Smart phones in Sri Lanka are not still cheap. Still, Rs.35,000/- is quite a big amount of money for an average Sri Lankan, so this give way for cheap Chinese feature phones in the price range of Rs.3,000 to 15,000. Most people go for these cheap ‘look-alike’ Chinese phones, thinking that they are functionally similar to popular smart phone makes like BlackBerry or iPhone. “Every cellular phone which comes with a QWERTY keyboard is not a BlackBerry”. (Unfortunately, there is a segment of the market in Sri Lanka who believe it’s the same). This is a market education requirement, which need to be addressed by the mobile phone operators in Sri Lanka.
Coming back to the topic of this post, let me list down the top 10 cheapest Android phones in Sri Lanka.
Huawei U8180 IDEOS X1 – Price in Sri Lanka, Rs. 13,303.06
Although it is a Chinese phone, Huawei is arguably one of those Chinese brands which comes with a respectable standards of quality. Sri Lankan consumers have experienced in using HSDPA dongles and other devices manufactured by Huawei.
Huawei U8180 IDEOS X1 is sold at a price of Rs.13,303.06 as a special offer by Etisalat Sri Lanka. Needless to say, the offer comes with strings attached by Etisalat but you have to accept that as a fair deal for an operator to attach commitments to their data plans for obtaining a special price on a handset. You can contact Etisalat Sri Lanka for more details on buying this phone. Phone runs on Android OS, v2.2 (Froyo). Read the full phone spec on GSMAreana.com
Micromax Andro A60 – Price in Sri Lanka, Rs. 19,500/-
Micromax Andro A60 is the first Android phone to be released by this Indian company. In fact, they released this Android phone in India with the theme “My first Smartphone”, giving the impression this is an entry level smart phone. I have no information about the Micromax Andro A60 price in India. However, in Sri Lanka this phone sells at a shelf price of Rs. 19,500/-. I have found few online advertisers posted this phone at Rs.16,500/- but I’m not quite sure about the condition of the phones sold at that price. Read the full phone spec on GSMAreana.com
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini – Price in Sri Lanka, Rs. 20,900/-
Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 – Price in Sri Lanka, Rs. 21,900/-
Another Android phone based on Android OS, v1.6 from the same OEM, Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 is priced at Rs. 21,900/- at the moment in Sri Lanka. Read the full phone spec on GSMAreana.com
Huawei IDEOS X3 – Price in Sri Lanka, Rs. 22,300/-
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini pro – Price in Sri Lanka, Rs. 22,900/-
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini pro is based on Android OS, v1.6 (Donut), upgradable to v2.1 and is priced in Sri Lanka at Rs.22,900/- . Read the full phone spec on GSMAreana.com
LG Optimus ME – Price in Sri Lanka, Rs. 24,990/-
LG Optimus ME is an Android phone based on Android OS, v2.2, which is reasonably priced at Rs. 24,990/-. Phone is sold by Abans Office Automations in Sri Lanka, so drop in by any Abans show rooms to inquire about this phone. Read the full phone spec on GSMAreana.com
Samsung Galaxy POP – Price in Sri Lanka, Rs.27,500/-
Samsung Galaxy POP is by far the most popular Android phone in Sri Lanka. I’ve seen many people I meet, using this phone and speaking quite satisfied about it. The phone is based on Android OS, v2.2 and can be bought in Sri Lanka at a price around Rs. 27,500/-. Shop around at Unity Plaza or drop by at Cellular Connection, 86, Union Place, Colombo 2 to inquire about this phone at this price. Read the full phone spec on GSMAreana.com
Samsung Galaxy Pro – Price in Sri Lanka, Rs. 28,900/-
Samsung Galaxy Pro is an Android phone with a QWERTY keyboard. Errrrr…. That’s the last thing I want to see on an Android phone. Androids are best on touch screen phones, and QWERTY is the iconic feature of BlackBerry. However, this phone is priced at Rs.28,900/- in Sri Lanka. Read the full phone spec on GSMAreana.com
HTC Wildfire – Price in Sri Lanka, Rs.32,900/-
HTC
Wildfire is the Android phone model which I’m currently using. So far
my experience with HTC Wildfire is ‘OK’, with no major complaints. I
love the design of the phone it’s very sleek and smart. However, if you
consider the camera as a primary need when selecting a mobile phone, my
suggestion is to go for a Sony Ericsson. HTC seems to be having the
worst cameras on mobile phones, and I’m totally dissatisfied with the
performance of the camera on my HTC Wildfire. Apart from that, the rest
of the features are quite good and this is a value for money phone under
Rs.40,000/-. When I bought the phone 6 months ago, the phone was priced
around Rs. 37,000/-. According to the latest prices, you can now buy
this one at Rs. 32,900/-. I’ve seen some advertisers offering this at
Rs. 26,000/- but I’m not sure about the quality. Read full phone specifications on GSMAreana.comLG Optimus ONE - Price in Sri Lanka, Rs.34,990/-
LG Optimus ONE is the last in my list. This is the first Optimus phone launched by LG, and there is no significant fall of price in the phone after launching the Optimus TWO. Anyway, if you wish to make an inquiry you can drop by at any Abans show room or visit Unity Plaza to shop for this device which is priced at Rs.34,990/- in Sri Lanka. Full phone spec on GSMAreana.com
Do you know any other good Android phones which are cheaper? Please update the models and approximate price in the comments section below.
DISCLAIMER
These prices are as of 20 February 2012, and were obtained by calling few mobile phone traders in Unity Plaza and inquiring from people who recently bought these models. Prices can vary for many reasons, which I am not held responsible. I have no affiliations with business entities or brand names mentioned in this post, and I have not received any benefits from these vendors, brands, operators for featuring these products here.
