Finding a smartphone that costs less than $100 and that has fast charging is harder than finding a needle in a haystack, but we found a few for you. In this article, we explore the fast charging phones under 100 dollars that we found.
But a quick primer on what fast charging is: as a rule, most current fast charging technology speed up either the first 30 minutes or first 60 minutes of charging, after which, the rest of the charging process is at normal speed. So, you should think of fast charging as a means of quickly topping up your battery – plug it in and go from 0 to 30% in 30 minutes, or 0 to 50% in 30 minutes, depending on which fast charging standard your phone supports.
Five fast charging phones under 100 dollars
If you are a busy person, the ability to get a quick top-up of your battery is priceless. Here are the five (5) fast charging phones under 100 dollars that let you do just that.Advertisement
LG G6 32GB and 64GB
I remember that the 64GB storage version of LG G6 sold for ₦150,000 (about $400) back in 2017. Thanks to a tip-off from Ehimare Uduehi, I am almost in shock to find that it now sells for less than $100!! What?
Anyway, what do you get? You get a 2017 flagship smartphone with a 5.7″ display, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, fingerprint scanner 4GB RAM, and 64GB internal storage. LG says that the 3300mAh battery is coupled with Quick Charge 3.0, but during my review, my usage produced only QC 2.0 results. That means you can top-up your battery from 0-50% in about 30 minutes.
The LG G6 variants available at this price point are the 32GB and 64GB models. Because the G6 is a flagship, this is the best value on this list of fast charging phones under 100 dollars. Where to find it? Try AliExpress. Price: $99 or ₦35,500. LG G6 specifications. LG G6 review.
LeEco Le 2 X520
LeEco Le 2 may be a 2-year-old model, but it packs Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 2.0 fast charging standard. And it is because of its age that you can now buy it for less than ₦36,000. With N35,000 in hand and a visit to Jumia or Konga, you will purchase for yourself a 5.5-inch display, 3000mAh battery, 3GB RAM, 64GB ROM, and a respectable Snapdragon 652 processor.
Fear not, this is a 4G LTE smartphone, so you are not left with creepy-crawly 3G. How fast does it charge, though? QuickCharge 2.0 means you can top up the battery from 0-50% in 30 minutes. Impressive for a smartphone released in 2017. Price: $98. LeEco Le 2 specifications.
Xiaomi Redmi 7A 2GB/16G
Next on our list of fast charging phones under 100 dollars is the Redmi 7A by Xiaomi. It has a 5.45″ display, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, and a big 4000 mAh battery. It is a 4G LTE smartphone and uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 439 processor. Coupled with that big battery is 10W quick charging, so you can top it up faster. Price: $94 or ₦33,500.00
Xiaomi Redmi 7A 2GB/32G
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This is the 32GB variant of the Redmi 7A, and the only difference between it and the above model that the internal storage is doubled to 32GB. Nothing else. And you pay only a ₦2,000 difference. Price is $99 or ₦35,500.00. Redmi 7A specifications.
Nokia 2.1
If you want an even more affordable option beyond the above fast charging phones, HMD Global comes to your rescue with the Nokia 2.1.
With a 5.5″ display, Quad-core Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 425 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8 GB internal storage, and a 4000mAh battery, it manages to offer most of what the pricier Redmi phones above have. The biggest difference is in RAM and internal storage. And like them, it couples 10W quick charging with the 4000mAh battery.Advertisement
It runs stock Android 9 Pie and you have Nokia’s guarantee of 2-year software updates and 3 years of security patches. One of those promised updates is gone, as the phone initially shipped in May 2018 with Android 8.1 Oreo.
Lastly, it comes with a fast charger in the box, so you don’t have to go hunting for one. What’s not to like about this phone? This is easily our Editor’s Pick on this list. If you are looking for an entry-level Android phone with fast charging, the Nokia 2.1 is what the doctor prescribed. Price: $70 or ₦25,000. Nokia 2.1 specifications.
Wrap Up
As you can see, besides the older LG G6 and LeEco smartphones, all the other fast charging phones under 100 dollars that we listed here support only 10W fast charging, which is the slowest fast charging standard availale. It is no surprising. QuickCharge, and fast charging technology in general, are yet to go mainstaream in entry-level devices. Even in the mid-range market, it isn’t widespread yet.
As such, it makes sense that all we have available at these price points is 10W. But it is better than nothing. With 10W quick charging, you can top up your battery from zero to 30% in 30 minutes. On a smartphone with a 4000mAh battery, that gives you hours of usage!
There are now smartphones that can go from 0 to 50% in 5 minutes, but you won’t find them anywhere near this price range, understandably. If you know any other sub-$100 smartphone that has quick charging and not listed here, please give us a heads-up in the comments section below. Thanks in advance.
Learn More About Fast Charging
If you are interested in learning more about fast charging technology, our article, Quick Chargers: How do they work and how they are different from normal chargers, is a good read.
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