Samsung is gearing up to launch two new smartphones in the Galaxy A series in the form of the Galaxy A72 and Galaxy A52. Both devices have been leaked multiple times over the past few months, revealing their design and key specifications. Just last week, a report from SamMobile revealed that both phones would pack a high refresh rate panel and also unearthed some of the key specifications of the Galaxy A52 5G. Now, a fresh leak has revealed the Galaxy A72 4G variant in its full glory, along with its probable specifications and pricing.
The folks over at WinFuturehave got their hands on high-quality press renders of the Galaxy A72 4G variant. As you can see in the images below, the Galaxy A72 4G looks pretty much identical to the 5G variant, which was leaked by OnLeaks in December last year. But it has a slightly bigger display at 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate.
According to WinFuture, the Galaxy A72 4G will pack a quad-camera on the back, comprised of a 64MP primary sensor, a 12MP wide-angle lens, an 8MP telephoto zoom lens, and a 2MP macro sensor. The device is said to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor and would pack 6GB/8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB flash storage with microSD card expansion support.
The Galaxy A72 4G will reportedly pack a 5,000mAh battery with fast charging support, and it will also have an IP67 rating for dust and water protection. Other specifications revealed by the leak include a 32MP selfie camera, a 3.5mm audio jack, and Android 11 on-board.
As for pricing, the publication mentions the Galaxy A72 4G will start at €449 for the base model and will come in at least four colors. We still don’t have an official launch date for the Galaxy A72 or Galaxy A52, but rumors have it Samsung could launch both phones as soon as next month. Both phones are also expected in 4G and 5G variants.
The most affordable desktop GPU under NVIDIA’s new RTX 30-series, the new RTX 3060, will be going on sale starting 25th February 2021. Launched in January 2021, the new GPU comes with 12GB of GDDR6 memory, along with improved ray-tracing performance and support for DLSS as well as NVIDIA’s RTX apps. The company had announced the GPU with a price tag of just $329, marking it as one of the bargain options because of the value it would bring at that low price. However, if you have been planning to get one, chances are that you might end up paying a lot more.
The NVIDIA RTX 3060 cards might end up selling for about $600 (€499) and above as per certain retailers in Europe. Spotted by Videocardz user The Determinator and WhyCry, customers should prepare themselves for a more expensive ride as they might have to pay almost double the amount for the upcoming GPU when it hits stores next week.
NVIDIA cannot force retailers to have a fixed price, but it does place an expectation on them to sell the initial stock as MSRP. Apparently, retailers, who have been given stocks of the new graphics card to fulfill pre-orders, are canceling these pre-orders, consequently leaving buyers with no option but to purchase at increased prices. The most expensive RTX 3060 would be the Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Twin Edge, which is listed at €689 or ~$835, making it almost three times the original launch price. Even certain retailers in Pakistan are selling the RTX 3060 for about $750, which is surprising as the GPU hasn’t officially released yet in the country.
The GPU market has been extremely volatile since the second half of 2020, with growing demands forcing GPU makers to work overtime. Notably, the demand is not just restricted to gamers as the booming crypto market has also attracted a large number of miners investing in new hardware. A few days back, we had reported that NVIDIA is hoping to address the increased demand for graphics cards by releasing stock of its older GPUs– the GTX 1050 Ti and the mid-range RTX 2060. Although, we have our doubts as that would only cater to a small portion of the demand.
If it helps, we do maintain our NVIDIA GPU restocking guide, so check that out to see if you have any reasonably priced options available.
Following the launch of the RTX 30 series GPUs last year, NVIDIA announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire UK-based chip designer ARM. With the acquisition, NVIDIA plans to create “the leading computing company for the age of AI,” but the deal doesn’t seem to be going down well with companies like Qualcomm, Microsoft, and Google.
According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Qualcomm, Microsoft, and Google have raised concerns about NVIDIA’s acquisition of ARM with antitrust bodies in various regions. The companies claim that the deal would harm competition in the industry by giving NVIDIA complete control of ARM’s chip designs. This could eventually result in NVIDIA preventing other chipmakers from accessing ARM’s intellectual property.
