There are a lot of smartphones in the market these days, but one thing that makes people wary about buying one is the price.
Without blinking and with no particular brand in mind, chances are consumers will instantly think iPhone or Samsung Galaxy when asked what they will be looking for. But these phones don't come cheap. This creates much room for alternative brands, many of which carry specs that aren't all that bad.
Among the leading alternatives are the Asus Zenfone 2, the upcoming OnePlus Two and the Motorola Droid Turbo. If you check out the market, these are just some of the many mobile phones one can get without worrying too much about the price. But of course, there are compromises for each, and the choice could eventually depend on what is more important to the eventual buyer.
The Asus Zenfone 2 one of the newer models in the market. It offers a sane set of specs which include a 5.5-inch display (1080x1920 pixels), a 1.8 GHz quad-core processor backed with 2GB/4GB of RAM, a 13 MP camera and a 5MP front-facing camera. It is available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of storage, which is expandable via microSD if needed. It runs on the latest Android Lollipop OS as well.
A 3000 mAh battery is responsible for providing the power it will need, and the only flaw could be the plastic casing it comes in. For a phone that costs as low as $199, people who are into multi-tasking will find this phone quite sufficient.
The OnePlus Two, touted as the next Flagship Killer, is the one that is highly awaited. It carries a decent line of specs that include a 5.5-inch display backed by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset.
It is further supported by 3GB of RAM, 16GB/ 64GB of storage, 13MP main camera and a 5MP front camera backed by a 3,100 mAh battery.
The OnePlus Two is rumored to be coming out with the company's own CyanogenMod, and the standard retail price for this device starts at $249. Not a bad buy as well, though it still carries the same problem its predecessor, the OnePlus One, had – availability.
Lastly there is the Moto Droid Turbo, another Android-powered device. It carries features that include a smaller 5.2-inch display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset but a larger storage capacity (32/64 GB). It also has a better main camera (21MP) but a lower front-facing shooter (2MP). A 3,900 mAh battery comes with the device, but it seems that the device is experiencing issues with the Android Lollipop OS for now.
Compared with the Asus Zenfone 2 and the OnePlus Two, the Droid Turbo is a bit more expensive, with prices starting at $599.
Taking all these into consideration, it all boils down to what a buyer is looking for. If features are not important, then the Asus Zenfone 2 should be it. For the ones who want a little bit of both, the OnePlus Two should be good, although it will be hard to come by.
And for the ones who want the best of what alternative smartphones can offer, the Droid Turbo should be the device to lean on. The battery life issue does seem like a problem, but since it is tied up with the Android Lollipop OS, it could eventually be addressed by soon-to-be-released Android OS updates.
