I Bought a New $29 Smartphone! - Is it any Good?

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  • Опубліковано 10 січ 2024
  • Don't you lecture me with your $30 smartphone...
    This is the Telstra Essential Smart 2.1 (Aka, the ZTE Blade A30) which I only paid $29 for brand new!
    ● This Video's Page: frokfrdk.com/projects/29-doll...
    [Social Media]
    ● Discord Server - / discord
    ● Website - frokfrdk.com
    ● Twitter - / frokfrdk
    ● Instagram - / frokfrdk
    [PO Box]
    Daniel D
    Parcel Locker 10217 40583
    Shop 62 303 Grange Rd Findon SA 5023
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 1 тис.

  • @Revan-
    @Revan- 4 місяці тому +1847

    For those who can afford higher end phones yeah it would be kinda cruddy. But I'm glad phones like this exist where you can get them for basically nothing and no contract. They're crucial for people getting back on their feet, getting a call back for a job, emergencies, or for those who just don't have the money and need to be connected. It does the job.

    • @ennayanne
      @ennayanne 4 місяці тому +140

      something pre owned would be a much better choice than this future landfill

    • @aleksazunjic9672
      @aleksazunjic9672 4 місяці тому +100

      Lots of people have the money for better phones, but simply want something they could use and do not care if it gets lost, stolen, broken ... Also good as backup phone with secondary number .

    • @l4kr
      @l4kr 4 місяці тому +76

      Still e-waste tbh. You can get an old iPhone for the money these days. Even better deal if you find a used Android.
      Recently I gave a friend a Galaxy S4 with a cracked screen for free. He was struggling financially.
      Amazing amoled screen even by todays standards and enough performance for all the essential things.
      Miles better than this crap.

    • @Revan-
      @Revan- 4 місяці тому +41

      @@l4kr Very valid point! I would absolutely encourage exploring all your options before settling on a prepaid like this. Although with Apple/Samsung you may still need to set up with a contract to use it, or someone may be unaware how to get started setting up the phone once they buy it, like not knowing you can just swap in a SIM.
      A different advantage on a prepaid is that you just take it out of the box and go. Some people are also weird about having a used device even if they're perfectly fine because its "used". I think someone's situation would have to be that you have no other option and for some people, they ARE in that situation. Either that or they literally could not care less about having a decent phone, because why get a nice one if they're running the risk of it being beat up all the time.

    • @ennayanne
      @ennayanne 4 місяці тому +11

      @@Revan- What? This phone uses a SIM, and I'm not sure who would have trouble setting up a Samsung/iPhone vs this. If someone has a weird bias against pre-owned devices that doesn't mean it's justified. Do you sell these devices or something?

  • @user-rm2ug6uh5r
    @user-rm2ug6uh5r 4 місяці тому +594

    This is what Apple users think every android phone feels like

    • @RelxxdJay
      @RelxxdJay Місяць тому +14

      real

    • @0_528
      @0_528 Місяць тому +9

      fr

    • @theanuragsoni
      @theanuragsoni Місяць тому +12

      Can someone reply to this comment so that I can confirm I'm not shadow banned

    • @Cubic72
      @Cubic72 Місяць тому +9

      @@theanuragsoni you aren't, i can see that you replied to this comment.

    • @ChristianKirk-rm9pp
      @ChristianKirk-rm9pp Місяць тому

      Real

  • @diwaalejandrogalvez796
    @diwaalejandrogalvez796 4 місяці тому +864

    This phone has features that my S22+ does not: SD card, 3.5 jack, a charger inside the box, earphones, a removable battery, etc.

    • @frokfrdk
      @frokfrdk  4 місяці тому +160

      Therefore, it is better

    • @laur6405
      @laur6405 4 місяці тому +56

      And the S22+ has features that this phone does not: better processor,better screen,better speakers,better camera etc. Still,those ZTE phones are really decent in that price range

    • @username-mb2qh
      @username-mb2qh 4 місяці тому

      @@laur6405It’s honestly ridiculous that they make you have to choose between these features and a high-end phone. There is no reason we can’t stop have both besides pure greed.
      Also this phone sucks even for this price you can get faster phones with better screens even for this price.

    • @diwaalejandrogalvez796
      @diwaalejandrogalvez796 4 місяці тому +137

      @@laur6405 And you get an award for stating the obvious and following up my sarcasm.

    • @username-mb2qh
      @username-mb2qh 4 місяці тому

      @@laur6405We could easily still have both in flagships if it wasn’t for greed.

  • @wertywerrtyson5529
    @wertywerrtyson5529 4 місяці тому +843

    Replaceable battery, headphone jack and expandable storage. All things I wish more modern phones had.

    • @Snorlaxiian
      @Snorlaxiian 4 місяці тому +50

      If Apple or Samsung or Google were to allow consumers to replace their own batteries with removable backs then they couldn't charge you exorbitant fees to replace the batteries for you or better yet just incentivize you to buy a brand new phone. Wired headphones generally cost less than wireless headphones.

    • @yannick7230
      @yannick7230 4 місяці тому

      Samsung replaces your battery for €60, a removable back would lose a lot of water and dust resistance.@@Snorlaxiian

    • @42crazyguy
      @42crazyguy 4 місяці тому +22

      True. Feels like expensive phones are more disposable than this $29 phone.