Although NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang has previously promised that the acquisition wouldn’t have any effect on ARM’s current licensing model, sources familiar with the matter told CNBC that Qualcomm has opposed the deal because it “doesn’t think Nvidia will be able to fully capitalize on the acquisition without crossing certain lines that people are worried about.”
The deal is currently being reviewed by antitrust bodies in the US, UK, EU, and China. Sources familiar with the matter have revealed that the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) investigation has moved to a “second phase,” and the US regulator has asked SoftBank, NVIDIA, and ARM to provide more information. During the second phase, the FTC will also engage with other companies that will be affected by the deal to help it come to a decision, they added.
Despite the opposition, NVIDIA remains optimistic. In a statement to CNBC, the company said that it is confident regulators will see the acquisition’s benefits and reiterated its plans to continue ARM’s open licensing model. However, industry sources disagree with NVIDIA’s sentiment and think that the acquisition has a very high chance of being blocked by one or more regulators. One of the sources was quoted saying:
“At the end of the day, whether this deal is anti-competitive or not, is based on a very simple idea: Arm is an enabler of competition. It enables companies to go out and compete. Whether you are MediaTek, Amazon Web Services, Qualcomm, or NXP. Any company — regardless of your R&D (research and development) budget — can take and license from Arm and build their own Arm-based CPU. That is a unique model. The incentive (for Arm) is to share its technology with as many people as possible, and the only thing they can get in exchange for that is royalties. That creates trust between Arm and its licensees. These licensees feed information to Arm that can (help it to) make better products to enable the next generation (of products) to obtain more revenues. It’s a virtuous cycle.”
Regardless, it will likely take several months for regulators to complete their review and announce their final decision. We’ll update this post as soon as we receive more information on the matter.
After multiple leaks and teasers, Samsung finally took the wraps off of its new Galaxy F62 in India today. Succeeding the Galaxy F41 of the last year, the latest entry in the Galaxy F series ups the ante with some impressive hardware in the lower-mid-range segment as it looks to challenge the current category dominators Xiaomi and Realme. The Galaxy F62 has a massive battery, a powerful processor, and capable camera hardware, which is sure to give the likes of Mi 10i and Realme X7 a run for their money.
Galaxy F62: Specifications
Specification
Galaxy F62
Dimensions and Weight
163.9 x 76.3 x 9.5
218g
Display
6.7-inch Super AMOLED
Full HD+
Gorilla Glass 3
420 nits brightness
Infinity-O, centered hole punch
SoC
Exynos 9825
Octa-core (tri-cluster)
11nm
Mali-G76 GPU
RAM and Storage
6GB/8GB RAM
128GB
UFS 3.0
MicroSD card support
Battery & Charging
7,000 mAh battery
25W fast charger (inside the box)
Rear Camera
Primary: 64MP Sony IMX682
Secondary: 12MP ultra-wide angle
Tertiary: 5MP bokeh
Quarternary: 5MP macro
4K video recording
Front Camera
32MP front
Ports
USB Type-C port
3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity
4G LTE
NFC
Bluetooth 5.0
Type-C port
WiFi 802.11.b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz)
Security
Side-mounted fingerprint reader
Software
Android 11 with One UI Core 3.1
The Galaxy F62 sports a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Full HD+ panel on the front covered under Gorilla Glass 3. It’s a 60Hz panel. On the back, you’ll a quad-camera setup, comprised of a 64MP Sony IMX682 sensor, a 12MP wide-angle camera, and 5MP depth and macro sensors. There’s a 32MP selfie camera on the front. The device also comes with the Single Take mode, introduced with the Galaxy S20 series lineup, which Samsung says can now take up to 10 photos and 4 videos.
The processing package is mighty powerful as well, with Samsung’s home-brewed Exynos 9825 octa-core SoC leading the charge, paired with Mali-G76 GPU, up to 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of UFS 3.0 flash storage.
