The 100-euro phone that took on the iPhone
In 2011, a Chinese Android 2.2 clone for 100 euros aimed to rival the iPhone. Was it ultra-budget brilliance or just plain cheap?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Star A3000: the ultra-budget iPhone alternative that never was
At the height of iPhone fever, looking for a 100-euro phone that could run Android was almost heresy. The Star A3000 promised exactly that: Android 2.2, dual SIM and GPS for just over 100 euros. Was it the ultimate budget alternative or a trap for the penny-pinching?
Specs that don't lie
With 188 MB of RAM and an ARM926 processor, the A3000 could barely handle the apps of the time. Its 3.3-inch screen and lack of 3G left it far behind the iPhone. The GPS, moreover, depended on an internet connection, making it almost useless without a data plan. Questions about whether the screen was resistive or capacitive went unanswered, and the resolution was unknown.
The budget debate: where's the limit?
For the most hardcore frugality purists, a smartphone was an unnecessary luxury: a simple GSM phone for calls and texts was enough. Others argued that the freedom of pay-as-you-go and an unlocked handset was more frugal than the consumption of an iPhone on a contract. Alternatives like a second-hand HTC Hero or an unlocked Nexus One for 200 euros offered much more for a little more, but broke the principle of minimal spending.
Real alternatives
Options mentioned included the HTC Wildfire on a 30-euro contract with minimal usage, or the 2006 Asus with GPS that worked without internet for 195 euros. Even an iPhone clone running Windows Mobile 6.1, the Ciphone C5, came up as an option. However, the prevailing recommendation was to look for a mid-range second-hand Android, which beat the Star A3000 by a mile.
Where is the line between responsible spending and technological stinginess? The Star A3000 wasn't the workhorse it promised to be, but it peine a question that remains relevant fifteen years later.
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At the height of iPhone fever, looking for a 100-euro phone that could run Android was almost heresy. The Star A3000 promised exactly that: Android 2.2, dual SIM and GPS for just over 100 euros. Was it the ultimate budget alternative or a trap for the penny-pinching?
Specs that don't lie
With 188 MB of RAM and an ARM926 processor, the A3000 could barely handle the apps of the time. Its 3.3-inch screen and lack of 3G left it far behind the iPhone. The GPS, moreover, depended on an internet connection, making it almost useless without a data plan. Questions about whether the screen was resistive or capacitive went unanswered, and the resolution was unknown.
The budget debate: where's the limit?
For the most hardcore frugality purists, a smartphone was an unnecessary luxury: a simple GSM phone for calls and texts was enough. Others argued that the freedom of pay-as-you-go and an unlocked handset was more frugal than the consumption of an iPhone on a contract. Alternatives like a second-hand HTC Hero or an unlocked Nexus One for 200 euros offered much more for a little more, but broke the principle of minimal spending.
Real alternatives
Options mentioned included the HTC Wildfire on a 30-euro contract with minimal usage, or the 2006 Asus with GPS that worked without internet for 195 euros. Even an iPhone clone running Windows Mobile 6.1, the Ciphone C5, came up as an option. However, the prevailing recommendation was to look for a mid-range second-hand Android, which beat the Star A3000 by a mile.
Where is the line between responsible spending and technological stinginess? The Star A3000 wasn't the workhorse it promised to be, but it peine a question that remains relevant fifteen years later.
Most shared
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (28 replies).
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