    • @42crazyguy
      @42crazyguy 4 місяці тому

      @@diabolusvincit your check from Apple is in the mail

    • @Snorlaxiian
      @Snorlaxiian 4 місяці тому +18

      @@diabolusvincit I currently have a phone with 128GB of internal storage which is almost full (almost 100GB used), and an SD card that is 512GB (around 300GB used).
      Storage is important.
      As far as headphones and audio goes, you cannot listen to high fidelity music with wireless headphones, ain't gonna happen, and I like my HIFI.

  • @NourArt02
    @NourArt02 2 місяці тому +166

    This is the phone everyone picks up in movies when they're on the run from government agents after being framed for a crime.

  • @laszlozsurka8991
    @laszlozsurka8991 4 місяці тому +180

    I disagree with the thumbnail. This phone can run UA-cam, some basic apps and you can make calls on it so it's certainly not E-Waste. E-Waste is something that's completely useless and for $29 what more can you expect?

    • @javastateofmind
      @javastateofmind Місяць тому +9

      i think e waste refers to the fact that people would rather buy a second hand decent phone than an awful new one like this.

    • @javastateofmind
      @javastateofmind Місяць тому +1

      its useless if no one buys it

    • @Dominus2025
      @Dominus2025 Місяць тому +8

      Also the screen looks better if you peel protective film,this guy does not know shit about phones.

    • @laszlozsurka8991
      @laszlozsurka8991 Місяць тому +16

      @@javastateofmind I grew up with a piece of junk phone in fact my very first phone was a Sony Ericsson...
      You learn to respect basic phones when that's what you grow up with.

    • @javastateofmind
      @javastateofmind Місяць тому

      @@laszlozsurka8991 But sony ericssons were some great phones for the time. james bond use a sony ericsson phone in the movies lol.

  • @hermitgreenn
    @hermitgreenn 4 місяці тому +151

    The charging port is all the way up there because to save costs, the phone only has one circuit board and maybe one ribbon cable for the mic. Having the port on the bottom would require a 2nd circuit board and another ribbon cable.

  • @RoboEyeglass101
    @RoboEyeglass101 Місяць тому +37

    This vid comes off as some spoiled yt influencer wanting to be edgy. These cheap phones are helpful to people with limited incomes. Remember that a majority of the world makes very little income so be respectful.

    • @thehandsomestman666
      @thehandsomestman666 18 днів тому +4

      my thoughts exactly!

    • @user-jv6ox5gb6v
      @user-jv6ox5gb6v 13 днів тому

      It's a 'carrier-locked' phone, not worth buying despite the price point.
      There's better phone cheap phone out there with better repairabilities, still include basic features (headphone jack, removable+replaceable spare parts including batteries, external storage slots), even compatibilities with lightweight Custom ROMs

    • @heavy0119
      @heavy0119 13 днів тому

      Respectful to who exactly

    • @Itakepicturesofthesun
      @Itakepicturesofthesun 5 днів тому

      @@heavy0119to people who would only be able to afford a phone like this.

  • @rayphoenix7296
    @rayphoenix7296 4 місяці тому +190

    The first phone I ever owned was a ZTE that was bought from a local service provider. They never tried to obscure the fact it was made by ZTE. They had the ZTE logo proudly displayed on the back of the phone. I got that phone in very late 2015 and I used it as my primary phone for everything until mid 2022 when I got an A53.

    • @photoniccannon2117
      @photoniccannon2117 4 місяці тому +14

      I had a ZTE back in 2016. It actually wasn't terrible for what I paid for it.

    • @TheGalderis
      @TheGalderis 4 місяці тому +1

      They gave ZTE phones away here when signing a contract (Well 1 Euro with no additional payments). It worked, ran fine-ish and was okay-ish overall. In the world where having apps on you is a big bonus - it could do the job. It's better than nothing and my dad couldn't care less if it wasn't "good". Was easy to update his Covid pass you had to show when entering places. Much more convenient than carrying a printed paper with the QR code on it.
      While typing this out one would assume that such "simple" smart phones are a good introduction to the convenience in countries where you can't afford much more than these. E-Waste? Perhaps if you manufacture more than you can sell.
      Edit:
      I still recall the early days of smart phones. Got myself some Nokia with a touch screen and it ran Symbian OS on it. I was overjoyed with it while it lasted.
      Heck even earlier just getting some dumb phone with some unique feature was the fire. All those games lost in time... Young ones wouldn't understand the good old days of GPRS web games. Spent so many summer nights grinding (when the connection was free during the night time). One action at a snails pace each click

    • @lucaszukko
      @lucaszukko 4 місяці тому +9

      you're a warrior dude, a holy crusader, a XIV knight

    • @zavaraninoveuhorky
      @zavaraninoveuhorky 4 місяці тому +2

      similar. Got ZTE Blade in 2016 until 2019 when i got some alcatel then switched for A13 in 2022

    • @genzboomer-sv3pl
      @genzboomer-sv3pl 4 місяці тому +1

      They make the redmagic nubia phones ie most powerful gamer phones in the world.

  • @marioysikax
    @marioysikax 4 місяці тому +82

    My first android phone was ZTE Blade, the very first one. They are not amazing, but if you have literally no money, value was through the roof!

    • @mjmusictest2434
      @mjmusictest2434 4 місяці тому +2

      My very first Android was a Samsung Galaxy Exhibit.

    • @em5345-
      @em5345- 4 місяці тому

      ​@@mjmusictest2434My first smartphone was a Samsung Galaxy Mini 2.

