Buying a Smartphone these days isn’t an easy task by any means. One has to choose from the plethora of phones available in the market and consider a lot of factors. If you, like almost every other potential buyer these days are on the lookout for a feature laden Smartphone that offers great value but doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket at the same time, this certainly is the place for you.  A buyer’s decision making process is perhaps eased out when a few parameters are applied. In the same manner, we at Dazeinfo have applied certain parameters to help you zero-in on the best-rounded Android Smartphone of the year 2013. We’re going to talk about the top 5 Android Smartphones that cost below $399.
5. HTC Desire 601:
First up, we have the HTC Desire 601. Released in the month of October, the Desire 601 or just Desire is HTC’s offering in the mid-range Android Smartphone segment.  It is powered by a 1.4 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor backed by 1 GB of RAM and an Adreno 305 GPU. The on-board storage capacity is 8 GB and is expandable all the way up to 64 GB. The display resolution is a 4.5 inch qHD display (245 ppi). Its primary camera’s resolution stands at 5 Megapixels and it has a VGA front facing camera.
It comes with HTC’s BoomSound stereo speakers.  The Desire 601 supports LTE network wherever available. HTC is shipping this Smartphone with Android 4.2.2 and HTC Sense 5. Interestingly, many of the features from the HTC One such as BlinkFeed, Zoe, and Highlights are made available in the HTC Desire 601. A dual-SIM version of this phone was released in the month of November. This particular HTC will set you back by almost $370.
4. Sony Xperia SP:
Next in line is the Sony Xperia SP. Released during the month of April, this mid-range Sony comes with decent specs. It is powered by a 1.7Â GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM and an Adreno 320 GPU to handle the graphics. As far as storage capacity goes, the Xperia SP has a built-in capacity of 8 GB that is upgradable up to 32GB. It has a 4.6 inch BRAVIA display bearing a resolution of 1280×720 pixels and a great pixel density of 319 ppi (pixels per inch). Its primary shooter has an 8 Megapixel resolution and it is aided by an LED flash. Sony has also provided its in-house EXMOR-RS sensor for the camera.
The front camera is a VGA one. It also has the native Sony features such as WALKMAN, xLOUD Experience, TrackID, Xperia Link, etc. It’s got NFC as well. As of now, the Xperia SP comes with Android 4.1 but Sony has announced that there will be an update to Android 4.3 very soon and an update to Android 4.4 in the future too. Selling for about $305-$340, this is a pretty decent phone considering the features it comes loaded with.
3. Motorola Moto G:
At number 3 is Motorola’s new baby, the Moto G. The company’s slogan – Exceptional Phone, Exceptional Price is highly befitting for this Smartphone. These are perhaps the best VFM (value for money) Android Smartphones around right now as they offer mid-range specs at a price that is considerably lower than its competitors. First released in the month of Novmeber, the Moto G boasts of a 1.2 GHz Quad-Core Cortex-A7 CPU and a Snapdragon 400 chipset from Qualcomm. An Adreno 305 GPU handles the graphics department.
It is available with 8 and 16 GB storage options that cannot be expanded. It has a 4.5 inch 1280×720 pixel (329 ppi) resolution screen. The Moto G’s primary camera has a 5 Megapixel resolution along with a flash and the secondary is a 1.3 Megapixel. The G ships in with Android 4.3 but there’ll be an update to Android 4.4 very soon. When you combine these specs with a price tag of $179 (8 GB) or $199 (16GB) the Moto G certainly makes for an irresistible deal.
2. Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini:
Occupying the number 2 spot is the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. Selling with the slogan, Minimalism Maximised the S4 Mini strives to do just that. It is aimed at offering the user the best of both worlds i.e. smallest form factor and minimalistic design combined with the best possible specifications. Released in the month of July, 2013 and employing a similar design language as its elder sibling (Galaxy S4), the S4 Mini runs on a 1.7 GHz Dual-Core Snapdragon 400 processor with 1.5 GB of RAM. As usual, an Adreno 305 is employed in the GPU department.
Internal memory stands at 8 GB and is expandable up to 64 GB. The S4 Mini has a Super AMOLED qHD 4.3 inch screen with a resolution of 540×960 pixels (256 ppi). Its primary camera sports an 8 Megapixel resolution while the secondary unit stands at 1.9 Megapixels. It comes pre-loaded with Android 4.2.2 and Samsung’s TouchWiz as well. Prices for the Galaxy S4 Mini start from $350.
1. Google Nexus 5:
And topping our charts is the Google Nexus 5. Well, this is the phone that has taken the market by storm. First released in the month of October on Google Play, the Nexus 5 epitomizes – a pure Android feel. Jointly developed by Google and LG, the Nexus 5 is powered by a 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 800 processor with 2 GB of RAM, Adreno 330 GPU and either 16 GB or 32 GB of storage capacity (non expandable). It has a 4.95 inch IPS LCD that bears a resolution of 1080×1920 pixels (445 ppi). An 8 Megapixel camera with a CMOS sensor and flash does duty at the rear whereas a 1.3 Megapixel acts as the secondary camera unit.
The Nexus 5 is the first ever Android Smartphone to ship in with Android 4.4 KitKat and ever since its launch, it has received quite a number of updates and bug fixes (for the camera). Priced at $349 for the 16 GB and $399 for the 32 GB, the Nexus 5 from Google fits perfectly with our budget under consideration and offers features from a segment higher than this thus ensuring that it emerges as a clear winner.
Note : Prices mentioned here are as per amazon.
