use you’ll definitely want to pick up a MicroSD card. Both phones are

rocking five megapixel cameras and this is one of the biggest places where the budget

is noticeable. You can pull off a decent shot with each camera but you’ll want to have

plenty of light, with such tiny sensors color and dynamic range just can’t hold up to

higher end smartphones. Video is the same story, they both max out at 720p which is

fine for a quick clip to share but won’t be useful for much else. There are some cool

features like a double twist to open the camera on the Moto E and the surprisingly solid Lumia

Camera app which is so much better than the Motorola Camera app. One thing the Moto G

does have going for it though is a front facing camera, it might not be a great one but it

at least exists. As much as I like the Lumia the biggest issue is app support. If you can

live with Windows Phone it’s hard to argue with the 635 but for most people the Moto

E is a safer bet. Regardless of which way you go though it’s incredibly impressive

at just how good $50 smartphones can be.