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Android Comparison Gadgets Zimbabwe

Top 5 Smartphones for Stable Gaming Under $200 in Zimbabwe



As a response to some queries regarding my previous post on the gaming experience of the itel S23 and P40 Plus, I then decided to write this article on these top 5 smartphones priced under $200. So if you are looking for a smartphone that can handle stable gaming and won’t break your bank, you might be interested in this list of the top 5 smartphones for gaming under $200 in Zimbabwe. These phones offer decent performance, large batteries, and good displays for an enjoyable gaming experience. They also come from reputable brands such as Tecno, Redmi, and Gtel, which have a strong presence in the Zimbabwean market. Let’s take a look at these phones and see what they have to offer.

Tecno Spark 10 Pro

The Tecno Spark 10 Pro is one of the latest smartphones from Tecno, and it offers a lot of features for a budget price. It has a 6.6-inch HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate, which makes gaming smoother and more responsive. It also has a MediaTek Helio G80 processor, which is a gaming-oriented chipset that can handle most games without lagging. The phone comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, which can be expanded with a microSD card. The battery capacity is 5000mAh, which can last for a whole day of gaming and other activities. The phone also has a quad-camera setup on the back, with a 16MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth camera. The front camera is an 8MP selfie shooter with dual flash. The phone runs on Android 11 with Tecno’s HIOS 8.6 user interface. The Tecno Spark 10 Pro is priced at $199.

Redmi 9T

The Redmi 9T is another great option for gaming on a budget. It has a 6.53-inch FHD+ display with a waterdrop notch, which offers a sharp and immersive viewing experience. It also has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor, which is a reliable and efficient chipset that can handle most games with ease. The phone comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which can be expanded with a microSD card. The battery capacity is 6000mAh, which is one of the largest in this price range. The phone also supports 18W fast charging, which can quickly top up the battery when needed. The phone also has a quad-camera setup on the back, with a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth camera. The front camera is an 8MP selfie shooter with a waterdrop notch. The phone runs on Android 10 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 12 user interface. The Redmi 9T is priced at $169.

Gtel Infinity 9

The Gtel Infinity 9 is a local brand that offers a good value for money. It has a 6.52-inch HD+ display with a waterdrop display, which offers a decent and modern gaming experience. It also has a MediaTek Helio A20 processor, which is a quad-core chipset that can handle casual games without much trouble. The phone comes with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which can be expanded with a microSD card. The battery capacity is 5000mAh, which can last for a long time of gaming and other activities. The phone also has a triple-camera setup on the back, with a 13MP main camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth camera. The front camera is an 8MP selfie shooter with a punch-hole cutout. The phone runs on Android 11 with Gtel’s own user interface. The Gtel Infinity 9 is priced at $149.

Tecno Pop 7 Pro

The Tecno Pop 7 Pro is a budget-friendly smartphone that offers some gaming features. It has a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a dot-notch, which offers a large and clear gaming experience. It also has a MediaTek Helio A25 processor, which is an octa-core chipset that can handle light games without much hassle. The phone comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which can be expanded with a microSD card. The battery capacity is 4000mAh, which can last for a decent time of gaming and other activities. The phone also has a dual-camera setup on the back, with an 8MP main camera and a QVGA AI lens. The front camera is a 5MP selfie shooter with a dot-notch. The phone runs on Android 11 with Tecno’s HIOS 7.6 user interface. The Tecno Pop 7 Pro is priced at $115.

Redmi 9A

The Redmi 9A is the cheapest smartphone on this list, but it still offers some gaming features. It has a 6.53-inch HD+ display with a waterdrop notch, which offers a basic and simple gaming experience. It also has a MediaTek Helio G25 processor, which is an octa-core chipset that can handle low-end games without much lag. The phone comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, which can be expanded with a microSD card. The battery capacity is 5000mAh, which can last for a long time of gaming and other activities. The phone also has a single-camera setup on the back, with a 13MP main camera. The front camera is a 5MP selfie shooter with a waterdrop notch. The phone runs on Android 10 with Xiaomi’s MIUI 12 user interface. The Redmi 9A is priced at $99.

