Five dual-core Android phones you can get for less than Rs. 25,000

Dual-core smartphones were considered a luxury premium product when they were introduced about one year ago. They were highly priced, packed a punch under the hood and finally we started seeing alternatives to a little device called the iPhone.

Now, one year later, dual-core Android phones have been available in India for quite some time. The Google Play Store is also filled with apps that take advantage of the powerful hardware under the hood of these devices.

With quad-core phones just around the corner we thought we’d take a look at some of the dual-core phones out there for you that have seen a slight dip in prices – allowing us to bring you a list of the five best dual-core Android smartphones under Rs. 25,000. If you thought a dual-core Android powered smartphone was out of your reach, think again!

Will you pick up one of these as your next smartphone?

Motorola Atrix 2

Processor: Dual-core 1GHz Cortex-A9
RAM: 1GB
Display: 4.3-inch display with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels
Camera: 8MP AF Camera with an LED flash and a front facing camera
Battery: 1,785 mAh
OS: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Storage: 8GB Internal Storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD
Price: Rs. 22,990

Verdict: At its price point, the Motorola Atrix 2 is a fantastic product. It has a brilliant display. The MotoBlur UI skin over Android is fun to use with 5 customizable screens. The device also has a micro-HDMI connector so you can playback content on your HDTV. Did we mention the phone is built like a rock?

---

HTC Sensation

Processor: Dual-core 1.2GHz Scorpion
RAM: 768MB RAM
Display: 4.3-inch display with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels
Camera: 8MP AF camera with dual LED flash, 1080p Video recording and a front facing VGA camera
Battery: 1,520 mAh
OS: Android OS 2.3.4 Gingerbread upgradable to ICS
Storage: 1GB Internal storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
Price: Rs. 24,000

Verdict: At Rs. 24,000, the Sensation is one of the best smartphones from the HTC lineup. We really like the high-resolution display that is quite a bit better than what the competition has to offer at this price point. If you are looking for an overall value for money product that isn’t the Samsung Galaxy S II, you can definitely take a look at the HTC Sensation.

---

Samsung Galaxy R

Processor: Dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9
RAM: 1GB RAM
Display: 4.2-inch display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels
Camera: 5MP AF camera with an LED flash, 720p HD recording and a 1.3MP front facing camera
Battery: 1,650mAh
OS: Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread
Storage: 8GB internal storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
Price: Rs. 21,170

Verdict: The only drawback to the Samsung Galaxy R is that it doesn’t feature a Super AMOLED Display. The 5MP camera is a great performer, the gorilla glass makes sure that your screen is safe and the battery life of the device is long enough to survive a hectic day.

---

LG Optimus 2X

Processor: Dual-core 1GHz Cortex-A9
RAM: 512MB RAM
Display: 4.0-inch display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels
Camera: 8MP autofocus camera with an LED flash, 1080p HD video recording and a 1.3MP front facing camera
Battery: 1,500mAh
OS: Android 2.2 Froyo, upgradable to 2.3 Gingerbread
Storage: 8 GB internal storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
Price: Rs. 19,990

Verdict: The Optimus 2X with the 1GHz dual-core processor offers a definite performance improvement over the smartphones powered by 1GHz single core phones. The extra power under the hood does make it a snappier device. For a price of around Rs. 20k, this is definitely a steal. Along with the extra power, you will get a very capable phone, excellent display, a good camera, HDMI video out capability and 8GB built-in storage.

---

Micromax Superfone A85

Processor: Dual-core 1GHz Cortex-A9
RAM: 512MB RAM
Display: 3.8-inch display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels
Camera: 5MP autofocus camera and a VGA front facing camera
Battery: 1500 mAh
OS: Android 2.2 Froyo
Storage: 8 GB internal storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
Price: Rs. 15,200

Verdict: Probably the only smartphone on our list to boast of gesture controls, the Micromax A85 Superfone is also the cheapest Dual-core smartphone available in the market. Its battery life may be shorter than the competition and considering the price point of Rs. 15,200 it does skim off on some features such as the camera and the build. The bright side is that you get a Tegra 2 powered Android smartphone under 20k.