    • @Pasi123
      @Pasi123 4 місяці тому

      Mine first android phone was also the OG ZTE Blade which I bought used in 2012. Mine had the 512MB RAM and 5MP camera but sadly the LCD screen and not the OLED, though the 800x480 LCD was great compared to most budget phones which only had 480x320, 400x240, or 320x240. The phone itself did also look more like a flagship phone than a budget phone. Just look at it next to a budget phone like the HTC Wildfire, Huawei U8150 or Galaxy 3 (i5800).
      My main complaints about it were the ARMv6 CPU which meant it wasn't able to run some apps and games at all, badly partitioned internal storage leaving only 150MB for apps (common thing on Android phones from the early 2010's, but thankfully it was possible to expand it to 300MB or something unofficially). And lastly the crappy camera, most of the pictures I took with it were shaky because of the long shutter speed. The pictures weren't overexposed so I think it really struggled to get any light so I guess the sensor much have been tiny. Idk if the 3.15MP camera was any better.

    • @bepopxxx
      @bepopxxx 4 місяці тому +1

      Mine was xperia miro 😢

    • @kamenstoychev8375
      @kamenstoychev8375 15 днів тому

      My first ever Android smartphone was the original ZTE Blade as well! It was bought for me as a bday present back in 2011 and used it until early 2014. For it's time back then when i got it, owning a smartphone used to be a privilege. I still keep it and everything works perfectly fine except the speaker, which took a hit after a year of use during watching a YT video lmao. Used to mod the hell out of it by installing custom roms like CyanogenMod. Amazing phone! The display is beautiful.

  • @SpyroTheGerudo
    @SpyroTheGerudo 4 місяці тому +84

    6 of the 8 phones I owned were like this. Only 1 viewing angle, cheapo cameras, precarious charge port spots, next to no storage at all, and more. This phone is nostalgic to the days I didnt make my own money XD

  • @user-wx9oj2gv9u
    @user-wx9oj2gv9u 4 місяці тому +87

    These phones nowadays are called burner phones, theyre used for texting, messaging, torch, basically a utility phone. I also have one and they serve their basic purpose, it wont lag unless you install a bunch of things😂

    • @Mr.freeman23
      @Mr.freeman23 Місяць тому +1

      Bro you live under rock phones now you can run gta 5 with emulator

    • @PuncherOfWomenAndMinorities
      @PuncherOfWomenAndMinorities 27 днів тому +1

      ​@@Mr.freeman23and this is relevant to the original comment how? gordon freeman is supposed to be smart unlike you

    • @AngstRiddenAnnoyance
      @AngstRiddenAnnoyance 25 днів тому +8

      @@Mr.freeman23I think you completely misunderstood the comment

    • @Blox117
      @Blox117 23 дні тому

      it literally lags pressing the keyboard during initial setup

  • @kebab_boi
    @kebab_boi 4 місяці тому +43

    I’m actually mind blown that this was filmed on the pixel. I thought u were filming from a special video camera. Pixel’s video quality is actually underrated asfff

  • @AMV12S
    @AMV12S 4 місяці тому +34

    To be true this looks pretty cool 😅
    I live in Brazil, is too dangerous to use your phone on streets because it can be easily stolen. A cheap second phone like this would be good to have.

  • @FrostyPenguin779
    @FrostyPenguin779 4 місяці тому +101

    FWVGA is an abbreviation for Full Wide Video Graphics Array which refers to a display resolution of 854x480 pixels. 854x480 is approximately the 16:9 aspect ratio of anamorphically "un-squeezed" NTSC DVD widescreen video and considered a "safe" resolution that does not crop any of the image.

  • @MastermindAtWork
    @MastermindAtWork 4 місяці тому +13

    I'm not gonna lie, even for a $30 phone. I think having a removable battery and an SD Card is a good selling point.

  • @mysticaxolotl8215
    @mysticaxolotl8215 4 місяці тому +27

    The dropping frames isn't necessarily the phone's fault. UA-cam has this stupid "feature" across all platforms where it will frameskip while using an auto quality setting, even if the hardware and network are capable of doing 1080p60. You have to manually set the quality to force it to play at the full framerate.

  • @ozzelot3349
    @ozzelot3349 4 місяці тому +44

    This has the vibes of putting Android 11 on a Galaxy S2 (a thing you can do).
    Yes, you can go even further, but I just wanted to stick to the version.

    • @tajemniczepulchnecos2074
      @tajemniczepulchnecos2074 4 місяці тому +3

      Huh, I also use Android 11 on my Samsung Galaxy S4, because 12 is laggy when I tried it.

    • @ozzelot3349
      @ozzelot3349 4 місяці тому

      @@tajemniczepulchnecos2074 I used to use a S5 with Android 9 or 10. Then I was given a Mi A2 Lite, ran 10 on that for a year or so, then I used a Redmi Note 7 with Android 11 for nearly 2 years. Now I have a Redmi Note 9 Pro with PixelOS 14.

