Gone are the days when fast battery charging technology was limited to high-end Android phones that cost in the regions of Sh 70,000 and beyond. Today, even phones in the sub-Sh 30,000 category – the budget category – come with fast charging tech, which is great for consumers.
In this post, we have put together a number of budget Android phones available in Kenya that support any form of fast charging technology. With this tech, it will take you way shorter time to charge your phone’s battery from 0 to 100% compared to having none at all. This should help you get back on the road in the shortest time possible.
Let’s dive right in.
Infinix Note 5
A popular series among Infinix fans in the country, the Infinix Note 5 became even more popular thanks to Android One software that brings stock Android experience on a budget. The phone, like previous Notes before it, has a lot of battery with a 4500mAh unit on board.
With normal charging, this can take ages to fill up, which is why the company included its own proprietary fast charging technology known as X Charge, noting that it will get your Note 5 “powered in a short timeframe and stay active all day.”
How true is this? Well, find all your answers in the links below, including the specs.
⇒ Buy Infinix Note 5 on Infinix Mall (Sh 16,299)
Sony Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra
It’s not always that you see the mention of Sony Xperia devices on Android Kenya, probably because of their limited availability these sides. Still, if you are a fan of Xperia phones and you want something on a budget with support for fast charging technology high on your list, the Xperia XA2 duo is your best bet.
Priced at under Sh 30,000, the Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra were unveiled in early 2018 and are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, hence the inclusion of Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology. Considering that you are dealing with a sizeable 3300mAh battery unit in the smaller XA2 and an even bigger 3580mAh unit in the Ultra, having some form of accelerated charging was necessary.
Despite the Ultra being bigger and better than the standard XA2, for some reason, their current pricing doesn’t reflect this, but for how long it remains like this we can’t really tell. The former currently goes at a discounted price of Sh Sh 26,749 and the latter will set you back Sh 28,599.
⇒ Buy on Avechi Kenya: Xperia XA2 | Xperia XA2 Ultra
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5
One of the devices that propelled the second coming of Xiaomi in Kenya, the Redmi Note 5 has plenty to write home about. Be it the premium-like design, powerful specs, great cameras, or even the best of all, price, there is little to regret about this device.
Like other Redmi Notes prior to it, the Note 5 is big on matters battery, rocking a massive 4000mAh unit that promises a full day of use and then some. To fill it up, you have Quick Charge 3.0 technology by Qualcomm, but the unfortunate thing here is that you still get to do this via the aging microUSB port.
⇒ Buy Redmi Note 5 on Jumia (Sh 18,999)
Xiaomi Mi A2
Arguably our best budget phone on the market right now, Xiaomi Mi A2 is yet another great Android One device that impresses in matters raw power, has clean software with a ready upgrade to Android 9 Pie available, a trademark premium-like design language, much better cameras compared to its predecessor, and its price keeps dropping each passing week.
Xiaomi could have definitely done better with the battery capacity, but even if it doesn’t last long enough, there is Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology to get you back on the road in the shortest time possible.
⇒ Buy Mi A2 on Jumia (Sh 22,599)
Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
Xiaomi’s Mi 8 family has a number of variants, among them Xiaomi Mi 8 SE. This is one of the first phones to come powered by the new Snapdragon 710 processor that’s considered as a more superior offering compared to the Snapdragon 600 series.
Being a Qualcomm-made premium midrange processor and Xiaomi being the company it is, the Mi 8 SE includes support for Quick Charge 3.0 tech. With its 3120mAh battery unit, you should be back on the road within 30 minutes with a battery that is half-full or more.
⇒ Buy Mi 8 SE on Avechi Kenya (Sh 27,499)
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is another variant of the Mi 8 family whose current sub-Sh 30,000 price means it falls under our budget smartphone category and hence a spot on this post. The Mi 8 Lite, despite rocking a different Snapdragon processor, still comes with the same Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging tech used in the Mi 8 SE and others in this post.
The battery is a little bigger at 3350mAh, but you should get about the same charging times as the SE. Xiaomi also did a great job by including a USB-C port on both the SE and Lite variants of the Mi 8.
⇒ Buy Mi 8 Lite on Avechi Kenya (Sh 25,499)
Xiaomi Mi Max 3
Xiaomi Mi Max 3 will not only wow you with its humongous 6.9-inch display screen that can easily be mistaken for a slate, but you should also relish the idea of having a gigantic 5500mAh battery unit inside a phone. Considering how long this would take to fully charge with normal charging, the inclusion of fast charging technology was never an option for Xiaomi.
Like others on this list, the Mi Max 3 supports Quick Charge 3.0 technology that promises a shorter wait time when charging the huge battery from 0% to 100%. Charging takes place via a USB-C port.
⇒ Buy Mi Max 3 on Jumia (Sh 29,999)
Nokia 6.1
HMD Global released some good phones into the Kenyan market in 2018 and among them was the Nokia 6.1. The inclusion of fast battery charging technology is one of the improvements the 2nd-gen Nokia 6 came with over its predecessor.
According to the company, you get 18W fast charging that guarantees to juice up the 3000mAh unit on board from 0 to 50% in half an hour. Usually, this doesn’t mean the next half hour will get you to 100% because most phones, due to heating up during the aggressive period of fast charging, have mechanisms that tend to reduce this aggressiveness once the capacity is above 50% in order to prevent overheating.
⇒ Buy Nokia 6.1 on Jumia (Sh 17,999)
Nokia 6.1 Plus
Unlike the Nokia 6.1, the bigger and more powerful Nokia 6.1 Plus has the blessings of Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 fast battery charging technology. This is one of the most popular proprietary charging technologies that is easily found on Snapdragon-powered high-end phones.
With this tech, you should have enough juice to last a day with only half an hour of charging and given the Nokia 6.1 Plus has a meager 3060mAh battery, filling it up to 100% should be a breeze.
⇒ Buy Nokia 6.1 Plus on Jumia (Sh 25,599)
Nokia 7 Plus
Nokia 7 Plus remains to be one of the best midrange phones that ever graced the Kenyan smartphone market. But with months under its belt, the device has since received numerous discounts and it now finds itself in the sub-Sh 30,000 category, which is even better for bargain hunters.
For a device of the Nokia 7 Plus’ caliber, parting with below Sh 30,000 is a steal. Boasting a massive 3800mAh battery, the device was never going miss out on Quick Charge 3.0 technology, especially since its powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor.
You can read all about the Nokia 7 Plus via the links below.
⇒ Buy Nokia 7 Plus on Jumia (Sh 28,999)
Conclusion
Fast battery charging technology can be a lifesaver. Imagine coming back home in the evening feeling wasted, you think you left your phone charging overnight but in the morning, you are woken up by battery low alerts. I know how annoying this can be because I’m a victim.
With fast charging tech, you won’t even have to worry about it much because, by the time you are done taking a shower and breakfast and leave the house, your phone will be nearly 50% charged, if not more. That said, make sure you keep this in mind when buying your next Android phone.
How long does it take to fully charge your phone? Please share your experiences in the comments section below.