However, it’s the massive 7,000mAh battery that grabs the headline here, and rightly so. Except for Samsung’s own Galaxy M51, you’ll not find any other smartphone in the mid-range segment that offers a battery this big. The Galaxy F41 already had a pretty big 6,000mAh battery, so Samsung pushing things even further with the Galaxy F62 is commendable. The battery charges via a 25W fast charger that comes bundled with the phone.
Other highlights of the Galaxy F62 include a 3.5mm audio jack, microSD card support, a side-mounted fingerprint reader, NFC, and wired reverse charging support. The phone runs Android 11 out-of-the-box with Samsung’s One UI Core 3.1 on top and supports Knox 3.7, Samsung Pay, and Quick Switch.
Pricing & Availability
The Samsung Galaxy comes in two variants. The base model with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage is priced at ₹23,999 (~$330), while the top model, 8GBGB/128GB, will set you back ₹25,999 (~$344). The device comes in Laser Green, Laser Grey, and Laser Blue colors and will go on sale starting Feb 22 at 12 pm IST on Flipkart, Samsung.com, Reliance Digital, and select retail stores.
The Galaxy S21 lineup represents the best that Samsung has to offer this year. All three devices in the lineup feature flagship processors from Samsung and Qualcomm, great camera hardware, large batteries, and beautiful displays. On top of that, they run Samsung’s latest One UI release based on Android 11, which unlocks a ton of new capabilities. While the hardware and software combo make the Galaxy S21 lineup great for most buyers, advanced users and enthusiasts might still feel the need to root the devices to unlock their true potential. Thankfully, you can now do just that with the latest Magisk Canary release.
XDA Senior Recognized Developer and Contributor topjohnwu, the developer behind Magisk, has successfully managed to root both the Exynos and Snapdragon variants of the Galaxy S21 devices. The developer announced the same in a recent tweet, which includes a screenshot showcasing a Galaxy S21 Ultra rooted with Magisk.
As mentioned earlier, Magisk has received support for the Galaxy S21 series in the latest Canary release. As per the changelog posted on our Magisk forums, the release includes:
[General] Magisk and Magisk Manager is now merged!
[App] Rename the app “Magisk Manager” to “Magisk”
[App] Support hiding the Magisk app with advanced technique (stub APK loading) on Android 5.0+ (it used to be 9.0+)
[App] Disallow re-packaging the Magisk app on devices lower than Android 5.0
[MagiskHide] Fix a bug when stopping MagiskHide does not take effect
[MagiskBoot] Fix bug when unpacking lz4_lg compressed boot images
[MagiskInit] Support Galaxy S21 series
[MagiskSU] Fix incorrect APEX paths that caused libsqlite.so fail to load
However, as topjohnwu notes, Exynos Galaxy S21 users will have to install an additional patch to root their devices with the latest Magisk Canary release successfully. It’s worth noting that as of now, only the Exynos and Hong Kong Snapdragon Galaxy S21 devices can be bootloader unlocked, therefore this rooting method will only work with these variants. In case you wish to root your Galaxy S21 device, you can follow the steps mentioned in this thread to get started. If you experience any issues, you can file a bug report on the project’s GitHub repository.
The dual-screen equipped Microsoft Surface Duo is expected to get Android 11 later this year. Officially launched in September 2020, the device came with Android 10 and so far has received a total of five updates, which isn’t all that bad compared to the variety of Android smartphones out there, though one may have higher expectations given the price tag.
New reports now suggest that the smartphone is scheduled to get the Android 11 update by summer. The information comes from Dr. Windows, an online platform offering the latest news from the world of Windows, claiming to be in a briefing with executives from Microsoft USA working on the Surface Duo project group. The report further suggests that Microsoft has been working closely with Google for the software development of the Surface Duo. A bunch of changes made by Microsoft to improve the dual displays of the Surface Duo are also expected to make their way into Android’s code. While a seasonal update timeline doesn’t really confirm as to when exactly the update might arrive, it could be earlier than expected.
