Since I test Android phones for a job, I often jump between premium models and budget ones. I can be doing Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display tests one day, and the next, playing with Iron Man-themed affordable phones.
You’d expect to have a better time with a phone that costs more money, and a slightly lesser experience with one that lets you keep some of that cash for yourself. But the difference doesn’t have to be as dramatic as you’d think.
Over the years, I’ve perfected a few ways to make a budget phone feel a little more like an advanced mobile. I’m not talking about anything extensive: modding it, adding components, and hand-chiseling its body into something more refined.
These are four easy tweaks you or I could make to compensate for some of the rough edges a budget phone may present.
Deep-clean the phone when you start
Don’t let the bloatware stick around
One of the most distinctive giveaways of a budget phone is bloatware, something which many people hate (though others have just come to accept it).
Bloatware, for those lucky enough to have avoided it, refers to pre-installed apps that you didn’t ask for: random third-party social media platforms, shopping channels, and games.
This kind of app is often installed on a phone as part of a partnership the manufacturer has with the app owner.
It’s generally why you’re getting a cheap phone for a bargain price, and why Google can’t clean up the bloatware problem. It’s why you’ll almost always see the likes of WPS Office, LinkedIn, and TikTok pre-installed even if you’ve never used them.
The other kind of bloatware is manufacturers’ apps, which are pre-baked on phones in the hope that you’ll start using them. From my experience, Samsung and Apple are by far the worst offenders in this department.
Whichever kind you have, bloatware, to me, makes a phone feel ‘cheap.’ Having these apps clutter your home screen makes a mobile feel like it isn’t yours, but an advertising billboard for various other companies, or a space you’re renting from them.
Worse, sometimes they’re hard to uninstall. Removing them from the home page isn’t enough, but you need to go into the app drawer to remove them.
To me, there’s only one solution. As soon as I boot up a new phone (and take screenshots of the default software, which is important, as a reviewer), I deep-clean apps I don’t want.
Gone are the assorted bubble shooter games, the online shops I wouldn’t trust a cent to, and the social media platforms I’ve never opened.
I’ll even wipe out Google services I don’t use (sorry, YouTube Music and Google TV; not so sorry, Gemini), and the brand’s own, which I already have equivalents for.
I like my software to be pristine before I start customizing it and installing my own apps.
By doing so, I’ve made my cheap phones feel less ‘budget,’ and brought them more in line with the kind of experience you’d get if you paid top dollar.
Register your fingerprint multiple times
You could call it a top tip
When you set up a phone and choose to unlock the device using a fingerprint scanner, you’re prompted to register your chosen digit through a short process. Then, your finger can unlock your phone.
However, people who own a budget phone might be raising their eyebrows at this. Not all fingerprint scanners are created equally. While premium phones might have scanners that are snappy and fast, budget phones don’t.
I’ve tested low-end phones with fingerprint scanners that barely work, requiring multiple lifts and places to unlock. It’s more true of rear- and side-mounted ones, which are quite rare these days, but I’ve also found it with under-screen ones.
To solve the problem, I found an easy test. When you set up your fingerprint, Android will ask if you want to register another. Select that you do, and go through the process again.
Often, the system will tell you that the fingerprint is already registered. That’s a good sign that the scanner works well.
However, sometimes I’m able to register the same finger a second time, which tells me the sensor isn’t top-shelf.
But by doing so, I’ve given the phone a second bank of fingerprints to check against, and I’ve found it drastically improves the speed with which a scanner like this works.
Un-boost the RAM
Let your phone breathe
Another telltale sign of a budget phone is slow performance.
In this case, I’m not talking about processing power, benchmark scores, or gaming prowess, although they’re also generally improved if you spend more.
No, I’m talking about the everyday experience of using the phone: wiping between your menus, opening social media apps, and responding to messages.
Other than the Chinese brands offering budget powerhouses, most budget phones still feel slower than expensive ones. It’s something I noticed when the Samsung Galaxy A57 surprised me with basic software tools.
This is largely down to RAM. Cheap phones have less of this magical chutzpah that gives tech a more responsive feel. It’s a natural by-product of paying less.
A few years ago, an Android hack was intended to solve this issue. It’s called RAM Boost, or Virtual RAM, or VRAM, depending on the brand. It’s now pretty commonplace in phones and, in my experience, is turned on by default.
RAM Boost, in theory, lets your phone temporarily borrow storage space and turn it into memory to give a little extra power.
However, as other Android Police authors have explained, it actually slows down the phone more often than not.
Your phone will actually perform a little better if RAM Boost is turned off, yet it’s enabled by default on most mobiles.
So I often jump into the settings and deactivate it to ensure I’m getting the best experience possible.
Ignore the in-box case
It’ll make a phone feel worse
To me, one of the staples of a premium phone is its design. Cheap ones feel blocky and utilitarian, and look pretty bland. You’re not buying them for a fashion statement.
However, premium ones feel great to hold, with svelte frames and curved edges, and often look amazing too, like the wild-looking Starry Night phone I tested recently.
Design is a much more important consideration if you pay more.
If you own a cheap phone, it’s understandable that you’d want to do what you can to defy its basic design. Your go-to option might be to use a case, and the easiest to get your hands on will likely be the one that came in the box.
Yes, most cheap phones I’ve reviewed have an in-box case. But it’s rarely ever any good.
These shells tend to be thin, oily-feeling in your hand, and pretty ugly to look at, too. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: don’t use the free case that comes with your phone.
Of all the ones I’ve received with affordable phones, I’ve never used one that’s impressed me in any way.
This isn’t the case with other mobiles. I haven’t reviewed a budget mobile with an in-box case in a while, but many mid-rangers I’ve used come with quite nice cases.
If you want to make your budget phone feel a little more premium, pay for a good case.
Get one that fully protects the phone, with rounded corners to protect it from drops, maybe a magnet holder or flip case if you want those added tools.
And make doubly sure it feels good to hold. You’ll be touching it a lot.
Not all phones have that much choice, especially if you buy from a smaller brand or import a device.
Still, you should do your best to find an option that works for you, and we have a guide on what to look for in a phone case to help steer your decision.
