Android Magazine UK - Issue No. 49

Buyer’s Guide

The Guardian

» Price Free + IAPs

YahooNewsDigest

»PriceFree

Flipboard

»PriceFree

Watchup: Your Daily

Newscast »PriceFree

The redesigned app

for The Guardian

newspaper has a

slick UI and some

clever features, including the

option to personalise the front

page with the types of stories that

interest you most. You can also

save articles for offline reading.

This magazine-style

app sucks in news

from your favourite

websites and social

networks, and presents them in

a glossy, interactive layouts. You

can even cherry-pick your

favourite stories and produce

you’re own digital fanzine.

For those of you who

are two busy to trawl

through news sites,

Yahoo’s app offers

twice-daily cliff notes for the

day’s top stories. Articles are

attractively laid out with body

text usefully broken up by

insightful infographics.

In case you missed it... Must-have news apps Read more in issue 47

IF YOU’RE SHOPPING FOR A SMARTPHONE ON A SHOESTRING, CHECK

TOP10BUDGETBUYSOUTTHESELOW-COSTMOBILEMUST-HAVES

1

Moto G 4G

The Moto X’s budget cousin set new standards for the low-cost phone with support for 4G. While it’s

madeofacheapplastic,theMotoGhasnotcompromisedonscreenquality,whichis4.5inchesof

sturdy Gorilla Glass 3 and offers 1280x720 pixels. The small memory can be boosted thanks to a

microSD slot. Running near-stock Android, MotorolahasconfirmedMotoG4G’snextupgradewillbe

Lollipop, ensuring future-proofing for some time despite the launch of a new Moto G (2014) model.

From £120.80

See issue 42

2

Moto G (2014)

Whilethesecond-genMotoXhaswonusover,theMotoG(2014)hasfallenshortofthetopduetoa

lack of 4G despite the similar price point. However, this is a trade-off if you would rather have the

slightlylarger5-inchscreenortheusefuladditionofadualSIM.

£120.80

See issue 44

3

Moto E

Availableforunder£100,SIM-freeandnocontract,theMotoEistheultimateno-strings-attached

smartphone.Withasturdy,splashproofcase,1980mAhbatterythatwillgothedistanceandmicroSD

slottoexpandthetiny1GBmemory,theMotoEisanimpressivebuildthatwon’tbreakthebank.

£78.33

See issue 40

4

Samsung Galaxy Ace 3

WhileSamsung’shigh-endhandsetsgetalotofattention,thecompanyhasamuchbroaderrange.

TheGalaxyAce3isnowonitsthirdincarnationandat£81itsitsneatlyinthebudgettomid-range

category.Thisisa4GhandsetwithadistinctiveSamsunglookandfeatures.

£81

See issue 34

5

EE Kestrel

OnlyavailablefromtheEEnetwork,itsown-brandKestrelphoneisoffering4Gdataspeedsatavery

reasonableprice.ProducedbyHuawei,thehandsethasacurveddesignwhichgivesitauniqueflair.

Good battery life ensures it can handle its quad-core engine and 4G’s inevitable drain.

£100

See issue 40

6

HTC Desire 510

At4.7inches,withabudgetpricetagandLTEconnectivity,thisisHTC’sanswertotheMotoG4G.

However, cost-saving measures such as a 5MP camera and poor screen quality mean it just can’t

compete.HTC’sSense6UIisstillherethough,offeringoneofthebestcustominterfacesforAndroid.

£119

See issue 44

7

Acer Liquid Z5

Agood-lookingphonewithtaperededges,theAcerLiquidZ5offersastylishalternativetomostblack

brick handsets. Its innovative Float Apps interface also makes it easy to multitask apps. However,

humdrum specs, like a low-res screen, leave it ranking low in the competitive world of budget phones.

£95

See issue 39

8

Nokia X

The launch of the slimmer, faster Nokia X2 has driven the price of the Nokia X down, but this original

Microsoft-Android hybrid still deserves attention. A bestselling handset in India and Pakistan, it has

great build quality with a tough polycarbonate chassis available in a range of colours.

£79.90

See issue 38

9

Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini

The understated style and low-end specs make the Alcatel OneTouch Idol Mini a great option for

first-time or light users. SwiftKey as the default keyboard is a welcome addition. However, it’s hard to

justifytheexcessivebloatwareonaphonethatonlyhas4GBstorage.

£79.99

See issue 39

10

Huawei Ascend Y300

Only offering a dual-core processor is going to damn this Huawei in the eyes of many potential buyers,

but it shouldn’t be dismissed quickly. The well-reviewed Ascend Y530 is only a slight spec upgrade on

the Y300 but is around double the price. Ideal for young or cash-strapped users.

£40

See issue 28

If you prefer to watch

rather than read the

news, Watchup is

ideal. Providing a

platform to view YouTube newscasts

from local, national and international

sources, you watch endlessly rolling

news or set alerts to view videos at

your preferred time of day.

WINNER