    • @Unknown-64209
      @Unknown-64209 4 місяці тому +3

      I have lineage os on my s5. Very fun to root

    • @1MadJack1
      @1MadJack1 Місяць тому

      Android 10 on galaxy note 4 🔥

  • @iSamYTBackup
    @iSamYTBackup 4 місяці тому +102

    the calculation is basically voltage (V) multiplied by amperage (A) so we nees to round the miliamps to amps and 1 miliapm is a 1000th of an amp so 1000ma=1A so now we multiply the volts to amps so 5V x 1A you get the power of 5 watts and that is basically the bottom of the barrel of chargers

    • @frokfrdk
      @frokfrdk  4 місяці тому +16

      Yeah sounds about right

    • @itsyasoph
      @itsyasoph 4 місяці тому +6

      Damn, and here I am with a .5 amp charger for my phone, headphones and other micro usb things I have

    • @georgemaragos2378
      @georgemaragos2378 4 місяці тому +3

      Hi, !amp is a touch low, it does work
      I use 2 to 2.5 am charges for all our phones, but you need to be carefull at 2.5w, the battery ca get warm, it was today i noticed at work my mobile was 5 or 6% so i was charging it, then a call came in , the mobile had been charging say 10-15 min and it the screen was warm when i was using it
      The more amp will charge up a phone / tablet faster but it may run hot for some devices, but in my senario i was happy to say let it run 30 mins, then if i had a 1.5 or 2amp regular charger i would use it just not to overpower / heat up the battery

    • @ryxen2159
      @ryxen2159 4 місяці тому

      My daily driver (unfortunately it is) charges at 5 watts lel

    • @guaiqueritech
      @guaiqueritech 4 місяці тому

      @@itsyasophthat may be considered trickle-charging these days…It may help with battery health in the long run, but it will be a slow experience

  • @Qwerty-uiop
    @Qwerty-uiop 4 місяці тому +72

    This was my old phone and I still use it! In fact I'm watching on this device rn. And it runs UA-cam 1080p okay, but still drops lots of frames and I hated using this as a main device. The S8+ I have right now is so much better, but it's nice to have as a secondary device. It is not as bad as you think, as most apps work fine on this. Also its the only phone in my house with a working SD Card slot I've had this for a year

    • @Holdenwhite17
      @Holdenwhite17 4 місяці тому +1

      I use a galaxy S8 as well

    • @lanjinling-wuqian
      @lanjinling-wuqian 4 місяці тому +2

      I might just like it and buy it as I really loved the old android design before they switched to notches and punch-hole.

    • @Haz.Nation
      @Haz.Nation 2 місяці тому

      Just get a Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s if u want the old style phones with more power punched into it

  • @paranoidgenius9164
    @paranoidgenius9164 4 місяці тому +16

    $29 for this smartphone is pretty respectable. I live in UK & the cheapest brand new SIM free smartphone you can get off the high street, is from Argos at £50, Alcatel 1

    • @Haz.Nation
      @Haz.Nation 2 місяці тому +2

      But u can actually get a Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s for £30 my guy

    • @paranoidgenius9164
      @paranoidgenius9164 2 місяці тому +3

      @@Haz.Nation you sellin'😉

    • @Haz.Nation
      @Haz.Nation 2 місяці тому

      @@paranoidgenius9164 thx bro

  • @Simogus
    @Simogus Місяць тому +15

    avarage android phone for most apple users...

  • @ineophobe
    @ineophobe 2 місяці тому +17

    this is what android haters think every android is like

  • @Trance88
    @Trance88 4 місяці тому +13

    Just found out the ZTE Blade A30 came out on the market in TWENTY NINETEEN. I can't believe they still made this phone in 2023.

    • @xXVibrantSnowXx
      @xXVibrantSnowXx 29 днів тому +5

      What do you mean by you can't believe? you act as if 4 years old phone is outdated

    • @kamenstoychev8375
      @kamenstoychev8375 15 днів тому

      ​​​@@xXVibrantSnowXxYeah absolutely. In fact, my Redmi 9 Prime that i got almost 4 yrs ago is still in use to this day and functions perfectly fine with occasional lags and stutters here and there if there's more than 1 app running, but given the fact it is an entry level device with just 3GB of RAM sold for 130€ back in 2020, it does the job absolutely well.

  • @Richard-se3ju
    @Richard-se3ju 26 днів тому +3

    This phone is actually very good for some older person who only needs to call, text messages etc. It does this job just perfectly.

  • @acronym.4328
    @acronym.4328 4 місяці тому +45

    The power of ADB, root and FOSS apps can make a phone like this very functional nowadays, I'm sure.

    • @olawale4280
      @olawale4280 3 місяці тому +2

      Explain please

    • @acronym.4328
      @acronym.4328 3 місяці тому

      @@olawale4280 Basically, using ADB you can remove massive amounts of bloatware and useless applications from your phone (despite the fact that apps like that built into the system can return after a factory reset), by rooting your phone you can gain much more control over it than allowed and change major aspects of it, and the FOSS applications you can find in websites like F-Droid or Github can perfectly replace most if not all pre-installed apps while also being smaller and performing better.

    • @acronym.4328
      @acronym.4328 3 місяці тому

      @@olawale4280 For some reason my original answer got hidden, but to sum it up: ADB lets you remove pre-installed bloatware and unnecessary programs, root enables you to make major changes to the system, and FOSS (Free and Open Source) apps are a far better alternative to many applications that come with your phone, usually being smaller, faster and better handled.

    • @acronym.4328
      @acronym.4328 3 місяці тому

      ​@@olawale4280 I am still not sure if my reply will actually make it through because the previous ones got sent to the shadow realm. To sum it up, each one can remove and replace a lot of bloatware and unnecessary services from your phone, while also improving on its' performance and extending the lifespan. Doing such on old or simpler phones can really bring out their true potential.

    • @glork3202
      @glork3202 3 місяці тому

      @@olawale4280 you can install custom apps and remove bloatware basically

  • @qwertykeyboard5901
    @qwertykeyboard5901 4 місяці тому +25

    6:37 "Hey guys, what if we kept recycling the same bottom of the barrel SOC's and just put progressively heavier versions of Android on it? Also, make sure to compile Android as ARMv7 and not AArch64 even if the phone supports it!"

