Dirt cheap goodies: reliable smartphones for under and around $100

Welcome to the era of smartphones under and around $100. What do we mean? Just look at how smartphone prices have gone down this year, and you’d notice an interesting development: gone are the times when you needed to spend a fortune to get a decent smartphone experience.

Just a year ago, you’d have found it hard to get a smooth-running smartphone at such a low price. In late 2014, two things have happened: prices of some great devices have gone down dramatically, and manufacturers have rolled out brand new devices at previously unheard of prices.

That’s why we’ve picked some of these cheap phones that are not just underpowered gadgets that are barely usable (such phones are still out there). Instead, we tried to select smartphones that cost under and around $100 from phone makers you’ve actually heard and that deliver a satisfactory experience. Take a look below.