The same information has been confirmed by Zac Bowden from Windows Central who suggests that his sources indicate a “mid-year” Android 11 release for the Surface Duo. A mid-year release could mean a June or July release, although the timeline is quite broad, again. From what we know, Google is already working on Android 12 and if everything is in order, we could see an early Developer Preview as soon as this month itself. This essentially means that by the time Microsoft starts seeding Android 11 to Surface Duo owners, we are likely to be a few builds in for Android 12 running on most Google Pixel phones and initial seeding rounds on some select Android devices.
Just last week, we reported that Microsoft has cut down the price of its dual-screen smartphone by almost $400. The Surface Duo now costs $1000 and while it is soon going to launch in Europe, the discounted price is expected to be only available in the US.
During the early days and subsequent maturing days of Android, you’d have to fork up several hundred dollars for a flagship smartphone, one that could guarantee a great experience. This panorama was, however, disrupted in recent years. Now, you have a lot of options to consider without needing to fork up obscene amounts of money towards a smartphone. We’ve seen a lot of exciting flagship smartphones this year: from foldable options like the Galaxy Z Fold 2 to more conventional devices like the OnePlus 8T. With so many options in the high-end space, it can be hard to see the vast amount of options you have just one tier below flagships, and how little you lose by going for those options instead of fully-fledged flagships. You can even get 5G connectivity for that price! So let’s see some of the best cheap phones under $500.
Are you looking for a cheap smartphone that will beat it out of the park, but you don’t want to break the bank? Don’t worry — we have you covered! Here are some of the best cheap phones under $500 that you can buy right now in the U.S. We’ll also sneak in some non-US devices that are good enough to actually be worth importing, although we’ll mostly focus on devices that will work in the American market. Let’s dive in!
The Google Pixel 4a 5G is a step in the middle between the Google Pixel 4a, Google’s new mid-range phone we got to know earlier, and the Google Pixel 5, the company’s new flagship smartphone. But as it turns out, it shares a lot more of its DNA with the Pixel 5 rather than the Pixel 4a, despite what its name might suggest. And it’s priced more closely to the Pixel 4a. Bear with me here, though, because it gets better.
It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, the same processor found on the Pixel 5, and features the exact same camera setup with a main 12.2 MP lens and a 16 MP ultra-wide sensor. It does do away with some things found in the Pixel 5, though: there’s no 90Hz display on the Pixel 4a 5G, it gets 6 GB of RAM rather than the 8 GB in the Pixel 5, and it has no wireless charging. It also has a slightly bigger footprint than both the Pixel 4a and the Pixel 5. But, hey. You get 90% of the phone for $200 less. It’s hard to complain about what we’re losing here.
The Pixel 4a 5G is very close to the Pixel 5 in terms of specs and features while keeping the price tag a good $200 less, making for an excellent value proposition for a Google phone with stock Android and a world-class camera.
The OnePlus 7T was very easily one of the best devices of 2019, if not the best. It has a Snapdragon 855+ processor, which is still a very capable mobile processor even though it’s almost already 2 years old. And it showed that OnePlus was still able to deliver excellent bang for the buck, with prices for flagship smartphones in a seemingly permanent upward trend. It also enjoys amazing developer support in our forums, making it an amazing deal for enthusiasts.
It was an amazing device then, and it’s still an amazing device now, even with the OnePlus 8T now available and with OnePlus’ new lineup of mid-range smartphones out. Now, it’s one of the best cheap phones under 500 dollars: it’s available on T-Mobile for $449.99, making it more tempting than ever.
At $449, you're getting one of the best devices of 2019, with a Snapdragon 855+ processor, up to 12 GB of RAM, and a 90Hz display. The new launches by OnePlus have only made it an even better deal now than ever.
Google deserves a lot of kudos for the Pixel 4a lineup. While I recommended the Google Pixel 4a 5G earlier on, I also mentioned that the device actually had a slightly bigger footprint than both its older brother, the Pixel 4a, and its newer, more powerful cousin, the Pixel 5. But the Pixel 5 is $700, and we’re talking about slightly cheaper phones. So the logical step down here is the Pixel 4a.