    • @anty.
      @anty. 4 місяці тому

      yea this reminds me a lot of some of my first phones with similar specs but i remember being able to do alot more than what was shown in the video

    • @saf751_
      @saf751_ 3 місяці тому

      As someone with a samsung a13 5g this hurts so hard

    • @qwertykeyboard5901
      @qwertykeyboard5901 3 місяці тому

      @@saf751_ Lol, you call a Dimensity 700 a low end SOC?

    • @saf751_
      @saf751_ 3 місяці тому

      @qwertykeyboard5901 "make sure to compile Android as ARMv7 and nit AArch64 even if the phone supports it!"

    • @saf751_
      @saf751_ 3 місяці тому

      @@qwertykeyboard5901 The phone is fine. But somehow its running on 32 bit which is odd

  • @jdude21
    @jdude21 4 місяці тому +20

    $1 for each minute of the video

  • @rocketkitty3464
    @rocketkitty3464 3 місяці тому +8

    That is basically an 2010s android smartphone just sold for a cheaper and rebranded. At least its better than just scrapping a "new" phone and taking its parts. Someone has a use for those.

  • @stevedirdochegal6568
    @stevedirdochegal6568 4 місяці тому +19

    not gonna lie if i was homeless this would be the go to phone.. you can call people listen to music and if it get stolen which happens alot its not nowhere near as bad as if they steal your iphone

    • @frokfrdk
      @frokfrdk  4 місяці тому +5

      If I was homeless I'd find a better phone in E-waste bins

    • @Kompl3x
      @Kompl3x 4 місяці тому

      @@frokfrdk The weather app is also accessible by clicking on the weather notification if you have that on, and through hitting the temperature underneath the clock on the home page if you have "At a Glance" enabled (which it is by default)

  • @alt666
    @alt666 4 місяці тому +5

    That's definitely the phone the main character of every spy, assassin, etc movie / show buys halfway through while on the run or about to do something crazy

  • @Foggy404
    @Foggy404 4 місяці тому +15

    I remember using a phone like this before! used it for small emulation, looking forward to the video!

  • @daryhan
    @daryhan 4 місяці тому +24

    you haven't peeled off the anti-scratch protective plastic layer, you can see that at the top right there is something that makes the screen color quality deteriorate

    • @itIsI988
      @itIsI988 4 місяці тому +2

      It's because it's a garbage TN LCD panel, not because of the film. My old Lumia 530 had one and it was miserable.

    • @awesomeferret
      @awesomeferret 2 місяці тому +2

      I mean, he's not wrong about the screen protector being there. It probably isn't messing with the screen that much. That's pretty funny that he left it on there.

  • @wolfdid911
    @wolfdid911 4 місяці тому +11

    I like being a member here. I watched half of this the other day

  • @yesitsmaxwell
    @yesitsmaxwell 4 місяці тому +41

    I found one of those for $20 at Cashies. Kinda funny how cheap they are

  • @paulharrison8379
    @paulharrison8379 2 місяці тому +3

    ZTE is a respectable brand. ZTE was banned in America over security concerns but is allowed in every other country.
    I have a £39.95 Lenovo Android 8 Oreo Go tablet. It has lite more efficient versions of Google apps like UA-cam Go which actually improves performance. I use it for reading PDFs on a bigger screen than the one in my Samsung Android phone.

  • @thelakeman2538
    @thelakeman2538 4 місяці тому +11

    Yeah that's a 5W charger (5 V and 1 A if I read it correctly), kinda the shittiest charger they can include, even cheap budget smartphones (100-150 usd) tend to include a normal 9W charger or even better fast chargers around the 200 usd mark to differentiate themselves from the competition. Headphone jack and microsd card slot are still common in budget phones (to my knowledge) but the removable back surprised me.

    • @Pasi123
      @Pasi123 4 місяці тому +2

      Apple used to include 5W chargers with their phones until the iPhone 11 Pro which had a fast charger (the regular 11 still had the 5W) and the iPhone 12 didn't include any charger. A lot of iPhone users who haven't bought a new charger probably still use the old 5W chargers

  • @realcartoongirl
    @realcartoongirl 3 місяці тому +7

    "yall dun need to know where we at"
    **takes out iphone show adelaide**

    • @frokfrdk
      @frokfrdk  3 місяці тому +2

      Don't need to know WHERE in Adelaide tho...

  • @TheMightyMoxie
    @TheMightyMoxie 2 місяці тому

    you give me big dankpod vibes and i love it. i want all my subbed channels to basically be the dankpods of whatever their topic is.

  • @saika.magoichi.214
    @saika.magoichi.214 4 місяці тому +4

    this reminds me of when my mom used to buy me a prepaid phone from dollar general on the my birthday. I remember only being able to have like 16 songs at once on it lmao

  • @woohoo2491
    @woohoo2491 4 місяці тому +23

    Blade A30 ain't bad, I used the A30 Prime before (I think its the same thing). I remember helping some people unlock the bootloader and get root on it a couple years ago.
    It's a basic phone to fulfill basic needs, it'll get the job done. Throw a GSI on it too and it'll probably perform a bit better and give you some newer security updates.

    • @kf3l_
      @kf3l_ 4 місяці тому

      You're right. It's not bad, it's *t e r r i b l e*

    • @Omgthisisamazing
      @Omgthisisamazing 3 місяці тому

      ​@@kf3l_🙄

  • @poligem
    @poligem 24 дні тому +4

    In case of war, such a phone will do just fine.