Conclusion

These are the top 5 smartphones I could find which are good for gaming and are priced under $200. They offer a good balance of performance, battery life, and display quality for an affordable price. They also come from reputable brands that have a good customer service and warranty support. If you are looking for a smartphone that can handle stable gaming and won’t break your bank, you might want to consider one of these phones. Happy gaming!

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Android Comparison Gadgets

Itel S23 and P40 Plus: Budget Phones with Poor Gaming Performance

If you are looking for a cheap smartphone that can handle gaming, you might want to avoid the Itel S23 and P40 Plus. These phones are powered by the same chipset, the Unisoc T606, which is a low-end processor that struggles to run demanding games like Call Of Duty Mobile and PUBG Mobile.

The Unisoc T606 is an octa-core chipset with four Cortex-A75 cores clocked at 1.6 GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.6 GHz. It also has a Mali-G57 GPU and supports up to 4 GB of RAM. According to the benchmark results from AnTuTu, the Unisoc T606 scores around 130,000 points, which is significantly lower than other budget chipsets like the MediaTek Helio G80 around 200,000 points or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 around 180,000 points.

I tested the gaming performance of the Itel S23 and P40 Plus on two popular games: FIFA Mobile and PUBG Mobile. Both games were set to the lowest graphics settings and the frame rate was capped at 30 fps. The results were disappointing, to say the least.

FIFA Mobile is a soccer simulation game that requires fast and smooth gameplay. However, on the Itel S23 and P40 Plus, the game was barely playable. The frame rate was unstable and often dropped below 20 fps, making the game laggy and choppy. The graphics quality was also poor, with blurry textures and jagged edges. The game also crashed several times during the matches.

PUBG Mobile is a battle royale game that involves shooting and survival. On the Itel S23 and P40 Plus, the game was also unplayable. The frame rate was even lower than FIFA Mobile, averaging around 15 fps. The graphics quality was also terrible, with low-resolution models and textures. The game also suffered from frequent stuttering and freezing, especially during combat situations.

It is clear that the Itel S23 and P40 Plus are not suitable for gaming, especially for games that require high performance and graphics. The Unisoc T606 chipset is simply too weak to handle these games, even on the lowest settings. If you are looking for a budget phone that can run these games smoothly, you might want to consider other options.

Some of the alternatives that you can find in Zimbabwe are the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+, the Tecno Camon 18 Premier, and the Infinix Zero X Pro. These phones are powered by more powerful chipsets, such as the MediaTek Helio G96, the MediaTek Helio G95, and the MediaTek Helio G90T, respectively. They also have larger screens, higher resolutions, more RAM, and better cameras. They are priced between $200 and $300, which is still affordable for many consumers.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ is the best bang for your buck among these phones. It has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 50 MP AI dual rear camera, a 8 MP selfie camera, a 5000 mAh battery with 33W fast charging, and a 128 GB internal storage with 8 GB RAM. It also supports 4G LTE and has a fingerprint sensor and a face unlock feature. It runs on Android 13 with MIUI 14. You can buy it for $250 on Pindula.

The Tecno Camon 18 Premier is another good option for gaming. It has a 6.8-inch IPS display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a 64 MP quad rear camera, a 48 MP selfie camera, a 4500 mAh battery with 33W fast charging, and a 128 GB internal storage with 8 GB RAM. It also supports 4G LTE and has a fingerprint sensor and a face unlock feature. It runs on Android 13 with HiOS 8. You can buy it for $280 on Pindula.

The Infinix Zero X Pro is the most expensive option among these phones, but it also has some unique features. It has a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 108 MP quad rear camera with a periscope lens, a 16 MP selfie camera, a 4500 mAh battery with 45W fast charging, and a 256 GB internal storage with 8 GB RAM. It also supports 4G LTE and has a fingerprint sensor and a face unlock feature. It runs on Android 13 with XOS 8. You can buy it for $300 on Pindula.

These phones are much better than the Itel S23 and P40 Plus in terms of gaming performance and overall quality. They can run FIFA Mobile and PUBG Mobile smoothly on high graphics settings and offer a more enjoyable gaming experience. They also have other advantages, such as better displays, cameras, batteries, and software. If you are looking for a budget phone that can handle gaming, you should consider these phones instead of the Itel S23 and P40 Plus.

