Earlier we looked at the best entry-level phones and provided options for people with a budget of 3K. The lower market is so cramped with devices that even people with a set budget are confused which one to pick. So in order to make it simpler for you, let's take a look at some of the better models within the 5K bracket.
Though there were a wide variety of phones to choose from, here's a list of the best six we picked out.
Samsung X520 - 3,650
The Samsung X520 is a slim beauty and is one of the good-looking handsets. It's got sharp lines, though it's obviously not even close to the RAZR. Now the RAZR also sells in this price bracket (on the higher side) but it's old and outdated, and hence I wouldn't want to suggest it.
Coming in as an entry phone in this price bracket, the Samsung doesn't have much to offer. It's got a 1.9-inch screen, a 1,000 entry phonebook, 2.8 MB of internal memory, VGA camera, FM Radio and Infrared connectivity for just contacts transfer.
The missing Bluetooth and no memory card slot could be a bit of a hitch, especially since our previous 3K choices also had a card slot. However, for this phone you'd be paying for its look. One thing that surely adds to the good points of this phone is its good battery life.
Sony Ericsson K510i - 3846
The Sony Ericsson K510i is one handset that has almost everything going for it barring a few missing features. This phone comes from the "K series" of handsets from Sony Ericsson and features a 1.3 MP camera, 28 MB of internal memory, Bluetooth, Infrared port, a large 1.8-inch screen, good battery life and an MP3 player.
Though 28 MB doesn't leave you with much choice to store songs, and with the camera pics, videos hogging quite a bit of space, I can't see how an MP3 player would help. The missing memory card and FM tuner are the negative points of this handset. If these two points are not much of a concern then I see this as a good buy.
Samsung E250 - 4200
The Samsung E250 has been repriced and repackaged with goodies to make it more appealing. The refurbished handset sure did pick up sales but what's even better is that overall it's a good phone. The phone is a slim slider, which even reflects style along with its features and the black color. The E250 is quite an eye-catcher.
The phone has a memory card slot along with 10MB of internal memory, the package usually bundles 512M or 1GB card along, which is great. The audio quality is good and there is support for wireless stereo audio from the handset as well. The battery life is good as well. The phone has a VGA camera, FM tuner, a decent MP3 player, which I quite liked, and EDGE support as well. This handset more or less turns out to be worth every penny spent.
Sony Ericsson W200i - 4300
If you love your music then Sony Ericsson Walkman is the way to go. It s obviously not the best overall buy, but the music with those Bass Reflex earphones sound really good. The phone comes with a 512MB card capable of carrying at least a couple of albums. Then there is an RDS FM Tuner just in case you're not content with your music collection.
The sad part about this phone is its poor VGA camera and the fact that it does not have a Bluetooth, except for these the phone could be the choice of any music lover with a restricted budget of 5K.
Nokia 3110 Classic - 4450
The Nokia 3110 Classic is already a favorite among many dealers. Its sales have picked from the time the phone has been out in the market. It's got a memory card slot, Bluetooth with wireless stereo audio, an FM Radio, 1.3MP camera and an Audio/Video player.
The phone has a large screen that will make surfing fun. Also, the phone supports EDGE with HSCSD connectivity. With Java MIDP 2.0 this phone also supports lots of applications and will provide more services than just the phone and the entertainment. It would have been much better if its battery could hold up to all this productivity.
Motorola RIZR Z3 - 4999
The Motorola RIZR Z3 sits right on the edge of this price bracket. The phone at this moment has the best to offer. This 2MP camera with flash coming in this price bracket is quite a thing. It's got style as well. The phone has Bluetooth A2DP profile to support wireless stereo audio and also a memory card bundled along.
This unfortunately doesn't have a Linux operating system but its still pretty quick. A 1.9-inch sharp display and a damn good battery life are the other reasons why this phone is worth the money spent.
Final WordsThere are a lot of phones in this category but the above mentioned are some of the better ones you can choose from.
The phones mentioned should easily last you over a year and provide with a great service. Next up we'll provide you with best handsets ranging from 5K-10K. It's a heated battle and will be the next to follow.
Take a look at the full comparison table
here
