Sub-R3,000 entry-level smartphone roundup - May 2023

Jan

Jan

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Best smartphones under R3,000 in South Africa

The budget smartphone segment in South Africa is teeming with highly-capable devices at affordable prices.

MyBroadband looked for the best smartphones you can buy from reputable local tech retailers for less than R3,000 in May 2023.
 
FiestaST said:
If a gun was involved & you forced me then the Poco.
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Not a ****,

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Got the Redmi 9c now, will probably go for the 12c shortly

Kinda wish there were some 7 inch phones in this price bracket

Edit, this Xiomi has been the most indestructible phone I've ever had, it went all the way down steel stairs multiple times and several other destructive events, apart from bumps and scrapes its perfect, quite the opposite to the premium smartphones from what I see.
 
ArmatageShanks said:
Got the Redmi 9c now, will probably go for the 12c shortly

Kinda wish there were some 7 inch phones in this price bracket

Edit, this Xiomi has been the most indestructible phone I've ever had, it went all the way down steel stairs multiple times and several other destructive events, apart from bumps and scrapes its perfect, quite the opposite to the premium smartphones from what I see.
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I have the 9T and very happy with it
Work phone is the 6A and it sux hairy balls
 
Most of these seem fine?

Just using my phone for whatsapp, videos and basic browsing anyway.

Once or twice a year I use it as an actual phone too.
 
backstreetboy said:
Will be slow as molasses, especially on a banking app like FNB.
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You are mistaken, my old arse 9c has no lag anywhere, if you have 20 tabs of stuff open and another 15 apps running at the same time sure, it'll take half a second returning to things, but day to day, flawless.

The FNB app sounds as if its poorly designed and not optimised.
 
backstreetboy said:
Will be slow as molasses, especially on a banking app like FNB.
Click to expand...
You are mistaken, my old arse 9c has no lag anywhere, if you have 20 tabs of stuff open and another 15 apps running at the same time sure, it'll take half a second returning to things, but day to day, flawless.

The FNB app sounds as if its poorly designed and not optimised

As an example, whilst recording and with the hostspot on

 
Last edited:
ArmatageShanks said:
Got the Redmi 9c now, will probably go for the 12c shortly

Kinda wish there were some 7 inch phones in this price bracket

Edit, this Xiomi has been the most indestructible phone I've ever had, it went all the way down steel stairs multiple times and several other destructive events, apart from bumps and scrapes its perfect, quite the opposite to the premium smartphones from what I see.
Click to expand...
Sadly like the change from the 7th to the 8th gen, the Redmi 12c is actually a downgrade from the older 10c. Still reasonably good value, but a slower SoC and no more Gorilla Glass screen. :(
 
Totempole said:
Sadly like the change from the 7th to the 8th gen, the Redmi 12c is actually a downgrade from the older 10c. Still reasonably good value, but a slower SoC and no more Gorilla Glass screen. :(
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The gorilla glass might be a killer then, definitely a major part of its indestructibility
 
bought the xiaomi redmi 10c for just over R3000 a few weeks back.
 
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