You’re still getting a lot of phone for what you’re paying. The Snapdragon 730G, while a step down from the Snapdragon 765G on the other phones, is still a very capable and snappy mid-range SoC, and one of the best cheap phones under $500. And at 5.8″ instead of 6.2″, you’re getting a more compact phone that does very similarly. Oh, and the camera. Don’t forget the camera. While it has only one 12MP sensor instead of the dual-camera setup in the higher-end variants, it is just as capable.
At $349, you're getting a very capable mid-range Pixel with the same world-class camera on the higher-end models, a Snapdragon 730G processor, 6 GB of RAM, and Google's amazing software. It's one of the best, if not the best, budget phones of the year.
Motorola’s cheapest 5G device to date comes in the form of the Motorola One 5G, a device that immediately stands apart from a crowd of similar-looking phones. The two front-facing cameras are contained within two individual hole punches instead of a single pill-shaped device, which makes it look very unique.
And another very unique thing about it is the battery. It has a 5,000 mAh cell, quite outstanding for a device around this price point as bigger batteries are normally relegated to lower-end, budget devices. And with the 7nm Snapdragon 765G processor on it, we’re expecting a very good mix between battery life and performance out of this phone. It also has a 48MP quad-camera, Android 10, and comes for pretty cheap compared to the alternatives.
Starting at $449, you're getting a 5G-enabled Motorola device with a Snapdragon 765G and a massive 5,000 mAh battery that should be more than able to keep up with you and your habits, no matter how exigent they are.
Moto is taking another of our recommendations here. The Motorola Edge is the smaller, lower-end brother of the Motorola Edge+, Motorola’s first flagship smartphone in years. But it shares the very same outstanding looks that can be seen on the higher-end model. It already looks good in a $1000 phone, and at a lower price point, it looks even better.
The materials aren’t anything outstanding, featuring a glossy plastic back, an aluminum frame, and a glass front courtesy of Gorilla Glass 5. But it has a 95% screen-to-body ratio, has an extra-curved display that extends through the sides of the phone (in a waterfall-like fashion), and the front-facing camera hole punch is pretty small, helping with its premium looks. It has a Snapdragon 765G, up to 6 GB of RAM, and a 4,500 mAh battery.
This phone normally retails for around $700, but you can grab it from Motorola’s website right now for just $500.
The Motorola Edge can be yours for $499 with a beefy 4,500 mAh battery, a Snapdragon 765G, and a waterfall 90Hz display. It's also sporting the looks of a much more expensive smartphone on a budget.
TCL might not be the first brand you think about when choosing a smartphone, but as it turns out, they’re bigger than you think. They manufactured a lot of devices from BlackBerry quite recently, for example, and they also made the newest Palm ultra-small Android phone. This time, though, they are making phones under their own brand, and their two newest ones, the TCL 10L and the TCL 10 Pro have also been released state-side.
The TCL 10 Pro comes with a Snapdragon 675, a very capable mid-range processor, up to 6 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of storage, making for one of the best cheap phones under 500 dollars. The phone is running Android 10 with TCL’s own UI on top and has a planned upgrade to Android 11. TCL is a rising player in smartphones in the USA, and their latest offering is very much excellent for what a lot of people will be using a smartphone. Check it out!
The TCL 10 Pro retails for $449 and brings excellent value to the table with a Snapdragon 675, quad cameras on the back, a stunning display, and up to 128 GB of storage. It's a fan favorite on Amazon, and we see why.
I’ll have to go down quite a bit from our suggested pricing for this one, but it’ll be worth it. The Nokia 5.3 costs less than $200, but for that price, you get a Snapdragon 665 processor, up to 6 GB of RAM, a 4,000 mAh battery, and Android One software based on Android 10. This is Redmi-like levels of value with considerably lighter and arguably better software, as it’s running stock Android instead of MIUI. HMD also does pretty well with updates.