  • @MrSociofobs
    @MrSociofobs Місяць тому +3

    A $29 phone - replaceable battery, headphone jack, expandable storage, headphones and a charger in the box
    Phones that cost 30+ times as that - soon probably won't even come with a box

  • @christianvincentdugayo5594
    @christianvincentdugayo5594 4 місяці тому +18

    After using my 13 pro max for almost 2 years now, I switched back to using a very basic android phone. I deleted all the apps existing already in my iPhone and used it basically for calls, texting, calculator, and mp3 player. It is an old Umidigi A3s. The 5'7 screen is refreshing. Less distraction is a luxury.

  • @alexalizal6397
    @alexalizal6397 4 місяці тому +4

    18:00 i don't know why but the ZTE dog video have a vibe of its own.

  • @outtheredude
    @outtheredude Місяць тому +2

    The low viewing angle isn't a bug, it's a security feature, so others can't look at the screen from the side. ;-)

  • @ninjanerdstudent6937
    @ninjanerdstudent6937 Місяць тому +2

    I would get this phone for my kid, teach him/her about making phone calls, texting my spouse and myself, file system directories, VPN usage, torrenting, modded apps,...

  • @lightninglion5643
    @lightninglion5643 2 місяці тому +4

    ngl unboxing cheap not good phones are more satisfying

  • @Paulklampeeps
    @Paulklampeeps 3 місяці тому +4

    That phone looks like it came from 2013

    • @Manuel20114
      @Manuel20114 Місяць тому

      It looks like one of those Chinese phones from 2014 with Android KitKat but with a custom ROM

  • @zevilaga
    @zevilaga 2 місяці тому +1

    Not a bad phone For 29 USD. A Couple of use cases:
    -Spotify or webradio station that can play any music in your garage on a set of speakers
    -Navigation device for your bicycle or bike
    -Wifi hotspot while you are stealth camping
    -Music player for your jogging session
    -Emergency or backup phone when you are on a music festival
    -Music player for your kids' bedroom
    -Smartphone for Grandma, so I can track her whereabouts
    Just think about what can you buy from 29 bucks for your Google Pixel or apple phone? A pair of headphones? A charger? A battery? No way. Maybe a screen protector? A plastic case? No.
    This is a fully usable basic phone. What more did you expect for this much money?

  • @davinp
    @davinp 4 місяці тому +4

    Not many Android phones in USA have FM Radio anymore because the carriers don't active the FM Chip. The radio stations want people to use their streaming app

  • @H4TTOR1_H4NZO
    @H4TTOR1_H4NZO 3 місяці тому +3

    It's nothing fancy but good for a backup device, as long as it makes calls and texts it's all good.

  • @tetranymous9300
    @tetranymous9300 4 місяці тому +7

    I used the optus version of this while I was waiting for parts for my actual phone & sorting out its reliability (cable kept popping out after replacement). I chose it specifically because I have mobility issues and I need the screen to be smaller (every other phone nowadays is too tall!). Micro B isn't that bad of a connector imo and is the least of the phone's issues. I forced it to run 1080p video through running youtube on Firefox with the youtube enhancer extension and it was BAD. Like powerpoint slideshow and freezing up the phone bad, wouldn't recommend going over 720p. That is if you can watch anything at all since the screen makes watching anything in landscape painful. Another annoyance is it's default power saving settings close apps when you try to quickly switch from one to another. Nail in the coffin for me was artificial battery throttling, where over using it for about a year the battery got worse and worse but after not using it for a month or so after it had gone flat it was MAGICALLY at something like 60% battery after turning itself on and setting off an alarm. I went back to my 2015 xperia and it was like a breath of fresh air, I'm still using it to this day. Overall I'd prefer to use my android 2 smartphone from 2009 if it worked with the current networks as its still more pleasant to use than that thing. If my current phone stops being able to text when they shut down 3g at the end of the year (parts of 4g are reliant on 3g & it's impossible to check if your device is affected) I DREAD having to go back to that thing.

  • @DrCoomer_1
    @DrCoomer_1 11 днів тому +1

    Has an AUX port, comes with a charger, headphones, expandable storage & a prepaid SIM. For less than what the majority of the population of Australia makes in an hour working. Value wise it's not bad at all

  • @Chaosloki
    @Chaosloki Місяць тому +1

    For 29 bucks it's a miracle the thing even turns on let alone function was a phone, have a touchscreen, and is capable of getting on the internet/watching youtube. My first phone was so shitty it couldn't even function as an mp3 player and I had to carry a separate device just to play music and it costed way more than $29.

  • @ExpectinSomeADifferentAlias
    @ExpectinSomeADifferentAlias 4 місяці тому +5

    i swear this thing is about as fast, potentially even a bit slower, as a raspberry pi 4 running android

  • @ModricoYT
    @ModricoYT 4 місяці тому +9

    This phone reminds me of my old TCL 30 Z. That phone had terrible recording quality, which made my UA-cam videos that I filmed very poorly made. That's why I was so glad when I upgraded to a Galaxy Note 9 for Christmas 2023. My Note 9 has excellent camera quality and way better battery life than my old 30 Z. Plus, the screen resolution on the 30 Z was absolute crap compared to the FHD+ resolution on my current Note 9.

