If You're Buying A New Android Phone In 2023, Stay Away From These Options

With the myriad of cell phones currently available on the consumer market, settling on an option can be difficult. While Android remains the most popular choice among consumers and the software has largely been streamlined between devices, there's another thing you need to consider when shopping: the hardware it takes to run the OS. Android phones come in a variety of shapes and sizes, some with far better features than others, and with price tags that span from the sub-$100 range up to more than $1,000.

Despite the variety, it's pretty hard to go wrong nowadays when selecting your next phone purchase. While there have been a few notable fumbles over the past decade, like the infamous Samsung Galaxy Note 7 — which was prone to catching on fire because of a faulty battery — there aren't too many smartphones on the market that are completely atrocious. That being said, in tech, there will always be winners and losers, and some of the recent phone iterations from companies just don't cut it when compared to the competition.

The TCL 30 V 5G is an affordable budget phone, but it's also potentially one of the worst 5G phones currently on the market. While one wouldn't expect too much given that the handset costs only $89 at Walmart, it may still be more trouble than it's worth. The model is billed as a Verizon prepaid exclusive, and from the looks of the spec sheet, you wouldn't suspect the performance is as poor as the reviewers claim.

After all, the device boasts a sizeable 6.67-inch 1080p display with a 60 Hz refresh rate. In addition, it has 128 GB of storage, which is fairly good for a budget device. However, where it fails significantly is the slower and older Snapdragon 480 5G processor coupled with just 4 GB of RAM and Android 11 out of the box, making the phone sluggish and outdated.

Users have reported freezing, stalling, and the phone just outright not working. In addition, its 4,500 mAh battery seems not to be optimized, leading to a very short battery life and the need to recharge the phone frequently. Though it is a highly affordable 5G option, the performance for many users has been severely lacking, and spending only a little bit more can get you a higher-quality handset.

Though it's among the cheapest phones on the market, the Nokia C110 — available for $39.99 at Straight Talk at the time of writing – has very low-end specs even for a budget-range smartphone, particularly one released in June 2023. With this model, you are getting what you pay for, as the phone contains a chipset from 2018: the MediaTek MT6762. As well, the C110 packs a measly 32 GB of internal storage and 3 GB of RAM, a 720 x 1560 HD+ display, and 5W charging.

There's not much of anything that makes this phone notable other than its price tag — and even then, it may still end up being a waste of money, considering that most users will likely want a higher level of functionality. With connectivity topping out at 4G and a mediocre 3,000 mAh battery capacity coupled with a subpar 13-megapixel rear camera, perhaps the only thing redeeming this device is the micro SD slot, which will probably be necessary after installing a few apps considering the very limited internal storage capacity.

As with many Blu devices, the marketing for the Blu Bold N3 uses buzzwords like "Epic 5G Velocity" and "Immersive Visuals" to paint a grand picture of the device. The model — which was released in September 2023 — costs $299.99 on Amazon, and its specs aren't terrible. Buyers get a sizeable 6.78-inch screen, 120 Hz refresh rate, 256 GB of internal storage, and a relatively new CPU with the MediaTek Dimsenity 7050.

However, despite looking good on paper, there's a good reason you may want to reconsider buying this model: Blu's lackluster track record when it comes to software updates. As tends to be the case with budget smartphones, most Blu handsets don't get major Android OS upgrades — many don't even get security updates. The company tends to ship its phones loaded with older versions of Android, though the Bold N3 is a welcomed exception, as it comes with Android 13 out of the box.

With that said, Blu doesn't mention any plans for future updates, and as with most of its phones, buyers shouldn't expect any. Even if Blu does release an Android update, though, you'd probably want to think twice before installing it. In 2017, Blu released an Android update that locked many of its users out of their phones. With some users on Amazon already complaining about bloatware and possible hardware issues — coupled with the uncertainty of software updates in the future — you'd be better off spending your $300 elsewhere.

While it's tempting to get higher-quality but refurbished older phones, that may not be the best idea. Why? Phones eventually stop receiving security patches, leaving them more vulnerable to attacks from malicious actors. Not every Android phone loses security update support at the same time, though, with some models receiving updates for far longer than others.

For example, certain higher-end Samsung smartphones now receive five years of security updates — that's from the date the phone was released, not the date you bought it. As such, the Samsung Galaxy S20 released in 2020 still receives security patches, while older phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S9 released in 2018, do not.

If you want a higher-quality phone without breaking the bank, buying a used Android phone that still receives security updates is an excellent option. If you'd rather buy something brand new, though, there are solid budget phones on the market, such as the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G, which is $449.99 on Amazon, and the OnePlus Nord N30 5G, which sells for $299.99 on Amazon.