It does have its downsides, though: the rear camera’s overall performance can be quite poor depending on who you ask, but it’s still pretty versatile with ultra-wide and macro sensors. The front camera is a single 8 MP sensor housed in a teardrop notch. It’s still agood smartphone for what you’re paying and it should be able to satisfy most users looking for an ultra-cheap device.
The Nokia 5.3 is an ultra-affordable smartphone packing a mid-range Snapdragon 665 processor and quad cameras for just under $200, providing both the cheapest device and possibly the best value out of this list.
The Samsung Galaxy A51 was one of Samsung’s biggest hits in 2020 for the mid-range specs, improving upon what the company did in 2019 with the Galaxy A50 and the Galaxy A50s. And it was also one of the company’s first mid-range 5G devices with the launch of the Galaxy A51 5G, a 5G-enabled variant of the A51 with better specs such as an Exynos 980 processor.
The Galaxy A51 5G is available in an unlocked flavor as well as in T-Mobile and AT&T. If you go for Verizon, you can get the Galaxy A51 5G UW, a variant of the phone using the Snapdragon 765G and enabled for use on Verizon’s mmWave network. It earns a spot in our list of the best cheap phones under 500 dollars because you can get it on all US carriers and it will be compatible with 5G networks on all of them, making it a bargain for US consumers. Check it out!
The Samsung Galaxy A51 5G is Samsung's cheapest 5G device, featuring an Exynos 980 processor, quad cameras, and support for 5G connectivity across all US carriers. You can also grab it unlocked if that's your sort of thing.
A succesor to the POCO F1, Xiaomi’s flagship killer that brought flagship specs to a dirt-cheap package, has long been awaited by fans and enthusiasts. And that succesor came (sort of) in the form of the POCO F2 Pro (which was actually a rebrand of the Redmi K30 Pro). It is one of the very few sub-$500 devices to be powered by a full, fat flagship-grade Snapdragon 865 processor—and, of course, touting 5G support.
It’s not a perfect phone. It has a 60Hz panel, which might be bad for those that might be coming over from a phone with a high refresh rate display, and the camera performance is not really going to blow you away either compared to other offerings. It’s also not available in the US, meaning that you’ll have to import it if you want to give it a go. But if you really want the raw horsepower the Snapdragon 865 brings on an extreme budget and don’t mind hopping through some hoops to get your phone working on your carrier… then heck, this might be your only choice. It’s one of the best cheap phones under 500 dollars, and very clearly one of the best-performing ones, if not the best.
The POCO F2 Pro brings unparalelled performance to a lower price point, and it's quite likely one of the only Snapdragon 865 devices that you can find right now for under $500. It's also got versatile cameras and a notch-less display.
OnePlus knocked it out of the park with the launch of their first device in their mid-range Nord series, the OnePlus Nord. Not the Nord N10 5G or the Nord N100 that were just announced, just the regular, OG Nord. While the flagship killer vibes that once made OnePlus so great are not here anymore, the Nord returns to this price range while bringing a lot of the DNA from the newer, more powerful OnePlus flagships.
You get Android 10 based on OxygenOS and it’ll be surely one of the first phones in line for Android 11 once OnePlus does a wider roll-out. It also comes with up to 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage, and a 48MP quad rear camera setup with dual front cameras.
It gets an honorable mention because it’s the option that OnePlus is pushing for users looking to buy a phone under $500, yet it’s not available in the US, and importing it might get more expensive than you’d like. The Nord phones that will launch in the US, the Nord N10 5G and the Nord N100, seem more like watered-down versions of the regular Nord, featuring LCD panels, cheaper builds, and worse cameras. The regular Nord is one of the best cheap phones under 500 dollars, as long as you live in a country where it’s sold.
The OnePlus Nord is the company's first smartphone to not feature a Snapdragon 800 series processor, and represents the company's comeback to the mid-range market after the OnePlus X. It also has a lot of the genes from the flagship models as well, and comes just as packed with features.
Here are the options we can recommend for different needs under the $500 price tag. Do you agree with our choices? What would you choose under the different categories? Let us know in the comments below!