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Android Comparison Gadgets Review

Redmi Note 10: A budget phone with 5G and long battery life

The Redmi Note 10 is the latest addition to Xiaomi’s popular mid-range series. It offers 5G connectivity, a large 5000mAh battery, and a sleek design at an affordable price. But how does it compare to other budget phones in terms of display, camera, performance, and user experience? Let’s find out.

Display: A decent but not outstanding screen

The Redmi Note 10 has a 6.43-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080×2400 pixels and a peak brightness of 1100 nits. The screen is sharp, vibrant, and responsive, but it lacks some features that are common in other budget phones, such as a higher refresh rate and HDR support. The Redmi Note 10 has a standard 60Hz refresh rate, which means that the animations and scrolling are not as smooth as on phones with 90Hz or 120Hz screens. The display also does not support HDR content, which means that the contrast and colors are not as rich as on phones with HDR10 or HDR10+ screens.

Camera: A good main camera but no ultra-wide lens

The Redmi Note 10 has a quad-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth camera. The main camera can take decent photos in good lighting conditions, with accurate colors and details. However, the quality drops significantly in low-light situations, where the photos become noisy and blurry. The ultra-wide camera can capture more of the scene, but it suffers from distortion and lower resolution. The macro camera and the depth camera are not very useful, as they produce low-quality images that are often out of focus.

The front-facing camera of the Redmi Note 10 is a 13MP sensor that can take selfies and video calls. The selfies are generally good, but they can look overexposed and unnatural in some cases. The video recording capability of the Redmi Note 10 is limited to 1080p at 30fps, which is acceptable but not impressive.

Performance: A mediocre processor but enough RAM and storage

The Redmi Note 10 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset, which is a mid-range processor that supports 5G networks. The processor has eight cores, four of which run at 2.2GHz and four at 2.0GHz. The processor is paired with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. The storage can be expanded via a microSD card slot.

The performance of the Redmi Note 10 is adequate for everyday tasks such as browsing, messaging, and social media. However, it struggles with more demanding applications such as gaming and multitasking. The games run at low settings and frame rates, and the phone can lag or freeze when switching between apps or opening multiple tabs.

Battery life: A long-lasting battery with fast charging

The Redmi Note 10 has a massive 5000mAh battery that can easily last for two days on a single charge with moderate usage. The phone also supports fast charging with a 33W charger that can charge the battery from zero to 50% in about 25 minutes and to full in about 74 minutes.

The battery life of the Redmi Note 10 is one of its strongest points, as it can outlast many other budget phones with smaller batteries or higher power consumption.

User experience: A smooth software with some bloatware

The Redmi Note 10 runs on Android 11 with MIUI 12 on top. MIUI is Xiaomi’s custom skin that adds some features and tweaks to the stock Android experience. Some of these features are useful, such as the dark mode, the app drawer, the gesture navigation, and the floating windows. However, some of these features are annoying, such as the ads, the notifications spam, the bloatware apps, and the permissions requests.

The user experience of the Redmi Note 10 is generally smooth and intuitive, but it could be improved by removing some of the unnecessary clutter and interference from MIUI.

Price: A competitive price for a budget phone

The Redmi Note 10 is available in Zimbabwe for around ZWD75,650 or $150+ for the base model with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. This is a competitive price for a budget phone that offers 5G connectivity and long battery life.

However, there are some other budget phones that offer better value for money in terms of display quality, camera performance, or processing power. For example, the Poco X3 NFC has a better screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10 support, a better camera with a 64MP main sensor and a 13MP ultra-wide sensor, and a better processor with the Snapdragon 732G chipset. The Poco X3 NFC is also cheaper than the Redmi Note 10, as it costs around ZWD68,107 for the base model with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage.

Conclusion: A budget phone with some compromises

The Redmi Note 10 is a budget phone that offers some advantages such as 5G connectivity, long battery life, and a sleek design. However, it also has some drawbacks such as a mediocre display, a limited camera, and a weak processor.

The Redmi Note 10 is a good choice for users who value 5G and battery life over other aspects of a smartphone. However, for users who want a more balanced and well-rounded budget phone, there are some better alternatives available in the market.