Two Budget Friendlies

CEBU, Philippines - When talking about buying new gadgets and gizmos, many are torn between spending and saving, weighing down the importance of needs over the frivolity of wants.

Thankfully, there are model selections known as budget friendly options, products which don't necessarily feature the biggest, the loudest, the brightest, the shiniest or the latest of feature trends and highlights, but efficiently satisfies needs and wants all in one.

As gadget-purchase options they are practical and realistic, and with these out in the market today, electronic consumers don't have to scrimp on function-featured devices when budgets are tight.

Here's a quick look at two impressive budget friendlies currently available in leading gadget stores here in Cebu - a smartphone by LG and a tablet by Archos.

LG Optimus L3

Price Range: Between Php5,300 to Php6,500

As a budget friendly mobile, the LG Optimus L3 is quite good, powered by an Android operating system and coming with a 3MegaPixel Camera, WiFi/3G/Bluetooth wireless support, quick browser features and a decent battery lifespan.

But, in a time when smartphones are sporting 4-inch sized screens, the L3's 3.2" touchscreen display (TFT Capacitive, 320 x 240 screen resolution) may be a downer for some, but not altogether a bump which would deny it from gaining your attention.

Its internal storage capacity (1GB) could also be pegged as another L3 downside, but its support for external memory cards (microSD) can resolve data storage concerns.

In terms of looks, the L3 is pretty sharp, small enough to fit in most pockets yet big enough for a user's convenience. Being an Android mobile, the L3 works well with feature-designed apps, and comes with the upsides of having an Android-driven smartphone.

As a budget friendly model, the L3 is often compared against Samsung's Galaxy Y, Alcatel's 918N and Lenovo's A60.

Powered by an 800Mhz processor, the L3 is not really a model equivalent for the bigger model names featured by other brands, and its screen and storage features may not be the best, but all in all, the LG Optimus L3 looks good and gets things done without calling upon "the reading of the bill" woes.

Archos 101 10.1" Internet Tablet

Price Range: Between Php14,500 to Php16,000

Tagging at a Php15,000 average, Archos' 10.1 inch Archos 101 internet tablet is quite the budget friendly item, with 16 gigs of internal memory, support for microSD memory cards, and USB host sync ports.

Android-driven, the tablet is geared for the upsides of the mobile internet browsing via wireless LAN (WiFi), though reports indicate that it fails to come with enhanced brand-specific support for Google Apps and Android Market.

However, this rub can be resolved via Android-tweaks and tricks, something which your inner-nerd can overcome and deal with (that or you can get a real nerd to fix it up for you).

As tablets come, the Archos 101 works with a touchscreen user interface. Well sized, the device is perfect for web browsing and movie viewing, along with accomplishing simple online tasks like reading/replying to emails and instant messaging.

It's online connectivity works via Wireless Access Points, which means that the device doesn't come with hardware for SIM Cards, so no internal mobile communications or 3G mobile internet. It can, however, interact with dedicated portable Access Points which typically offer enhanced WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity options.

The nifty thing about the tablet is its full-sized USB port, which means that users can directly plug in a USB keyboard or a flash drive to the device. It's a feature not often encountered in other brands and models. In terms of construction, the tablet is mostly plastic, which means that it is not built for rugged use, as opposed to other aluminum-finished tablet options.

As a budget friendly model, it is often pegged against Coby's Kyros 10-inch tablet.

Given its price, the Archos 101 tablet is quite practical, delivering tablet experiences to the right tune, sans the bells and whistles other brands and models are known to sport.

There are, of course, other budget friendly options out there.

If anything, this feature isn't about telling you to buy the abovementioned items now, but is more inclined in helping you in come up with a list of budget friendly options, should getting a budget friendly smartphone or tablet be your priority.

After all, in the everyday collision between spending and saving, everyone wants the best bang from their buck, and what better way is there to save than by getting gadgets which are well-priced and well-featured for your needs. — (FREEMAN)