Three great smartphones that cost less than R5,000

South African residents looking for an affordable but powerful smartphone have various options priced at less than R5,000, with some of the best being the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G, Realme C55, and Redmi Note 12 Pro.

While your choice of smartphone may differ based on individual preference, these devices offer features and hardware to meet various requirements.

Whether you are a mobile gamer, like to capture memorable moments, or are just looking for a powerful device to surf the web and use social media, these devices are more than capable.

They also feature large batteries with fast-charging capabilities to ensure battery life during extended power outages, which can still be problematic despite Eskom’s load-shedding suspension.

All three feature support for dual SIM cards.

The most expensive option listed is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro from Takealot for R4,999.

The smartphone features a large 6.67-inch 1080p OLED display with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

It packs 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which, combined with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G, allows for smooth performance and impressive mobile gaming capabilities.

While it offers the same battery capacity as the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G and Realme C55, it has the highest rate of fast charging, at 67W.

At that rate, it takes approximately 40 minutes to charge the Redmi Note 12 Pro from 0% to full.

It also has the most impressive rear camera setup, with a 108MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultrawide sensor, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor.

This makes it capable of recording 1080p video at up to 60 frames per second and 4K video at 30 frames per second.

On the front of the phone, the Redmi Note 12 Pro sports a 16MP wide-angle selfie camera.

Those looking for a powerful device that supports 5G connectivity should find the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G a great option.

Depending on the retailer, the Galaxy A25 5G is available for between R4,199 and R4,696, with a Bob Shop seller being the cheapest option.

However, it should be noted that it only has three units remaining at R4,199.

It is the only device listed that features 5G connectivity, enabled by Samsung’s in-house Exynos 1280 SoC.

The processor is combined with 6GB of RAM, and the device comes with 128GB of internal storage, which is expandable via its microSD slot.

The Samsung Galaxy A25 5G has a 6.5-inch 2,340 x 1,080-pixel OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

It features a triple-rear camera setup comprising a 50MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP macro sensor. Selfies are taken using a 13MP front camera.

The smartphone packs a 5,000mAh and supports fast charging up to 25W.

South Africans looking for an affordable device capable of running the latest mobile game titles should consider the Realme C55, available for as little as R3,999 from Game.

While it doesn’t feature the latest cellular technology and has a lower refresh rate than the others, it combines 8GB of RAM with a Mediatek Helio G88 SoC for impressive gaming performance.

It also comes with the most internal storage of the three at 256GB.

The Realme C55 features a 6.72-inch 1080p LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 5,000mAh battery that supports fast charging up to 33W.

It has a dual rear camera setup comprising a 64MP primary shooter and a 2MP depth sensor. It features an 8MP cutout selfie camera on the front.

Specifications and images of the Realme C55, Samsung Galaxy A25 5G, and Redmi Note 12 Pro are provided below.

Realme C55 — R3,999 to R4,799

Samsung Galaxy A25 5G — R4,199 to R4,696

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G — R4,999