One of the best cheap Android phones I've tested is not a Motorola or Samsung

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Oukitel C50 is available for purchase now, with specs that make it well worth its $180 price tag.
• With more than enough horsepower, this $180 Android phone performs like a device twice its price.
• The lack of an App Drawer (by default) was off-putting, but that can be overcome with a configuration change or a third-party home screen launcher (such as Nova Launcher).

I’ve been reviewing Android phones for a long time. One thing that has struck me lately is the quality of inexpensive phones. When I first started reviewing Android devices, every time I received a cheap phone, I knew exactly what to expect: underpowered, made of cheap materials, and specs barely capable of running the OS.

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Over the past few years, however, sub-$200 Android phones have progressed to the point where they are not only viable alternatives but often quite good. No, they won’t beat the likes of the Google Pixel or the latest Samsung Galaxy, but for anyone looking to buy a mobile phone on a budget, these devices are no longer the bottom of the barrel. 

Such is the case with the Oukitel C50. The Oukitel brand has really impressed me lately, and this phone is no exception. Even the camera can barely be faulted (more on that in a bit). Sure, there are differences that set the flagship phones apart from the C50, but when you can’t afford the premium price, those differences are easily set aside.

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Before I get to my experience, let’s talk specs.

• CPU: MediaTek Dimensity 6100+
• Memory: 8GB of RAM + 128GB of storage (Up to 1TB)
• Display: 6.8-inch HD+ at 90Hz
• Battery: 5,150mAh
• Operating system: Android 14
• Color: Grey, Green, Blue
• Weight: 208g
• Supported carriers include: Sprint, T-Mobile

My experience

When I first unboxed the C50, my reaction was that it wasn’t a bad-looking phone. It certainly won’t place in any top five lists for aesthetics, but it’s also not going to be automatically disregarded. More than anything, thanks to the camera lens placement and the flat edges, the device kind of resembles an iPhone. I’m sure this was by design, and I do not blame Oukitel one bit for making that decision. The phone even has a clear case to protect the sides and back.

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When I completed the setup, the C50 truly impressed me. For a $180 Android phone, it performs remarkably well. I’ve used phones twice the price, and they didn’t perform as smoothly. Animations are smooth, apps open quickly, and switching between apps is fast.

The only performance issue was with image processing. Unlike the Pixel 8 Pro’s instant capture, the C50 slightly lags when snapping photos. Initially, I feared this would result in blurry images, but the camera performed admirably, although it lacks depth-of-field adjustment for background blur.

As far as apps are concerned, I was surprised at how little bloatware was on the device. Usually, with such phones, there are a number of unnecessary apps that you should remove. The C50 included the usual Google apps, an FM radio app, a SIM toolkit, and not much more.

There is, however, one little gripe I have discovered with many of these types of phones… the home screen launcher. The C50 looks like it has a fairly standard Android home screen, but you’ll quickly discover there is no App Drawer out of the box. All apps are installed on the home screen, which makes for a cluttered interface. If you want to add an App Drawer, you’ll have to install a third-party home screen, such as Nova Launcher, or you can simply change the Settings app. Open the Home Settings (long-press the home screen and tap the Settings icon). Next, tap Launcher Style and then enable the App Drawer. After enabling the App Drawer, you can also configure Android not to install new apps to the home screen, and you’re good to go.

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Battery life has been solid, too. I easily reached the end of my day on a full charge. I charged the C50 to 100% and, after light usage, found it could extend well past the 24-hour mark. Of course, your mileage may vary (depending on the apps you use and how much you use them). 

Lastly, the display is bright, allowing me to see what’s on the screen in all types of lighting conditions. The only time I struggled to see well enough was when shooting photos outdoors in the bright sun. To really see with enough clarity, I had to find a bit of shade, but for everyday apps like Gmail and Chrome, there were no issues.

ZDNET’s buying advice

It’s simple: if you need an inexpensive Android phone, the Oukitel C50 is hard to beat. For $180 right now, this device performs well above its price point and looks far more premium than it has a right to. With a decent enough camera, very good performance, a solid battery, and a bright display, you could do far worse than this. 

My only advice would be to install a third-party home screen launcher to add an App Drawer back into the mix. Other than that, the Oukitel C50 is worth every penny.

This article was originally published on July 19, 2024, and was updated on October 8, 2024.