Paying in stores with Google Pay, checking your transit card, reading discount cards and storing them on your smartphone – this is not a complete list of the possibilities that the NFC chip in the phone provides. We have collected for you nine inexpensive smartphones that give you the opportunity to try payments of the future and the present.
BQ 5045L Wallet
The model of the Russian brand BQ 5045L Wallet is the cheapest smartphone with NFC that we could find on Yandex.Market. The price for it starts at 4,600 rubles, which is quite a bit for a device with support for contactless payments. For the rest, this is a regular budget device with low power and a small amount of memory (1/16 GB), which is enough only for the operation of the Android 10 operating system and a couple of running applications. The gadget is equipped with a small screen with a diagonal of 4.95 inches and a resolution of 960×480 pixels, a 2000 mAh battery and two cameras: a 5 megapixel main camera and a 2 megapixel front camera. We do not recommend taking the device as the main one, as users complain about the braking application for calls. However, the device can play the role of a digital wallet for your bank cards.
ZTE Blade A3 (2020) NFC
There are many smartphone users who are fundamentally not satisfied with Russian manufacturers. Although they are Russian only nominally, all products are still manufactured in China. So why not take the device of the Chinese brand right away? ZTE Blade A3 (2020) NFC is one of the most modest options with NFC that can be bought in Russia with a branded guarantee. The price of the gadget starts at 4900 rubles. Like all other budget smartphones, this model lacks stars from the sky: 1/32 GB of memory, 8 megapixel camera, low-power Unisoc SC9832E processor. The 2600 mAh battery with a 5.45-inch screen will last no more than a day. However, the device still received a lot of positive reviews – thanks in large part to the support for 4G, NFC and the low price.
TECNO Spark 7
Having crossed the border of 5,000 rubles, we finally see more or less decent smartphones that will suit unassuming users. One of them is TECNO Spark 7. What's good about it (besides NFC, of course): firstly, the device received a large 6.5-inch display, on which it will be convenient to watch movies. The resolution, however, is not high – only 1600×720 pixels. Secondly, the manufacturer did not skimp on a good battery: a 5000 mAh battery is installed here. Although the amount of memory is not that large (2/32 GB), the smartphone works with full-fledged Android 11. In a word, if you are not a gambler, but use a smartphone for work, this option is quite suitable.
Redmi 9C
Redmi 9C is the most affordable Xiaomi smartphone with NFC_ which can be bought for an average of 9,000 rubles. It's hard to find flaws at this price – except for the outdated microUSB connector for charging. The gadget is equipped with 2/32 GB of memory with the ability to install microSD up to 512 gigs – there is also a version with 3/64 GB. In the presence of a dual camera 13 + 2 megapixel and a large screen with a diagonal of 6.53 inches and a resolution of 1600×720 pixels. The processor is powerful enough to run modern games – MediaTek Helio G35. With a reserve of autonomy, everything is in order: a 5000 battery will provide at least a day of work.
Doogee n30
Having paid a little more, you can buy the Doogee N30 smartphone – this brand is now officially represented in Russia. True, there are not so many service centers so far, and the guarantee is valid only for devices purchased from Doogee partners. But this is already good – earlier these gadgets had to be ordered through AliExpress at your own peril and risk. The N30 supports 4G and Bluetooth 5.0, runs on Android 10, and has a large 6.5-inch display with an 8MP front-facing camera. There are 4 main cameras here (16 + 8 + 2 + 2 Mp), which is not bad at a price of about 10,000 rubles. We also note a decent amount of memory 4/128 GB – such a smartphone can be safely used to install heavy games and download videos.
realme C15
realme C15 is a truly modern smartphone with NFC, relevant in 2021. The model will cost an average of 12,000 rubles and offers decent performance.
It has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of permanent memory, as well as a decent processor MediaTek Helio G35. A quad camera with 13 + 8 + 2 + 2 megapixel sensors is provided for shooting photos and videos. The triple slot can hold two SIM cards and a microSD memory card up to 512 GB. The battery is powerful, 6000 mAh, so a full charge will last for a day or two, even with active use of the smartphone. 6.5-inch display with a resolution of 1600×720 pixels. looks very standard: the front camera here is inscribed in a waterdrop-shaped notch.
ZTE Blade 20 Smart
In the range of “from 10,000 rubles” the choice of smartphones with an NFC module is much higher – perhaps in this category you can find gadgets of all well-known brands, except perhaps except for Apple. For example, the ZTE Blade 20 Smart costs about 12,000 rubles and can offer even more than contactless payment. There is an almost 6.5-inch screen, a triple camera, and a whopping 128 GB of storage – a record amount for an affordable smartphone. The smartphone also has a fingerprint sensor, and modern USB-C is used for charging. At the same time, the battery is rather big – for as much as 5000 mAh. If you like bright gadgets, you will definitely like the model – you can choose not only black, but also green or blue body options.
Samsung Galaxy M11
If you are ready to allocate about 18,000 rubles for the purchase of a smartphone, pay attention to the M – the M21 model with support for contactless payments and a large battery can be taken for just 14-15 thousand. And if you want to save money, you can take a simpler model – the Galaxy M11 will cost 12,000 rubles.
The smartphone is equipped with a large screen with a diagonal of 6.4 inches and a 6000 mAh battery, which will allow it to work up to two days on a single charge. Since this is no longer an affordable budget employee, but quite a mid-range smartphone, its memory capacity is appropriate – 4/64 GB with expandability. And also – as many as 4 cameras, including the triple main and front camera. We have already reviewed this smartphone – in it you can find out all the details about the gadget and see how the Galaxy M21 camera shoots.
HUAWEI P30 lite
The light models of the flagship lines are always distinguished by a good price-quality ratio. And if the Huawei P30, which was at the peak of popularity in 2019, will cost you a round sum, then the P30 Lite is already being given an average of 19,000 rubles. The cameras here are not as cool as those of the older model, but they are still good – much better than in many state employees. It uses three main modules with a resolution of 28 + 8 + 2 Mp and a front camera in a record 32 Mp.
The smartphone works with Google services (it came out before the heyday of sanctions) and is equipped with a decent amount of memory of 4/128 GB. The HiSilicon Kirin 710 octa-core processor does a good job of smooth system operation and multitasking – you can even play popular games like Tanks at comfortable settings.
By the way, a little more useful information about NFC:
- Life hack with a transport card: programming a smartphone with an NFC tag
- Google Pay: what is it and how does it work?
- Virtual discount cards: freeing your wallet from plastic
