One of the best cheap Android phones I've tested isn't made by Samsung or TCL

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The NUU N10 Android telephone is obtainable now on Amazon for $99.
• This telephone is about as spectacular because it will get on a decent funds.
• The NUU N10 does undergo a little bit of lag with animations, and the digicam will not blow you away.

I’ve seen nearly each sort of Android telephone in the marketplace, from the suspiciously cheap to the ridiculously overpriced. A few of these handsets impressed me with their mixture of value vs. efficiency whereas others left me questioning, “Why is that this mandatory?”

After which there are the bottom-of-the-barrel units — those you anticipate finding on the market at a drug retailer or truck cease. These telephones are not often definitely worth the effort and time it takes to open the packaging.

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Each infrequently, nevertheless, a low-budget Android telephone finds its means into my arms and modifications my thoughts on the value level. (In any case, not everybody can afford a $1,000 telephone.)

When the NUU Cell rep requested if I needed to take a look at the brand new NUU N10, I used to be more than pleased to oblige. I might already reviewed a earlier NUU system (the NUU B30) and got here away fairly impressed. Would the N10 make the identical splash?

Let’s discover out.

The specs

• CPU: Octa-Core UNISOC T606 at 1.4 GHz
• RAM: 4GB
• Inner storage: 128GB with microSD card help
• Provider: T-Cell, Mint Cell, Metro by T-Cell, Q Hyperlink Wi-fi, ULTRA Cell, Google Fi, Whats up Cell, Tello Cell, Lycamobile, Patriot Cell, Republic Wi-fi, Easy Cell, StandUp Wi-fi, SpeedTalk, and Telcel America.
• Show: 6.6-inch HD+ with a 90Hz refresh price
• Battery: 5,000mAh
• Cameras: 13MP important, 2MP macro, 5MP selfie, and LED flash
• OS: Android 14

Observe: The N10 is not appropriate with Verizon, AT&T, Cricket, Increase Cell, Tracfone, Pulse Mobile, Union Wi-fi, Spectrum, or any CDMA service.

My expertise

First off, let me remind you that this can be a $99 telephone, so please perceive that the N10 is not going to face toe-to-toe with the likes of a Pixel 9 Professional. That mentioned, the N10 is a powerful system for its value level.

Sure, it may be a bit laggy (with animations and app switching), however total, the UI is pretty responsive. Talking of UIs, the N10 affords a reasonably fundamental Android expertise. There is not any extra UI overlay and even bloatware. The solely extra software program is the NUU Assist app. Apart from that, it is pure Android. 

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The telephone is a bit taller than my Pixel 9 professional and barely heavier (after I take away my Pixel from its case). Even with the additional top, the telephone suits properly in my arms (that are smaller than common).

Organising the N10 is similar as any Android telephone, which suggests it is only a matter of connecting to a Wi-Fi community (or inserting a supported SIM), and connecting to your Google account. As soon as that is taken care of, the setup will full itself and you will wind up with a really acquainted interface.

The N10 affords PIN/fingerprint/face unlock choices; though the fingerprint scanner is embedded within the Energy button, it really works properly. The face scanner is fairly spectacular and unlocks the telephone virtually instantly. I’ve had far dearer Android telephones the place the face unlock possibility lags and is even inconsistent with the flexibility to unlock. The N10 doesn’t undergo from such points.

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In all probability crucial factor you are questioning about is efficiency. How may a $99 telephone stand as much as the fierce competitors out there right now? As famous above, this is not a Pixel telephone, so do not count on Pixel efficiency. Given its value, nevertheless, the N10’s efficiency is spectacular. Certain, there’s some lag when opening sure apps, flattening the Notification Shade, or the App Drawer. 

The show just isn’t dangerous. YouTube movies look good and even sound clear (albeit a bit tinny – which is to be anticipated from telephone audio system), so no complaints there.

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The cameras on this telephone will not win any awards, however they’re serviceable. With loads of mild, the principle digicam can take a fairly first rate image. In low mild, the pictures can get fairly “noisy” with an excessive amount of grain, however after I examined the digicam in low-light conditions, I used to be pushing the N10’s limits. Give the digicam sufficient mild, and you will be impressed with the outcomes.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

Finally, what shocked me most concerning the NUU N10 is that it overperforms for a $99 telephone. Had I not recognized concerning the value, I might have guessed that the handset lived close to the $200 value level. In case you’re on a decent funds or in search of a telephone handy over to your children, the N10 is a good worth. It isn’t going to usurp something provided by Google, Samsung, OnePlus, Nothing, or any of the main producers, however it might dangle with any of the funds telephones I’ve examined so far.

NUU won’t be a reputation you are accustomed to, however in the event you’re an Android person, you will really feel proper at dwelling on their telephones.