    • @mrbeastfancalls
      @mrbeastfancalls 4 місяці тому

      The Galaxy Note 9 has a QHD+ resolution

    • @guaiqueritech
      @guaiqueritech 4 місяці тому

      That’s an improvement. It still is a great phone. I had to trade mine last march. Miss it a lot

    • @ModricoYT
      @ModricoYT 4 місяці тому

      @@mrbeastfancalls Oh. On mine it's set to FHD+.

    • @Tristand09
      @Tristand09 4 місяці тому

      I have one of those tcl 30z. It's alright, and the video is par for the course, but the mic is terrible. Luckily, I have an s23 ultra, which is light-years ahead

  • @TheFrenchPlayer
    @TheFrenchPlayer 3 місяці тому +1

    It's still crazy that you can get a slow yet pretty functionnal phone for 30 bucks

  • @gavril3698
    @gavril3698 4 місяці тому +3

    2:20 you can hear an alarm i thought it was in my house 😂

    • @gavril3698
      @gavril3698 4 місяці тому

      Actually it's the song but it sounds like an alarm 😅

  • @gkid64
    @gkid64 4 місяці тому +4

    the "face id scanner" that you were filming was probably just the daylight sensor unless it pulls double duty on the iphone

  • @happyatheists9361
    @happyatheists9361 4 місяці тому +3

    way better then limited os running i diots buying iphone

  • @mohamad20zx34
    @mohamad20zx34 4 місяці тому

    Hey at least you're helping us avoid throwing out unused phones and I hope you can review divest os

  • @vtberry07
    @vtberry07 4 місяці тому +2

    new frok upload yay :>

  • @Krovatko
    @Krovatko 4 місяці тому +4

    3:52 Those edgy jokes are the icing on the cake

  • @gamecuber6
    @gamecuber6 4 місяці тому +5

    it really looks like a tcl/alcatel 1b, so it's probably a tcl phone with a alcatel logo, that was then changed to the zte one and finally became a telsra phone lol
    also, it has almost the same specs as my lg x power 1 from 2016, which was as low-mid tier smartphone at the time!

  • @respectedmastermind
    @respectedmastermind 2 місяці тому +1

    I would use this on vacation to not fear my other phone getting stolen, or on the beach

  • @Rac3r4Life
    @Rac3r4Life 2 місяці тому +1

    The Pixel 7 absolutely has a built-in weather app. In fact, it was just recently updated with a new UI.

  • @gergo2074
    @gergo2074 4 місяці тому +3

    Why are they releaseing the alcatel 1 qgain and again. The vodafone smart e9 alcatel 1 and this zte looks the same

  • @Exponaut_R-01
    @Exponaut_R-01 4 місяці тому +3

    And my iPhone 3G on its last update didn’t choke and struggle with Flow Free I never thought I’d see it
    It was the one game I could just, play without performance concerns
    Guess that’s not an impossibility on a smart phone-

  • @kirilraychev732
    @kirilraychev732 18 днів тому

    A phone like this was a decent option in 2013/14. This feels like going back in time.

  • @CaramelColored
    @CaramelColored Місяць тому

    DANK PODS!!!! I was wondering where i recognized your video style from. It drove me nuts!

  • @qwertykeyboard5901
    @qwertykeyboard5901 4 місяці тому +3

    Does Telstra pull a Tracfone and make their phones impossible to root?

  • @zackaryweis
    @zackaryweis 4 місяці тому +5

    Get the tablet call a ZB10S It's actually a piece of crap

  • @sburton015
    @sburton015 2 місяці тому +1

    The phone may be from 2023, however the specs seem to be more like comparable to a flagship phone from 2012.

  • @O5-XIV
    @O5-XIV 4 місяці тому +2

    Hey! great to see a new vid from ya Frok. hope ya had a happy new year. and before i even watch the Video. I'm betting that thing is total Garbage XD

  • @shadowthefurryscientist
    @shadowthefurryscientist 4 місяці тому +3

    since this video came out telstra raised the price of this e-waste by $50 💀

    • @frokfrdk
      @frokfrdk  4 місяці тому +1

      I think it was on sale for $29 but the normal price is $79

    • @jonboy3865
      @jonboy3865 4 місяці тому

      yeah in the video he said it was $50 off

  • @ora2j251
    @ora2j251 4 місяці тому +4

    Didn't ZTE lose their google Android license like Huawei did?

    • @SparkzEnt
      @SparkzEnt 4 місяці тому

      They actually did, but I suspect this was a workaround...
      since it wasn't a ZTE branded device (just the device manufacturer)

  • @carylittleford8980
    @carylittleford8980 4 місяці тому +1

    This phone would make a good budget solar powered remote sensor device for science, environment monitoring , art projects etc.

  • @BlueEyedVibeChecker
    @BlueEyedVibeChecker 4 місяці тому

    As soon as you revealed the box, I could tell by the crispy clean jpeg that the screen was gonna be that flimsy plastic-like glass that flexes if you poke it too hard.
    We're in for a good one this time.

    • @BlueEyedVibeChecker
      @BlueEyedVibeChecker 4 місяці тому

      "I've never actually used Android Go Edition, so I don't know how good it is, but we're gonna find out how good it is."
      It was at this moment, Jackson knew... He'd fluffed up.

  • @irakli-2k
    @irakli-2k 4 місяці тому +3

    Would be great for 2013

  • @tigersusyt
    @tigersusyt 4 місяці тому +3

    TAKE THE FILM OFF YOUR DAC/AMP!!!

  • @robotomo4249
    @robotomo4249 3 місяці тому +1

    Honestly not a terrible phone for under $100. I was surprised at how capable it actually was! Brings me back to my first phone I got when I was 12 (HTC Desire 520) for $125.
    21:28 Kids at 7 have phones now? Back when I was 7, I had the coolest stick out of anyone I knew.

  • @anikadaimaginative3020
    @anikadaimaginative3020 3 місяці тому +2

    And in Bangladesh my grandma and aunt are buying $29 phones, probably built in the same Chinese factory, and using them as daily drivers like the other nearby people (rent in their area is worth $350, for comparison).

  • @cassiuscartland
    @cassiuscartland 4 місяці тому +6

    just buy an iPhone 7 for a similar price which still gets updates and is like 15X faster and cheaper too

    • @appel2112
      @appel2112 4 місяці тому

      does the 7 get updates?

    • @plexyx8399
      @plexyx8399 4 місяці тому +1

      @@appel2112it still receives regular ios 15 security updates

    • @username-mb2qh
      @username-mb2qh 4 місяці тому

      @@appel2112Nah it got dropped at the same time as iPhone 6s. Both stopped at iOS 15 but got patches up until some point in 2023 (iOS 15.8).

    • @username-mb2qh
      @username-mb2qh 4 місяці тому

      But yeah there are plenty better options than this phone even at this price.

  • @cbastien92
    @cbastien92 25 днів тому +3

    Not everyone in every country can afford to buy expensive phones and for the price I think it’s ok…really dislike your scornful attitude 😑

  • @sayansengupta9410
    @sayansengupta9410 4 місяці тому +1

    Imagine you turn on your phone and it shouts out "cheers mate"😂

  • @AR15.666
    @AR15.666 2 місяці тому +1

    Literally just a modern day burner phone.

  • @ExploringNew1
    @ExploringNew1 4 місяці тому +3

    You know its good when you have to use android go edition 😂

    • @moomin7461
      @moomin7461 2 місяці тому +1

      Most super budget android phones under $100 dollars use android GO edition. It's because they tend to have less ram and storage.

  • @emp116
    @emp116 4 місяці тому +6

    I don't get why you are trashing it so much. Didn't u get it for 29$? What do you expect? Like it's not even comedy since the phone is so cheap. If it was 200$ then i'd be comedic to trash on it but like ok??

    • @username-mb2qh
      @username-mb2qh 4 місяці тому +1

      Tbh even for this price there are better phones.
      This thing genuinely seems to run worse than budget phones from 8 years ago.

    • @rpst39
      @rpst39 4 місяці тому

      It's just ewaste. It's cheap but honestly it's still not worth the price.

    • @emp116
      @emp116 4 місяці тому +4

      @@rpst39 it's not ewaste... is better than a feature phone and its cheaper than a nokia feature phone.. might not be fast... might be slow af with low quality everything but for 29$ it is excused.

    • @username-mb2qh
      @username-mb2qh 4 місяці тому +1

      @@emp116 You can literally get better phones even for this cheap.
      Even in the video he mentioned he got iPhone 6s for dirt cheap, that thing absolutely destroys this phone in performance and has a better screen.

    • @Qwerty-uiop
      @Qwerty-uiop 4 місяці тому

      @@emp116 ya, you can make calls, use apps and text with this device. It has functionality. It’s not ewaste.

  • @oholibama8888
    @oholibama8888 26 днів тому +1

    Oh yes of course. When I look at the controls on my stove or my remote control, I always ask myself "hey, who copied who so blatantly?"

  • @OctopusEight
    @OctopusEight 4 місяці тому +1

    "blow this up like a dankpods episode" THIS GUY KNOWS

  • @OuroborosGD
    @OuroborosGD 16 днів тому +3

    bro thinks android copies from apple

  • @Alexifeu
    @Alexifeu 4 місяці тому +4

    Delete this video you say so much misinformation in this video it is unreal. Also the vdeo is just bad.

  • @crazystupidgamer
    @crazystupidgamer 4 місяці тому +2

    The 7 pro does "technically" come with a weather app. The weather "app" comes bundled with the google app and you can add a widget or open google app and tap on the weather complication to open the weather section.

    • @frokfrdk
      @frokfrdk  4 місяці тому +2

      It's just something you shouldn't have to do to get a weather app

  • @edwardfletcher7790
    @edwardfletcher7790 Місяць тому

    This phone would make a really good WiFi home security camera 👍
    Love that clear plastic box cutter!!

  • @anthonysullivan5197
    @anthonysullivan5197 Місяць тому

    Also a proud owner of the Essential Smart 2.1.
    The newer Telstra T-Essential has Android 13 (Go) and so does the Optus X Start 4-both basically the same as the Telstra Essential Smart 2.1-uses the same 2000mAh battery.
    These newer phones for Telstra and Optus also lets you use 2GB of the 32GB internal storage as virtual RAM and have a octa-core processor instead of a quad-core.
    These 2 work fine with a MVNO like Boost/amaysim unlike the Essential Smart 2.1 which didn't work with a Boost SIM without paying Telstra for an unlock code.

  • @RealestUVONGO
    @RealestUVONGO 3 місяці тому

    the charging port being on the side is actually good if you're playing games in landscape mode, it doesnt block your hands

  • @MetalGear0987
    @MetalGear0987 4 місяці тому +1

    for 30 bucks? Its a miracle this even starts. I expected some alibaba/aliexpress tier fake game console/phone video but overall its actually great for the price.

  • @FaithMurri
    @FaithMurri 4 місяці тому +1

    Android technically does have a weather app, but it's a webapp that you can add a shortcut for. I have a Pixel 6A and I use the weather app every day